Director, Private Banking - MENA

Role Overview

Director, Private Banking - MENA at First Abu Dhabi Bank. This role leads private banking operations across the Middle East and North Africa region, managing UHNWI and HNWI client portfolios and driving business growth across diverse offshore and onshore markets.

Company Overview

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) is the largest bank in the UAE and one of the world's largest and safest financial institutions. FAB offers a comprehensive range of personal and private banking services, including credit cards, Islamic banking, investments, loans, and mortgages. The organization is committed to excellence and innovation, delivering top-tier financial solutions to clients globally. FAB fosters a performance-based culture with a focus on career development, learning initiatives, and structured plans for talent progression, particularly for Emirati nationals.

Role Purpose

Develop and manage private banking business across MENA markets, serving UHNWI and HNWI clients and family offices across multiple offshore and onshore booking centers. Build and expand client portfolios, achieve superior sales revenues and AUMs above predetermined targets, increase FAB's market share, and deliver comprehensive investment solutions and personalized service.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Client Management

• Develop business across diverse markets and regions within all areas of private clients, family offices of UHNWI and HNWI with different offshore and onshore locations.
• Build, own, and manage a portfolio of UHNWI and HNWI clients, providing maximum personalized services.
• Maintain and develop a client base of HNWI and UHNWI, providing excellent service to develop net new business and obtain/maintain business via referrals and recommendations.
• Maintain and expand current and future client base, acquire net new business via referrals, contacts, and marketing.
• Develop new business through own sources, existing professional connections, and introductions via the bank with strong interpersonal skills.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with decision makers in key positions and turn relationships into sources of referral inwards and outwards.
• Identify target markets, develop new business, increase wallet share of existing clients, and implement the annual marketing plan.
• Initiate proactively solutions, sales, and market initiatives.
• Opportunity spot externally and from within the Group.
• Develop new investment relationships and attract new key clients to FAB.
• Develop the private client side of FAB's key strategic clients' segment, including Directors of Multinational as well as UAE, GCC, and Sub-Continent diaspora-based companies.
• Converts prospects into clients.

Strategic Partnerships & Cross-Selling

• Promote the three main businesses of Private Banking, marketing, and business development to clients for both Offshore (Switzerland) and Onshore (UAE).
• Coordinate and promote prospects and business with other Relationship Managers as well as other Group coordinates Globally.
• Promote cross selling between Group branches and offices in the Gulf and elsewhere Globally.
• Cross sell and promote all Investment Banking, FABS, GAM, ADNIF, etc.
• Promote PB's Open Architecture solutions on a case-by-case basis to serve clients' best needs and requirements.

Product & Solution Development

• Proactively enhance PB's offerings (Group and/or Open Architecture) by initiating and supporting internal processes and workflows.
• Solicit business primarily, but not limited to the disciplines of the trilogy of Private Banking: Banking, Fiduciary (Wealth Protection such as Trusts, Foundations, Offshore Companies), and Portfolio Management (Execution only, Advisory, and Discretionary).
• Solicit business in derivatives (e.g. DCDs, esoteric funds such as aircraft operating leases, mezzanine debt).
• Participate with others in Product development and marketing.
• Ability to think and mastermind "Out of Box" bespoke solutions for clients who require esoteric tailor-made solutions.

Client Portfolio Management & Compliance

• Maintain a designated list of clients' portfolios.
• Assess prospects with the aim of converting to clients by a full vetting and due diligence process addressing issues connected with PEPs, OFAC, AML and including KYC to international standards.
• Assess financial needs, risk tolerances and appetite, and develop optimal investment solutions.
• Ensure clients' relationships are monitored and maintained, completing and updating all reports including KYC, regular Call Reports, Leverage/Lending related issues, interest charges paid on time, maturities, etc.
• Ensure that clients' portfolios are regularly screened for proper diversification; unless client specifically requests this not to be the case.
• Provide advice and ultra-high level of solutions and service 24/7, 365 days of the year regardless of being in the office, on vacation, or on an international business trip.
• Ensure clients' portfolios have required diversification in investments to meet each client's present and future needs.
• Manage prospects due diligence in tandem with ability to ensure clients' portfolios are screened for required compliance as well as performance by diversification of investments.

Project & Operations Management

• Manage specific projects End to End and 360 Degrees, including managing and liaising with other group colleagues.
• Manage the respective PB UAE office End to End for administrative purposes in the absence of the respective business heads on a rotational basis as and when required.
• Manage on a partial basis (time needs) basis Relationship Managers support staff in respective PBU office and liaising with Middle office, Back offices, RMD, ACD etc.
• Maintain MIS portion relating to the individual.

Additional Responsibilities

• All other tasks as reasonably and unreasonably requested.

Qualifications & Experience

Education & Academic Background

• Track record of excellent academic performance from a reputable university.
• Preferable background in business, economics, marketing, MBA, or accountancy/finance.

Professional Experience

• At least 5 years' experience as an "industry hand" in private banking coupled with experience in other banking environments and investment companies.
• Experience in leadership.
• Experienced problem solver in tandem with decision making.
• Strong relationship management and new/ongoing business development skills.

Skills & Competencies

Knowledge Requirements

• Detailed knowledge of FAB policies, procedures and processes including anti-money laundering requirements, OFAC, and 'know your customer' requirements in relation to the International Private Banking market.
• In-depth knowledge base of the trilogy of Private Banking disciplines: Banking, Investment/Portfolio Management, and Fiduciary (Wealth protection via offshore trusts, companies, and foundations).
• Solid understanding of varied offshore jurisdictions (Switzerland, UK, US, Jersey, Cayman Islands, BVI, and free zones domiciled in the UAE/GCC).
• In-depth knowledge of all retail, corporate, treasury-based investment banking products (vanilla and derivatives) both within Private Banking and across other banking divisions.
• Extensive knowledge of the local and offshore marketplace and opportunities to grow profitable business.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of best practice relationship management, business development and marketing techniques in international private banking.
• Substantial knowledge of Corporate Banking as an offshoot/ancillary discipline within the Private Banking portfolio.

Technical & Professional Skills

• Ability to closely follow the financial markets and use broad knowledge of various investment vehicles to provide holistic advice to clients.
• Excellent written and spoken English (mandatory).
• Ability to work independently, develop professional long-term relationships, and establish an extensive network of potential and actual individual and corporate high net worth clients.
• Ability to build excellent relationships with a HNW client base by providing excellent service in order to obtain business referrals.
• Opportunity spotting: ability to identify, explore, and transact new market segments and develop business to widen the private bank's portfolio of offerings.
• Ability to identify new market segments and develop that business to widen the Bank's portfolio offering and increase profitable revenues.
• Ability to work with integrity when assessing each client's financial needs to ensure the correct investment solution is being recommended.
• Ability to participate in product development and the ability to market/transact these.
• Ability to react quickly and professionally to all client's requests on a 24/7 and 365 days basis regardless of being present in office, on vacation, or on an international business trip.

Languages

• Written and spoken English (mandatory).
• Arabic, French, Hindi, and/or Urdu (desirable) on a geographical need's basis.

Additional Information

FAB offers unique career choices, a chance to innovate, craft solutions for the future, and express yourself in a performance-based culture. FAB provides a range of learning and development initiatives to support all employees through training and skill development. FAB has structured plans for the recruitment and career progression of Emirati talent to