Jersey Finance | View firm profile
17 April 2019
Jersey Finance has made two key appointments to its team based in its Dubai office to meet the growing opportunities in the Gulf and wider region:
Mihaela (Ella) Cornelia Moldoveanu – Gulf Markets
Fluent in six European languages, Ella has been based in Dubai for five years and in Kabul for the four years prior to this.
Ella was appointed in 2014 at the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC) Courts in Dubai to oversee a novel development, namely the design and launch of the DIFC Wills and Probate Registry, including the drafting of its legal basis.
After managing the registry for a year, Ella took over the role of Associate Director at the DIFC Dispute Resolution Authority (DRA) – the umbrella body overseeing the DIFC Courts, Academy of Law, the Wills Registry and the Arbitration Institute. She was in charge of the DRA advisory, leading the effort to set up a common-law English-language commercial court and an arbitration centre in the Astana international financial centre (AIFC), similar to the dispute resolution system of the DIFC.
Additionally, she was responsible for strategy development, business excellence and strategic partnerships for the DRA and its divisions. As of 2018, Ella has also led the ‘Courts of the Future’ LegalTech initiative and she holds a voluntary position with the International Association of Court Administration as a board member, VP Sponsorships. Ella will be responsible for the Gulf region markets which are presenting so much opportunity for Jersey at present.
Faizal Bhana – Middle East and Africa
Faizal is well known to many Jersey Finance Member firms who operate in the region as he has been utilising member firms and Jersey structures for several years.
Faizal joins Jersey Finance from international law firm Trowers & Hamlins, where he was the Managing Legal Counsel for Saudi Arabia. Over the last ten years, Faizal has worked and advised institutions, corporates and families across many Middle Eastern and African countries.
Faizal graduated with a first class in his undergraduate Law (LLB) Honours degree from Birmingham City University and a distinction in his postgraduate (MSc) degree in Islamic Banking and Finance from the Aston Business School.
Faizal’s arrival enables Jersey Finance to service new markets from the DIFC: the Levant territories of Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey, plus Kenya. Of Malawian heritage and fluent in Chichewa, Faizal has a passion for East Africa and will help deliver Jersey Finance’s dual approach for targeting Africa, from both Dubai and Jersey/London. Additionally, Faizal will also work in collaboration with Allan Wood on the broader Africa proposition.
Richard Nunn, Head of Business Development commented on the new appointments:
“As attention to the Gulf and wider region remains significant from Jersey’s forward-thinking finance industry, with our products, such as the Jersey International Savings Plan (ISP) and UAE foundations, gathering clear support in the Middle East, these appointments will help capture the growth we are witnessing in region.
We are therefore delighted to announce the appointments of Ella and Faizal as our two new colleagues to our recently established DIFC office in Index Tower, where we have received many visitors from Jersey firms in addition to our local network.
Clearly, with greater resources we can apply even more focus on the core markets providing the most opportunity to Jersey at present, whilst providing new coverage to additional markets where existing business flows to Jersey are in place and forecast to grow. Ella joined us on 14 April, with Faizal joining on 30 June.”