About us

Neil is the Head of Equities at GIB Asset Management and has overall responsibility for GIB’s equity capabilities. Neil joined GIB Asset Management from Liontrust, where he was a Partner and Lead Fund Manager on the highly successful Sustainable Future team. Neil has pioneered the integration of sustainability into investment for more than 18 years, including as Head of Responsible Investment at Threadneedle Asset Management and as Fund Manager at Alliance Trust and Aviva Investors.

Neil graduated with an MSc in Development Economics from SOAS University of London and a BA degree in Economics from the University of Manchester.

Jeff is the Head of Indexation at GIB Asset Management with responsibility for all Equity and Fixed Income Indexation Strategies. With over 21 years of asset management and financial services experience, Jeff has overall responsibility for ensuring the indexation approach remains robust and delivers the desired tracking error. Prior to his current role, Jeff held various operational and investment positions at GIB Asset Management.

Jeff started his career at the Bank of England and soon after moved to HSBC. He holds an Investment Management Certificate from the CFA Society UK, as well as a Level 3 Islamic Finance Qualification.

Greg is the Head of Global Emerging Markets Equities at GIB Asset Management. Greg has nearly 30 years of emerging markets investing experience. Most recently he was a founding partner of Mobius Capital Partners after spending over 20 years at Franklin Templeton, where he co-managed the Emerging Markets Group as Director of Specialty Strategies, alongside leading the emerging markets Active Ownership group and Private Equity strategy.

Greg graduated with MSc in Foreign Trade from the University of Gdansk.

James is a Portfolio Manager at GIB Asset Management. He is responsible for managing segregated equity and fixed income portfolios as part of GIB Asset Management’s Indexation Strategies. Before joining GIB Asset Management, he was a Senior Equity Portfolio Analyst at State Street Global Advisors.

James started his career as a Treasury Analyst at Merck & Co. He has a BA in Economics and an MSc in Finance & Investment from Exeter University in the UK, and is a CFA Charterholder.

Pascal is a Senior Portfolio Manager at GIB Asset Management, specialising in emerging market corporate credit and structured credit. With over 12 years of credit experience, he manages segregated portfolios for GIB Asset Management’s Emerging Market Credit Strategy and provides additional analysis for the firm’s Structured Credit portfolios.

Pascal started his career in Calyon’s credit portfolio management division in Paris. He has an MSc in Finance from EDHEC Business School in France and holds a Level 3 Certificate in Islamic Finance.

Kunal is Co-Portfolio Manager for Global Emerging Markets Equities at GIB Asset Management. Kunal has over 10 years of experience in investing in Emerging and Frontier Markets, having most recently been a Partner at Mobius Capital Partners. Prior to Mobius Capital Partners, he was the Lead Manager of the award-winning Neptune India Fund as Head of Indian Equities, and also served as a portfolio manager on the Neptune Global Emerging Markets Fund.

Kunal graduated from Oxford University with a first-class degree in Economics and Management and is a CFA Charterholder.

Alex is a Portfolio Analyst at GIB Asset Management, responsible for managing the financing of segregated portfolios within the Emerging Markets Credit Strategy. He specialises in repurchase agreements and maintains relationships with prime brokers, while also assisting the broader Credit team.

He was previously a Trade Support Analyst at Macquarie Bank, covering emerging markets fixed income and repo, and started his career in HSBC’s Emerging Markets Credit team as an Operations Clerk. He has a BSc degree from Campbellsville University in the US. Alex holds an Investment Management Certificate from the CFA Society UK.

Bhavin is an Equity Analyst at GIB Asset Management. He is responsible for contributing to the research and analysis in the design and implementation of new and existing sustainable strategies. Prior to joining GIB Asset Management, he worked at ICBC Standard Bank focusing on emerging markets and before that at State Street Global Advisors.

Bhavin graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) with a BSc Honours degree in Economics.

Blaine is the Sustainability and Engagement Manager at GIB Asset Management. He is responsible for developing GIB’s active ownership through the sustainability strategy for the investment team and wider organisation, and stewardship activities, including proxy voting and engagement. Prior to joining GIB Asset Management, Blaine was an investment analyst at Harbour Asset Management and an ESG analyst at Allianz Global Investors, where he led ESG research and engagement in the chemicals and consumer staples industries.

Blaine graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a First Class BSc (Hons) in Psychology and Neuroscience.

John is the Head of Global Business Development. He is responsible for driving the overall growth of the asset management business, leading all business development areas including product development, distribution and marketing. John has three decades’ experience across all aspects of the investment management industry, both in managing clients’ money and managing investment businesses.

John started his career at Schroders, where he spent 14 years initially as a UK equity manager and moved on to establish and manage the firm’s business in sub-Saharan Africa. He subsequently worked for RMF/Man Group, where latterly, he led the multi-manager business in London. Other roles include Head of EMEA at Brookfield Investment Management and AMP Capital. John graduated from the University of Cambridge with an MA degree in Engineering.

Duncan is responsible for business development functions across the GCC and Europe. He was previously at Lazard Asset Management where he spent over 9 years looking after complex institutional relationships in the Nordics, Benelux and UK. He was also involved in a number of fixed income strategy initiatives including green bonds and multi-asset credit. Prior to that, he was at Fidelity International for 3 years where he covered large institutional fixed income clients.

Before that, he worked at Accenture on a number of fixed income projects and began his career at Reuters supporting their fixed-income trading platform. He studied Environmental Economics at the University of Natal in South Africa and holds the CISI Investment Diploma.

Husain is a Business Development Executive at GIB Asset Management. He is responsible for maintaining and growing relationships with institutional investors across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Husain joined GIB Asset Management in 2018 as an Analyst working across Strategy, Business Development and Equity Investment Management.

Husain graduated from the University of Leeds with a BA in Management followed by an MSc in Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He is currently undertaking Level 2 of the CFA qualification.

Gregga is the General Manager of Gulf International Bank (UK) Limited’s New York office. He oversees all the trade and capital flow business between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Americas. With over 35 years’ experience in the business, he has extensive insight into corporate finance, treasury and asset management in the US, as well as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

During his time at GIB, he has completed a number of notable transactions, including the first international syndicated loan for a Saudi borrower, the first successful IPO for a Saudi issuer, the establishment of the first major private sector petrochemical joint venture in Saudi Arabia, as well as the privatisation of Saudi Telecom (STC). Gregga has an MA degree from the University of Oxford.

Andrew is a Client Relationship Manager at GIB Asset Management. He has responsibility for managing relationships with the firm’s key clients and ensuring high quality client experience. Having spent more than 29 years at GIB Asset Management, Andrew has significant experience in many aspects of the business, including investment accounting, client reporting and performance analysis. He now brings this breadth of experience to bear in looking after GIB Asset Management’s clients.

Prior to becoming the point of contact for the company’s clients, he spent seven years in the investment group, assisting portfolio managers in the running of segregated equity index portfolios. Andrew holds an Investment Management Certificate from the CFA Society UK.

Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Helaissi was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer of Gulf International Bank on 1st February 2016. He was previously Deputy Governor for Supervision at the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA), having started there in 2013. At SAMA, his responsibilities included oversight of the banking, insurance and Finance Company sectors (mortgages, leasing and other non-bank finance institutions). He was additionally responsible for consumer protection. Prior to SAMA, Mr. Al-Helaissi was Senior Country Officer and Managing Director for JPMorgan Chase, as well as Head of Global Corporate Banking for the MENA region between September 2010 and May 2013. Earlier in his career, he was Central Province Area General Manager at Saudi British Bank (SABB), an affiliate of HSBC, covering all key lines of business including corporate and consumer banking. He is the Chairman of Gulf International Bank (UK) Limited and Board Member of GIB Capital. He previously served on the Board of the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul).

Mr. Al-Helaissi holds a BA in Economics from the University of Texas, Austin, USA. He attended the International Executive Programme at INSEAD, France; and the Advanced Management Program at Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, USA. He has 28 years’ professional experience.

Dr. Alabdulqader is the Chairman of the Board of Gulf International Bank (Bahrain). He has been consulting and serving as a non-executive director (NED) in large banking and telecommunications corporations since 1998. He is a NED at Saudi Arabian Investment Company (Sanabil), Saudi Arabian Railroads Company (SAR), Al Faisaliah Group, STC Bahrain, and Gulf International Bank (UK). He chairs the Regulatory and Policy Oversight Committee at the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul).

Dr. Alabdulqader was a professor of business administration at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. In 2004, he moved to the newly established Saudi capital market regulator (Capital Market Authority). As a founding commissioner, he contributed to the development of the Kingdom’s capital market and led launching the Saudi corporate governance code. He continued promoting corporate governance in the region after leaving CMA. He was the Executive Director of the GCC Board Directors Institute, a non-profit organisation that provides board effectiveness training and assessment,

Dr. Alabdulqader holds a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Colorado, USA, and an MBA and BSc in Business Administration from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

Katherine is the Chief Executive Officer of Gulf International Bank (UK) Limited. She has decades of experience in global asset management, both in the institutional and retail sectors and across a broad range of investment disciplines. Prior to leading GIB UK, she was the CEO and Executive Director of Alliance Trust plc. Her previous experience includes serving as CIO and Executive Director of Morley Fund Management (now Aviva Investors), as well as CIO of Aberdeen Asset Management.

In 2014, Katherine was awarded a CBE for services to the asset management industry and charitable services through the Baring Foundation. She is Chair of both the Clean Air Fund and the CDP Worldwide Board and previously served as a British Business Ambassador for Financial Services.

Katherine graduated from Durham University with a BA Honours degree, is an Associate of the Society of Investment Professionals and studied Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Osamah Mohammed Shaker has over 19 years’ experience in investment banking, asset management and banking regulatory control. He joined GIB in his current position in June 2016. Prior to this, Osamah was Director-General of Banking Control at the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA), responsible for overseeing and regulating all commercial banks in the Kingdom; and was also a Senior Advisor to the Deputy Governor of SAMA. Previously, he gained over 16 years’ experience in banking and investments with the Saudi British Bank (SABB) and HSBC Saudi Arabia. With the latter, Osamah held executive level positions as Managing Director - Head of Financial Markets, and Managing Director - Head of Investments. He was also a Faculty Member at the Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he taught Statistics and also provided statistical consultation.

Osamah holds a Master of Science degree in Statistics from Colorado State University, USA; and a Bachelor of Administrative Science degree in Quantitative Methods, from King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Xefos first came to Saudi Arabia in 1980 when he joined Baker & McKenzie’s Middle East practice. Since then, he has been a key figure in corporate finance and capital markets matters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He has been actively involved in advising Saudi government agencies as well as Saudi and foreign clients on various aspects of doing business in Saudi Arabia. He has regularly advised Saudi banks on issues related to merchant banking, capital markets and complex financing transactions. He retired from Baker & McKenzie in September 2010, and since then has acted as a consultant advising on the political, commercial and legal aspects of doing business in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Gulf and the broader Middle East region.

Mr. Xefos completed his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, New York, in 1976, and attained a JD in Law from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980.

Mr. Xefos is also a Board Member of Gulf International Bank (UK). He is a member of the State of Illinois Bar and the American Bar Association.

Mr. Almalik is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the Saudi Arabian Investment Company (Sanabil Investments). He joined Sanabil when it was created by a Royal Decree and allocated an initial capital of approximately $5.3 billion. He has had a leadership role in the creation and incorporation of this world class investment company, recruiting its investment and operating team and building the infrastructure to invest both globally and domestically in a broad array public and private investments. Mr. Almalik is also a member of the management and investment committees.

From 2004 to 2009, Mr. Almalik led the Authorization Department of the Capital Market Authority of Saudi Arabia which licensed over 100 Investment Companies and registered over 5,000 individuals seeking to conduct investment business in Saudi Arabia. Prior to that, he worked for several multinational investment houses including J.P. Morgan and Merrill Lynch at their headquarters in New York creating and implementing investment strategies and managing investment portfolios for institutional clients.

Mr. Almalik currently serves on the board of directors for the Gulf Investment Corporation, GIB Bank (UK), and Almana General Hospitals. Previously, he served on the Advisory Committee of the Capital Market Authority for Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Almalik received his Bachelor’s degree in Finance with Honors from King Saud University and subsequently completed executive leadership and management programs at the Harvard Business School, Stanford and Wharton.

Ralph is the Chief Financial Officer of Gulf International Bank (UK) Limited and has overall responsibility for the firm’s finances and financial strength. Prior to joining GIB UK, he worked at Martin Currie Investment Management for over 15 years, as the Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that, he was a Finance Director at GE Capital.

After graduating from Heriot-Watt University and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers & Lybrand, Ralph spent five years as a Senior Consultant and Financial Controller in Australia. Ralph is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. Ralph is also a Trustee of Horseback UK, a charity which supports physically and emotionally injured servicemen & women and also young adults.

Gary has over 25 years of experience in financial services, mainly in asset management, and has worked in the UK, Switzerland and Australia. He worked at McKinsey and Mercury Asset Management before becoming head of strategy at AVIVA and then CEO at Norwich Union Life. He was CEO for Credit Suisse Global Investors and First State Investments Europe and then managed Whitehelm Capital. He is a non-executive director for GAM and Whitehelm Capital in the UK.

Gary studied Engineering at Cambridge University and took an MBA at INSEAD.

Miriam Greenwood’s professional experience spans over 40 years, in financial services with a number of major city institutions.

Miriam Greenwood is currently a Non-Executive Director at River and Mercantile and Chair of its Remuneration Committee, Chair of Smart Metering Systems plc, and Non-Executive Director at Eclipse Shipping Ltd. Miriam is also a Senior Adviser to OFGEM, the UK energy regulator and is on the Advisory Committee of the Mayor of London’s Energy Efficiency Fund. Previously, she was a Founding Partner and Chief Executive at SPARK Advisory Partners Ltd.