EFG recently announced the appointment of Ali Sandila as the new CEO of its Dubai Advisory Office, effective 01 December 2022. He succeeds Sascha Pietrek, who has decided to step down as CEO in order to pursue personal interests. Ali Sandila will report directly to François Farjallah, Head of Middle East Region.
In his new role, Ali Sandila will focus on further strengthening EFG’s presence in the United Arab Emirates and will drive the bank’s accelerated business growth from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
Ali Sandila has over two decades of experience in the field of wealth management and private banking. He joined EFG in 2019, when the bank commenced operations in Dubai, and he has played a pivotal role in growing EFG’s business in this market over the last three years. In recognition of his success and his proven leadership and team-building skills, Ali Sandila was appointed Head of Private Banking in Dubai in 2019.
Before joining EFG, Ali Sandila served as Market Head for the Middle East and as a Member of the Middle East and Africa Board at LGT Bank Middle East (based in the DIFC) from 2016. Prior to that, he was Team Lead & Head of Middle East at Julius Baer (Middle East) Ltd from 2010 to 2015. Ali Sandila began his career in 2002 and previously also held several senior client relationship roles at Mashreq Bank PJSC, ABN Amro and UBS.
EFG established its presence in the DIFC in 2019 as part of the expansion of its Continental Europe and Middle East Region. It has since achieved rapid growth in the United Arab Emirates, delivering a significant increase in assets under management.
EFG’s Dubai Advisory Office now has a team of 30 employees dedicated to serving the needs of high-net-worth individuals in the region, offering bespoke advisory services that leverage the bank’s extensive investment expertise.
Patrick Ramsey, Head of Continental Europe and the Middle East Region: “I am delighted that Ali has been appointed as the new CEO of our Dubai Advisory Office. Since joining EFG, he has been instrumental in driving our growth across the region, attracting talent and successfully co-leading our franchise with Sascha Pietrek. I would also like to thank Sascha for his commitment and valuable contribution to EFG over the past three years. I am pleased that Sascha will serve as an external member of the Board of our Dubai subsidiary in the future and that we will thus continue to benefit from his knowledge and experience as we further strengthen our position in the region.”
He added: “As part of our 2025 strategic plan, we aim to expand our Middle East business across GCC countries and the Levant, as well as broadening our range of investment and credit products and services with a particular focus on Sharia offerings and custody services for local Middle Eastern securities.”
