Location: United Arab Emirates

ROLE PROFILE Associate Director Wealth & Asset Management Consulting

Strategy | Growth | Delivery | Leadership

 

Role

Associate Director

Level

Associate Director

                                                                                                              

Function

Consulting

Reports To

Managing Director / Partner

 

Location

Middle East (UAE preferred; KSA, Qatar considered)

Travel

Regional, up to 40%

 

Experience

812 years

Industry Focus

Wealth & Asset Management

 

Summary

Build and develop a high-performing Risk & Regulatory Affairs consulting capability focused on the Wealth & Asset Management sector across the Middle East. The Associate Director will lead complex client engagements across regulatory transformation, risk management, governance, compliance, conduct risk, operational resilience, and enterprise-wide risk frameworks for asset managers, private banks, wealth platforms, family offices, and sovereign wealth institutions.

 

The Associate Director will act as a trusted advisor to C-suite and board-level clients, driving engagement origination, managing delivery teams, and contributing to the strategic build-out of the WAM practice. 

 

Practice Development & Business Growth

• Drive origination of new engagements across WAM segments private wealth, institutional asset management, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, and digital wealth platforms.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of qualified opportunities, working closely with the Partner group and leveraging personal and institutional networks across the GCC and broader MENA region.
• Develop compelling thought leadership, proposals, and point-of-view content to differentiate the firm's WAM proposition.
• Manage and grow strategic alliances in the WAM sector aligned to KPMG bridge campaign. This includes Blackrock Alladin and State Street Alpha.
• Support the development of the firm's go-to-market strategy for WAM in the Middle East, including coverage model, service lines, and target client prioritisation.

 

Client Engagement & Delivery

• Lead large-scale Risk & Regulatory Affairs engagements within the Wealth & Asset Management sector, including regulatory compliance reviews, operating model transformation, governance enhancement, and risk framework implementation. 
• Advise boards, executive management, and risk committees on regulatory expectations, emerging risks, and industry-leading governance practices. 
• Deliver projects across enterprise risk management, operational risk, compliance, conduct risk, third-party risk, model risk, investment governance, and financial crime compliance. 
• Support clients in responding to regulatory changes issued by regional regulators including ADGM, DIFC, SCA, CMA, QCB, and other GCC regulatory authorities. 
• Lead risk assessments, gap analyses, remediation programs, target operating model design, and regulatory transformation initiatives. 
• Oversee quality assurance, client satisfaction, project economics, and delivery excellence across multiple engagements.
• Serve as the day-to-day client relationship owner for key accounts, ensuring satisfaction, quality, and commercial outcomes.
• Structure and scope engagements, manage project economics, and oversee teams of consultants and analysts.

 

People & Team Leadership

• Recruit, develop, and retain consulting talent within the WAM practice, acting as a mentor and performance coach.
• Actively contribute to the firm's WAM knowledge base, internal capability development, and cross-practice collaboration.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performance team culture aligned with the firm's values.

 

Thought Leadership & External Presence

• Represent the firm at industry events, forums, and roundtables relevant to wealth and asset management in the region.
• Publish insights on regional WAM trends, regulatory developments, and market shifts in collaboration with Marketing and Communications.
• Build the firm's profile as a leading voice in GCC wealth management transformation.

 

Essential

• 10+ years of experience within Risk & Regulatory Affairs, Financial Services Risk Consulting, Internal Audit, Compliance, or Enterprise Risk Management.
• Proven consulting experience gained within a Big 4 firm, global consultancy, or specialist risk advisory practice.
• Strong experience serving Wealth Management, Asset Management, Private Banking, Investment Management, Capital Markets, or Sovereign Wealth Fund clients.
• Deep knowledge of: 
• Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)
• Regulatory Compliance
• Governance Frameworks
• Operational Risk
• Conduct Risk
• Internal Controls
• Operational Resilience
• Risk and Control Self-Assessments (RCSA)
• Compliance Monitoring Programs
• Regulatory Change Management
• Experience interacting with regional regulators and working knowledge of ADGM, DIFC, SCA, CMA, QCB, CBB, and related regulatory frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale risk transformation and regulatory remediation programs.

 

Preferred / Advantageous

• Experience leading or supporting practice-building or market-entry initiatives in the region.
• Prior exposure to sovereign wealth fund advisory or Ultra-High-Net-Worth client segments.
• Familiarity with key regional WAM technology platforms and fintech landscape.
• Experience in a dual-hat role (industry leadership + external advisory) or within a captive consulting unit of a financial institution.

 

Leadership & Commercial	Technical & Domain
Client relationship management & influence	WAM operating models & value chain
Business development & pipeline ownership	Investment products & portfolio management principles
Engagement structuring & P&L management	Regulatory & compliance landscape (MENA)
Team leadership & talent development	Digital transformation & wealthtech
Executive communication & storytelling
Stakeholder management at C-suite level

 

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field required.
• Master's degree (MBA, MSc Finance, MSc Wealth Management) from a recognised institution strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with ADGM / DIFC regulatory frameworks and local licensing requirements advantageous.

 

• English fluent, essential (professional written and verbal communication at board level).
• Arabic highly desirable; adds significant value in client relationship management and regional business development.

 

In addition to domain expertise, the successful candidate will demonstrate:

 

• Entrepreneurial mindset comfortable with ambiguity, building from a base, and driving outcomes with limited infrastructure.
• Cultural intelligence deep respect for and sensitivity to Gulf business culture, social norms, and relationship-driven commercial practices.
• Intellectual rigour ability to navigate complex, multi-stakeholder problems with structured thinking and creative problem-solving.
• Executive presence confidence and composure when engaging with senior client leadership, regulators, and industry peers.
• Resilience thrives under pressure, manages competing priorities, and maintains high standards of quality and professionalism.

 

This role represents a significant opportunity for a senior consultant or experienced industry professional to shape the growth of a high-priority practice at a critical moment in the development of the Middle East's wealth management ecosystem.

 

The successful candidate will benefit from:

 

• Exposure to some of the most complex and high-profile mandates in the region, including sovereign-linked institutions and leading regional private banks.
• A competitive compensation package commensurate with the seniority of the role, including base salary, performance bonus, long-term incentive eligibility, and benefits aligned to regional norms.
• Access to the firm's global WAM network, knowledge capital, and proprietary frameworks and assets.