Barclays announced today the appointment of Bjorn Holderbeke as Mena head of global investments and solutions (GIS) for its private bank.

Based in Dubai, Holderbeke will be responsible for product and platform development and will liaise with subject matter experts to assist in developing and delivering bespoke investment content to clients across the Mena region, the bank said.

Francesco Grosoli, Barclays’ head of the private bank for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), said: “This appointment follows Barclays’ recent announcement about our growth strategy for the Private Bank and is key to our plans to continue to strengthen and grow our award winning team in the region.”

“The Mena region is a priority market with strong opportunities for growth. Bjorn brings a wealth of experience to our existing set-up with his track record guiding and advising MENA clients on their global investments strategy. We are delighted to welcome him to the team to further expand the expertise and support our high and ultra high net worth clients in the region.”

Over the past 15 years, Holderbeke has held a range of senior positions across regional and global financial institutions. These include head of investment counseling at ABN AMRO Private Bank; head of investment counseling for the Middle East team at Emirates NBD Private Bank; and investment advisor at Citi Private Bank. He holds a BA in Economics and Entrepreneurial Leadership from Tufts University.