Tell us about yourself, your background, and your journey to your current role
I started my career nearly two decades ago in asset management, working in Geneva, where I was born and raised, then moved to Singapore to work for the largest External Asset Manager of the country. I then moved to Malaysia before eventually moving to Dubai.
After years of working in different countries and meeting people from all walks of life, each with their own unique stories, successes, and setbacks. I realized that wealth isn’t just about numbers on your bank account. It’s about the life you build around it, the people you protect, and the legacy you leave behind.
That realization is what led me to transition into wealth planning, where I could combine technical expertise with a more human-first, experience-driven approach to advising families and professionals.
What do you currently do?
I work as a Senior Wealth Manager at Continental Financial Services. I specialize in helping expat families and corporate executives design intelligent and resilient financial strategies. My focus is on building clarity, protecting lifestyles, and securing legacies, no matter what life brings.
Can you explain what wealth planning is and why it is relevant for everyone?
Wealth planning is often misunderstood as something reserved for the ultra-wealthy.
In reality, it’s essential for anyone who has something (or someone) they care about protecting.
True wealth planning is not just about growing your assets.
It’s about protecting what you’ve built, structuring it wisely, and eventually transferring it efficiently to the next generation.
Whether you’re a business owner, a senior executive, or a parent thinking about your family’s future, smart wealth planning ensures that your financial decisions today create stability, opportunity, and peace of mind tomorrow.
Why is wealth protection and income preservation increasingly important?
In today’s fast-paced world, uncertainty is the only certainty.
An unexpected illness, an accident, a job market disruption, any of these can derail even the best-laid financial plans.
Protecting your income is protecting your ability to fund your lifestyle, your dreams, and your family’s future security.
It’s the foundation on which everything else is built.
Without that foundation, growth becomes riskier, and wealth becomes fragile.
That’s why I believe income preservation isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s a critical pillar of any intelligent financial strategy.
How do you help individuals build financial clarity?
I believe that clarity is the greatest gift an advisor can give. We often have a bad reputation of selling products just to get our commission. I position myself at the opposite side of that and really try to help my clients by demystifying complex decisions, structuring their finances into clear, achievable steps, and focusing on what truly matters to them. What I recommend them to do is what I would do myself for my family.
Financial clarity transforms decision-making from reactive to proactive, and it’s incredibly liberating.
What are the top 3 mistakes companies are making with their finances in the UAE?
1. Underestimating risk exposure. Many families and businesses delay critical protections like life cover, income protection, or shareholder agreements, leaving themselves vulnerable. Or worse looking into it when they are “older” or when they went through a medical ordeal, making the protection very expensive.
2. Lack of structured retirement planning. The UAE’s transient nature leads some expats to overlook building a future-proof plan for when they decide to move on, retire, or shift countries. The fact that there is no government pension make the decision process more complex.
3. Treating insurance as an expense, not a strategic asset. Done right, insurance is a liquidity tool, a tax optimization vehicle, and a legacy protection mechanism, not just a cost.
Why should everyone have a retirement plan for the UAE?
Unlike many other countries, the UAE does not have a state pension scheme for expatriates. Relying on end-of-service benefits alone is risky. They are often insufficient and depend heavily on employer solvency.
A personalized retirement plan allows you to maintain your lifestyle on your own terms, whether you choose to retire in the UAE, return home, or relocate elsewhere. It’s about owning your future, not leaving it to chance.
How do you help families & companies meet their insurance needs?
I take a strategic, human-first approach to insurance planning.
It starts with understanding the unique needs, goals, and risk exposures of the client. Whether it’s personal family protection, business continuity planning, or executive benefits.
From there, I design customized solutions that align protection with larger wealth-building and liquidity goals, always focusing on flexibility, efficiency, and long-term peace of mind.
There are many misconceptions regarding insurance; can you explain how insurance is an asset and not an expense?
Insurance, when used properly, is one of the most powerful financial tools available.
It can provide immediate liquidity when it’s needed most. Whether through a critical illness payout, a disability income stream, or a life insurance death benefit.
It protects the value of your human capital, the income you have yet to earn. And ensures that unforeseen events don’t derail your family’s future or your company’s continuity.
In sophisticated wealth strategies, insurance often plays a key role in estate planning, tax mitigation, and succession structuring. It’s not a drain on wealth, it’s a silent partner in preserving and growing it.
What are the current trends in wealth management in the UAE?
There’s a clear shift toward more personalized, holistic advisory services, especially among high-net-worth individuals and international families. Clients are demanding greater transparency, flexibility, and solutions that span across jurisdictions.
There’s also growing interest in legacy planning, second citizenship options, sustainable investing, and private market opportunities.
Ultimately, today’s clients want advisors who see the bigger picture, not just isolated products or transactions.
What is next for you?
My mission is to continue elevating the standards of wealth planning. Bringing more clarity, humanity, and strategic foresight to the industry.
I’m focused on growing my presence as a trusted advisor to high-achieving expatriate families and corporate leaders in the region.
I also have a personal ambition: to design a financial literacy course aimed at empowering children from primary school onward to understand budgeting, saving, and investing from a young age.
I believe that building strong financial foundations early in life can change not only individual futures, but entire communities.
Financial empowerment should start young, and I’m passionate about contributing to that shift
Where can readers find out more? Or How can readers get started?
You can connect with me on LinkedIn
I’m always happy to explore how we can work together to secure and strengthen your financial future.
