WealthBriefing GCC Region Summit, November 2014

Based in London, Iheshan Faasee’s responsibilities include working across multiple asset classes to generate and deliver Russell's investment propositions to the EMEA client base. Iheshan assumed this role in 2009.

In 2000, Iheshan joined Russell’s investment division, holding several portfolio management and research analyst roles. Here his research included ongoing due diligence of the team’s high conviction manager products, in addition to the review of Russell opinions and provided manager recommendations to Russell’s consulting clients and multi-manager funds.

Prior to joining the investment division, Iheshan was a consulting analyst, with responsibility to provide client service for Russell’s strategic advice to institutional clients. By working with consultants, Iheshan supported investment strategy implementation, asset allocation and recommendation for asset class structure for clients.

Prior to joining Russell, Iheshan was a credit analyst with US Bank’s corporate banking division in Washington, US, from 1994 to 1996.

Khurram Jafree is managing director, head of products and services for Middle East & Africa at BNP Paribas Wealth Management, based in Dubai. Prior to joining BNP Paribas Wealth Management, he was director and head of investment advisory, Middle East for Barclays Wealth in Dubai and before that he was chair of the investment committee, investment director at Gerrard Investment Management, Barclays Wealth in London responsible for all discretionary portfolio management activity.

Before Barclays Wealth, he specialised in advising Middle Eastern sovereign and institutional clients on their US equity investments at Legg Mason, and at Oppenheimer & Co in London before that. He started his career in New York as a financial futures and commodities specialist.Khurram is a senior visiting fellow in the faculty of finance at Cass Business School, City University in London where he lectures on the MBA program.

Martin Engdal is market strategist and director of business development, EMEA, Advent Software. Martin has been with Advent for 10 years and has worked in several senior sales and business development roles supporting the extensive business growth of Advent in the EMEA region. Martin has responsibility for business development, positioning of Advent’s solutions and strategic alliance partners within the wealth and asset management industry. Prior to joining Advent, Martin worked as head of client relationships and portfolio manager at Danske Bank, Alfred Berg Asset Management and Nykredit Asset Management and served as director of pre-sales at SimCorp.

Naomi is a Group Director and Head of Family Office at Highvern. A lawyer by training, Naomi was called to the English Bar in 1999 and re-qualified as a Jersey Advocate in 2003.

During her time as a Partner at offshore law firm, Appleby, Naomi provided wealth-structuring advice to high and ultra high net worth individuals, international private banks and trust companies. At Highvern, Naomi leads the business’ Family Office proposition as well as having oversight of all matters relating to fiduciary risk, standards and competency within the business. Naomi works closely with clients and their independent legal, tax and investment advisers to ensure the establishment and implementation of robust and sustainable wealth planning structures. Naomi has considerable experience of providing trustee services in connection with complex trust structures and sitting as a director on the boards of private trust companies.

Naomi is a member of the board of directors of Highvern Trustees Limited, Chair to the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) in Jersey and sits on the Jersey Finance Trusts Law Working Party.

Sabila is CEO and Founder of Din Consultants, HQ in London and is an accomplished global business management, marketing and gender specialist. She works with global private banks, elite family offices and entrepreneurs - delivering propositions for growth. She works extensively with World Bank/IFC across EMEA, building financial capacity to drive female SME growth and gender financial inclusion. In addition to her consultancy, she also runs a ‘property private client office’. Prior to setting up her businesses, she held senior roles at ABN AMRO, Asia, JWT HK and was an Associate, IBM e-business fs consultant, EMEA.

Vic Malik is a director and regional head of global investments and solutions team within Barclays Wealth and Investment Management. He is responsible for delivering the the firm's investment, banking and debt solutions to clients in the MENA region. Vic has been with Barclays for eight years, working in its Dubai and London offices. Prior to that, Vic worked at HSBC in Canada and the US.

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