StanChart Expands UAE Private Banking Frontline
Standard Chartered Private Bank has strengthened its United Arab Emirates front office with a series of strategic hires.
Standard Chartered Global Private Bank has appointed Yahya Ismail as managing director, market head, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), according to a statement. He has over 25 years of experience across corporate and private banking, including the last 20 years in private wealth management at Julius Baer and ABN AMRO.
«The Middle East is growing at an extraordinary pace, with the UAE in particular experiencing rapid growth in wealth creation amongst high net worth (HNW) and ultra-high net worth (UHNW) individuals who increasingly seek bespoke, cross-border financial solutions for wealth preservation, intergenerational transfers and sustainable growth,» commented Vinay Gandhi, global head of South Asian community and regional head of EMEA at the private bank.
Several New Team Members
Ismail will lead a team that includes several other hires, including Laura Haddad as senior client partner, lead, GCC UHNW; Samia Shahnawaz as executive director, relationship manager, private banking; Ramla Mansukhani as relationship manager, private banking; and Lakshmi Menon as client service manager, private banking.
Hadad has 20 years of UHNW wealth management experience with Julius Baer, Credit Agricole, Citibank, Emirates NBD, and the Royal Bank of Canada. Shahnawaz has 20 years of private and institutional banking experience at Julius Baer, Bank of Singapore, Barclays, and Citibank. Mansukhani and Menon have close to 20 years of experience at international banks.
Investment in Talent
The latest expansion of the private banking team in the UAE is part of Standard Chartered’s broader strategy to invest $1.5 billion in its affluent business over the next five years.
«As one of the Bank’s wealth hubs, the UAE plays a pivotal role in Standard Chartered’s global strategy. We continue to actively invest in our talent pool, provide tailor-made client solutions, and diversify our product offerings to meet the needs of our HNW and UHNW clients,» Gandhi added.
