The Ninth Annual WealthBriefing MENA Awards for Excellence 2022

Daniel is the Managing Partner of Sigma Private Office, part of the Sigma Group. He has been advising HNW and UHNW individuals since 2006 and is an expert in Investment Management Solutions for international clients. Starting his career in the City of London as a Stockbroker with a focus on US equities and Alternative Investments, he moved to the British Private Bank, Arbuthnot Latham in 2011, where he served as Director Investment Management as part of the Investment Committee until 2015 before moving to head up the bank’s Investment Management team in the Middle East, as Investment Director. In 2021 Daniel founded Sigma Private Office and continues to work with long standing clients in the region and abroad. Daniel enjoys various sporting activities and is a keen golfer. Given his experience Daniel regularly commentates in the press and on panels as a subject expert and holds various professional qualifications through the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).

Jacques-Antoine Lecointre serves as the COO of Santander Private Banking International in the Middle East. He is based in Dubai from where he oversees the regional operations as well as the External Asset Managers platform. Before joining Santander, he had similar positions for BNP Paribas Wealth Management in the Region, for the Global South Asia and Middle East business of Bank of Singapore and for Barclays Wealth Management where he spent more than 10+ years across Europe and the Middle East. Jacques-Antoine brings over 20+ years of experience gained across multiple roles within the front, back and product office.

With more than 31 years’ banking experience in the UAE, Mannan Adenwalla assumed the role of managing director of private banking and asset management group, LGT (Middle East) in 2012. Mannan had previously been managing director of Clariden Leu Asset Management, Dubai which he set up and then led for six years.

Before this he worked for ABN AMRO Bank, where he managed his clients and a team of relationship managers for nearly ten years. Having begun his career in the banking industry in 1984, Mannan’s responsibilities at LGT include developing the business across non-resident Indian and subcontinent markets.

Maurice Gravier joined Emirates NBD in June 2018. He has 25 years of investment experience with international leaders of asset and wealth management. He worked with Natixis Asset Management from 1998 to 2010, as a fund manager then CIO of the Active Equity franchise. He then joined Lombard Odier Private Bank in Geneva, Switzerland, to lead the equity portfolio management and strategy and join the bank’s investment committee. He then moved to Dubai in 2017, initially with a prominent family office, before joining Emirates NBD. The CIO Office oversees investment strategy and products for the Group’s Wealth Management units, and also includes the bank’s Asset Management subsidiary in the DIFC. Maurice earned a Master in Management in 1995 from ESCP Europe business school.

Patrick is currently an executive director at Banque Richelieu GCC after joining fromDeutsche Bank Wealth Management Dubai. His previous position was senior vice president at DBS Private Banking Dubai. Patrick aims to exploit his reputation as a trusted advisor with entrepreneurial families to help drive the bank’s growth in the ultra-high net worth NRI private client segments, principally in the ME and Africa. Patrick’s 20-plus years’ experience in the sector began at Allied Irish Banks where he rose through the ranks to head up its deposit-taking unit in Jersey. His subsequently moved to BNP Paribas, then Bank of Nova Scotia before joining ABN AMRO Jersey where he rose to become head of private banking and later its country head. He moved to Dubai to join Lombard Odier in 2012.

Samira has over 20 years of Wealth Management & Private Banking experience at senior level in MENA, Europe and Asia.

Samira served as Head of Private Banking at National Bank of Dubai and Head of Ultra High Net Worth at National Bank of Abu Dhabi, progressing to MD & Global Head of PB & KCG for First Abu Dhabi bank.

Throughout her tenor, she has remained focused on client propositions and solutions both regionally as well as internationally.

Samira remains instrumental in developing and growing wealth management across the GCC region. In 2019, she was
recognised in the industry as ‘Leading Woman in Wealth Management – MENA’ by WealthBriefing MENA Awards.

Sobhi Tabbara is the Global Market Head, heading the HSBC Private Bank Middle East & North Africa (MENA) team. Sobhi is a Member of the HSBC Middle East (HBME) Executive Committee, the Global Private Banking (GPB) Executive
Committee and the HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA (PBRS) Executive Committee. He is also the Deputy CEO of HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA (PBRS).
Sobhi started his career in 1986 as a correspondent Banker in New York with Republic National Bank of New York covering the Middle East Institutional market. In 1994 Sobhi joined Republic National Bank of New York in Geneva to spearhead
the private Banking efforts of the bank in the Middle East. After the acquisition of RNB by HSBC in 2000, Sobhi was named Global Head of Saudi Arabia. In December 2010, he became the Head for MENA for HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA, being appointed as Global Market Head MENA in 2012.
Sobhi manages a team of approximately 110 people in different geographic locations (Geneva, London, Paris, Luxembourg, Beirut, Dubai, Bahrain, Hong Kong and Singapore) and travels extensively to the Middle East.
Sobhi is fluent in English, Arabic and French.

Stela comes from over 20 years of experience in the global financial markets and banking services in Western Europe and the Middle East. She is currently heading Index & Cie, a DFSA-regulated wealth manager, practitioner of the Value Investing philosophy applied to permanent capital of HNWIs. Her management style and ideas brought about a radical change and new drive to Index & Cie in ever-changing market conditions in the UAE and globally.

Prior to her current CEO position, Stela held multiple senior leadership roles for National Bank of Abu Dhabi, now First Abu Dhabi Bank, and acted as Chief Operating Officer for boutique wealth managers in Dubai. She began her career with Citigroup in 2002 in Milan, Italy, where she spent more than 10 years in the Global Transaction Services covering various operational and managerial positions.

As head of Mashreq Private, Vipul ensures that every client receives bespoke wealth management  solutions and a holistic banking experience from anywhere in the world. Vipul joined Mashreq as the  Head of Private Banking after 25 years with Citibank. Over the last five years, in addition to heading  the Mashreq Private, he is also responsible for the bank’s Wealth Products & Platform. 

Vipul brings over 30 years of experience spanning across Consumer Banking and Private Wealth  Management in building businesses, managing change, strategic development, mentoring fintech  start-ups, implementing technology platforms & nurturing leadership talent. 

At Citi, he was responsible for establishing new markets in MENA & Europe and heading several  international businesses including the Global Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Wealth business, the  Consumer Bank for UK and the Citi IPB, Private client wealth business for EMEA. During his tenure, he  developed & grew the NRI Private wealth business in UAE before heading the Global NRI Business. As  head of the UK Consumer & IPB private wealth business for EMEA he was responsible for managing  long-term growth strategy including restructuring the businesses to a digital best-in-class wealth  business for affluent clients across EMEA. 

Vipul has worked across several countries and regions including India, Singapore, Dubai, Bahrain and  most recently London. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance degrees from Institute  of Chartered Accountants of India where he ranked 7th across India & Institute of Cost &  management accountants of India where he was a gold medalist in accounting.

Cécile is the CEO for Trustconsult in Switzerland as well as Head of Private Client for the Trustconsult Group. She has an extensive wealth & estate planning career, earning a solid reputation for her work on international trust & foundation. Her experience includes managing complex & sophisticated trust and corporate structures for private and corporate clients located around the globe, including Latin America and Asia but more specifically in the Middle East.

Cecile is chairing the Wealth Management & Estate Planning focus Group of XLNC, she is also an active member of several significant professional bodies including The International Bar Association (IBA) and The International Tax Planning Association (ITPA). Former Chairwoman of the STEP branch in Geneva and also Former Chairwoman of the STEP Swiss & Liechtenstein Federation, acknowledged as a "prominent figure in the Leading Trustees" category of CityWealth Leaders List. Cécile has also been a presiding judge for the STEP Private Client Awards and for WealthBriefing Awards Switzerland & Liechtenstein for many years.

Cécile has qualifications in company law and practice, tax compliance, international trust
management, trust administration and accounts, and trust creation.

Craig has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry globally, having held senior management positions in fund management firms, investment banking and fund administration. He is keenly involved in the development of practices and the landscape of the financial services sector and his expertise and advice is often sought by major stakeholders in the sector.
Prior to joining Apex, Craig was Senior Executive Officer with RoC Capital Management (Dubai) Ltd. and responsible for developing the firm to manage fund structures based in a variety of jurisdictions and covering a full range of investment strategies and structures. Craig also served as a Director with Sanne Group Dubai Limited. where he was responsible for the group's open-ended fund administration service. Other earlier roles included Chief Financial Officer at United Investment Bank Limited and Chief Executive Officer at Apex Fund Services (Dubai) Ltd. where he established the first fund administration provider to be approved by the DFSA.
Craig holds several other directorship roles in financial services companies and investment funds.
He is also a member of Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand.

As a Founding Partner at Huddleston Jones, Danny leads their retained search practice, specializing in Private Wealth Management across Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Prior to his executive search career, he gained extensive experience working for an International Wealth Manager in Dubai, Tokyo, and Johannesburg.

Since 2008, he has successfully led 'front office' search firms in Hong Kong and Singapore, recognized as a top executive search specialist in private banking and wealth management. With deep market knowledge, Danny has built a global network. He emphasizes comprehensive market research and candidate intelligence, aiming for excellence in client service.

Danny also served in the Royal Air Force and holds a Bachelor's degree with First Degree Honors in Business Management.

Experienced corporate lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in regulatory and compliance services spanning across the Caribbean, Cayman Islands and in the UAE. Strong knowledge of international business companies’ regulatory frameworks,
financial services (including FinTech as qualified under Oxford/Saïd Business School Fintech Programme) and financial products (particularly Funds). Extensive experience as well as specialized expertise as a certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist and FATF trained Legal expert examiner and certified in FATCA & CRS reporting, ADGM OCAB regime.

Achievement: Awarded 2021 Leading Woman in Private Wealth Management by MENA Wealth Briefing Association.
Formerly: Legal Counsel at Cayman Islands Monetary Authority: 2008-2016;
Formerly: Head of Regulations and Operations for RAKICC (IBC Offshore & Free zone Registry): 2016-2017
Former: Prosecutor/ Regulator & Legislative Drafter

Hassen is a Senior Relationship Manager covering External Asset Managers at MCB (DIFC Branch). He relocated from MCB’s Head Office in July 2021 where he was previously responsible for coverage of EAMs and Multi Family Offices in Switzerland, Monaco, the UAE and in Mauritius. Prior to joining MCB, Hassen established the EAM Desk at Afrasia Bank, a boutique bank based in Mauritius. Hassen is an entrepreneurial and solution oriented banking professional with experience in multiple African, Middle Eastern and European jurisdictions who actively leverages on the entire MCB Group capabilities that also include corporate and investment banking, asset management and private equity. He holds a Master of Business Administration from HEC Paris and speaks fluently English and French.

Laurence is the Regional Director, Client Solutions, EMEA for Asiaciti Trust in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He joined Asiaciti Trust in late 2012 and has over 35 years’ experience in the offshore finance industry. Based in the Middle East for the past 28 years he has particular skills and experience in cross border planning, the establishment of offshore trusts, foundations and company formation. Laurence also acts as a Non-executive Director for GSB Capital Ltd in the Dubai International Financial Centre. Before joining Asiaciti Trust he held a number of senior positions within the Trust & Fiduciary industry and more recently was Head of Fiduciary Services, MENAP for a major international financial institution in the Dubai International Financial Centre. In these roles he successfully serviced clients in the EMEA region with their international needs and works closely with other cross border specialists in the establishment of international trusts and a variety of investment structures. Laurence maintains a comprehensive knowledge of legislative changes and industry trends affecting cross-border issues. He is a full member of STEP Worldwide (Society of Trust and Estate Planners) and was the founding Chairman of STEP Arabia.

Vivek Gehani has over 20 years of Corporate and Private banking experience gained at leading global financial institutions and has a wealth of experience and industry knowledge of financial markets.
Vivek is currently a Market Head for Bank of Singapore (BOS) in Dubai and is based at DIFC. He joined BOS as part of the
acquisition of Barclays Asia and has served 13 years within one organization, progressing from Banker to Managing Director. He
previously worked at ABN Amro and Merrill Lynch.
In his role as a Head of Sales at BOS, Vivek manages the entire Front Office of Dubai Branch and has responsibility for Global South Asian clients, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and wider Africa Business. Prior to joining Bank of Singapore, Vivek was Managing Director at Barclays Wealth Management in Dubai with responsibility for Global South Asian clients.
In 1998 Vivek graduated with an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Pace University in New York and in March 2020 certified as a Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and also certified in The Leadership Circle SystemTM .
Vivek is a member of YPO organization, an exclusive group of members around the world which provides a platform of
continuous learning, networking and growth.
Vivek is a practitioner of performance coaching and advocates the benefits that teamwork and strong culture bring to the
organization. He also is a student of optimising health with biohacking to maintain peak performance of the mind to benefit
personal and professional wellbeing.

Yann is the Managing Partner of M/HQ. He chiefly focuses on private wealth and immigration practice. He has vast experience advising successful individuals and entrepreneurial families with Middle Eastern exposure on implementing inter-generational wealth transfer strategies and structuring their operational assets and global wealth. He is regularly involved in the ongoing management of such structures – as a board member, council member, guardian or protector. Yann is recommended by all of Chambers & Partners Private wealth, Legal Week’s Private Client Global Elite and Who’s who legal private client. He was the Chair of STEP Arabia from 2015 to 2018