Firstly, for those in the UAE and wider Gulf, I trust you are enjoying the long weekend to celebrate the Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) birthday.
I write this from the incredible boutique Neela Collection Hotel in Zanzibar. Along with the family, we are here to celebrate Alison and Spencer’s birthdays. Curated in a historic building in the heart of Stone Town, it’s a stunning space to relax and unwind. We are delighted they can offer a discount for GSB clients of 30% off rack rates. You can find more information on the offer here. Alternatively, please get in touch with us, and we can connect you to avail.
Away from R&R, for golf followers (and not wanting to jinx anything), Europe leads 6½ – 1½ against the USA at the end of Day 1 of the Ryder Cup. It’s great to see the teams go head to head and the camaraderie on display. Here’s to another two excellent days of competition.
On the topic of golf, we have recently taken corporate membership at Emirates Golf Club (EGC), home of The Majilis and the European Tour event, the Dubai Desert Classic. In addition, we can access the Faldo at EGC and the Earth & Fire courses at Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Creek Golf Club. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in a round.
Alison and I spent some time in Saudi Arabia during the month and are excited to announce that the footprint of the business will expand further with the launch of GSB Arabia. This helps demonstrate the business’s commitment, growth and development in the region. Watch this space for further updates.
As we returned to our newly refurbished offices in September after the summer refit, we welcomed many new team members to our Dubai and UK offices.
Recruitment News
As we settle into our refreshed surroundings and bring our new joiners up to speed, Alison and I recognise just how far we’ve come as a business since inception back in April 2021; it’s been quite humbling to reflect on what has been achieved as we continue to grow and welcome the best Wealth Managers, Private Bankers and Client Impact Team members in the region.
As this growth continues, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to Giles Howard as Group Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Ryan Dixon as co-Head of GSB Private Finance (UK) and Natasha Nathanielsz and Evans Gingco, both joining as Client Impact Managers in the Dubai office.
Before joining GSB Capital, Giles had a successful career in sales and marketing spanning 35 years. Graduating with International Business Degrees, gained in the UK and France, he began as a management trainee with British Airways with roles based in London, New York and Paris. Subsequently, he has held many senior roles in media in the UK, including The Telegraph, Capital Radio, Classic FM, Metro Newspapers and Corbis. Most recently, before arriving in Dubai in 2019, Giles was a director (CMO) at FTSE 100 property portal, rightmove.co.uk.
Ryan joins GSB UK off the back of an illustrious career with Natwest, Adams & Co, and more recently Investec Private Bank, where he provided complex financing solutions for HNW/UHNW clients in the UK.
Natasha moved to Dubai from Sri Lanka in 2005 and has a background in banking and investments. She joins GSB Capital with over 20 years of experience in Banking, Customer Service and Back Office Administration support, joining our Client Impact Team.
Evans started her career in the financial industry when she moved to the UAE in 2013. She has a decade of experience and knowledge of financial services administration, and intricacies of new business processing, and client servicing. Evans also joins our growing Client Impact Team.
Further appointments will be announced over the next quarters as we scale out our presence in the UAE, UK and KSA.
Charity News
With the changing seasons and days getting shorter, Alison and I are participating in theCEO SleepOut at Lords Cricket Ground, London in November, to raise funds and awareness for these people, who often don’t have the opportunity or can’t advocate for themselves.
Having made many trips to the UK over recent years with our children as we build the UK arm of our business, the impact on the “little Whatnalls” seeing people sleeping on the streets was huge.
Fielding the questions they posed on the why? and how? people were homeless was difficult, as we didn’t have the answers. So, participating in this event to raise funds to make small changes to the 271,000 individuals, is on behalf of George, Spencer and Beatrice. Please feel free to click on the button below to find out more.
We hope you enjoy reading this month’s newsletter. We always welcome any comments, thoughts or feedback. If you would like to send us any suggestions, don’t hesitate to get in touch.