AES, the Middle East’s one of the certified fiduciary and Chartered and fee-based financial life management firm, has announced the appointment of Andrew Bates as CEO of AES Private Wealth and Family Office, effective 1 August 2025.
Based in Dubai, Andrew brings over three decades of international private banking and wealth advice experience, having led client-facing teams across the Isle of Man, South Africa, the UK, UAE and Asia. His work with high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, especially internationally mobile families, reflects a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that global success brings.
Andrew spent 21 years with Nedbank Private Wealth, most recently as Head of the Middle East and Asia, where he was instrumental in helping successful families prosper. Prior to that, he held senior positions at Lloyds Banking Group for 12 years. His extensive knowledge spans areas including investment management, trust structuring, property and portfolio lending, deposit strategies, and immigration-linked wealth planning.
This appointment marks a key milestone in AES’s mission to spark Positive Change in the financial lives of successful individuals and families across the Middle East and beyond.
“Andrew’s arrival is exciting: as huge wealth migrates to the Middle East we’re investing in ever deeper capabilities to raise the standard of sage counsel and wise guidance that these globally minded clients can expect,” said Sam Instone, Founder of AES. “Andrew’s exceptional track record, empathy, and technical expertise perfectly align with our commitment to meaningful, human-first wealth advice.”
Andrew will play a central role in deepening our presence and enhancing the value we deliver to clients across the MENA region and further afield, delivering personal, highly tailored guidance to the most successful international families looking for clarity, control and confidence in their financial future.
“I’ve joined AES because it stands for something powerful—real advice, built on trust, not transactions,” said Andrew. “In a world full of noise, clients deserve a partner who listens deeply, thinks independently and offers guidance rooted solely in their best interests—no matter where they are in life or in the world.”
