Merrill Lynch opens offices in Dubai International Finnacial Centre

    Dumped value of 'ID':
'124134';

Dumped value of 'images_loop':
[];

Notes and media contacts

Merrill Lynch is one of the world's leading wealth management, capital markets and advisory companies with offices in 37 countries and territories and total client assets of approximately $1.6 trillion. As an investment bank, it is a leading global trader and underwriter of securities and derivatives across a broad range of asset classes and serves as a strategic advisor to corporations, governments, institutions and individuals worldwide. Merrill Lynch owns approximately half of BlackRock, one of the world's largest publicly traded investment management companies with more than $1 trillion in assets under management.

Biographies

Ahmass L. Fakahany, President and Chief Operating officer
Ahmass L. Fakahany, 48, is President and Chief Operating Officer of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. He is also a member of the firm's Executive Committee and Operating Committee. Prior to his current role, Mr. Fakahany was Vice Chairman and Chief Administrative Officer of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. In this role, Mr. Fakahany was responsible for the firm's Chief Financial Office (including Finance/Controllers, Treasury, Corporate Planning, Risk Management, Tax, and Strategy); Governance and Controls; Global Operations and Infrastructure Services, Global Technology; Global Real Estate Purchasing & Services; and Human Resources, including Leadership & Talent Management. From November 2002 to March 2005, Mr. Fakahany served as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer and head of Global Finance, Technology and Services, where he was responsible for Merrill Lynch's global technology and execution services, market and credit risk, treasury, financial planning and reporting, tax, as well as strategic planning.

From October 2001 to November 2002, Mr. Fakahany served as Chief Operating Officer of Global Markets and Investment Banking (GMI). In this role, Mr. Fakahany oversaw the development and implementation of GMI's strategic and operating plans across all Merrill Lynch businesses, regions and clients. He was responsible for coordinating and integrating Investment Banking, Debt, Equity, and Securities Services activities to optimize performance and profitability. He also chaired the GMI Operating Committee and provided leadership for key support areas. Previously, Mr. Fakahany served as Senior Vice President and Finance Director for Merrill Lynch & Co.

Prior to that, he was global Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administration Officer for the Corporate and Institutional Client group, Chief Administration Officer of the Japan Region and Chief Financial Officer for the Pacific Rim Region (Japan/Asia Pacific/Australasia). Mr. Fakahany also served as Japan Region Chief Financial Officer and Regional Controller for Merrill Lynch in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Mr. Fakahany held several senior finance positions with Exxon Corporation at the corporate and regional level. Mr Fakahany, who is Egyptian born, is a member of the board of directors of the Institute of International Finance (IIF). He has a B.S. from Boston University School of Management (Summa Cum Laude) and an M.B.A from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.
Jeffrey Culpepper, Managing Director, Head of Global Markets and Investment Banking for the Middle East and North Africa.

Jeffrey Culpepper is managing director and head of Global Markets and Investment Banking for the Middle East and North Africa and has 21 years experience working with Middle Eastern clients.
Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Jeffrey was a managing director at Deutsche Bank with responsibility for corporate and investment banking in the Middle East and North Africa region as well as for Middle East and North Africa corporate clients globally. He was also CEO of Deutsche Bank, Dubai, CEO of Deutsche Bank, Riyadh and board member and founder of Deutsche Al Azizia Financial Services, the Deutsche Bank joint venture with HRH Prince Al Waleed bin Talal. Jeffrey has also served as Chairman of Dar Istithmaar, an Islamic Finance advisory joint venture owned by Deutsche Bank, Oxford University and Russell Wood.

Prior to this Jeffrey was at Chemical Bank with responsibility for Corporate Finance and Investment Banking for the Middle East and North Africa region. Previously he was seconded to the Vatican Secretariat of State for Foreign Affairs, bureau of refugee and migration affairs with assignments in Haiti, Togo, Zaire, Angola and Uganda. He has also served as a Peace Corps in Upper Volta, West Africa.

Eva Castillo, Managing Director, Head of Global Private Client, Europe, Middle East and Africa
MD Eva Castillo heads the Global Private Client group's business operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, including Merrill Lynch Bank (Suisse) and the International Trust and Wealth Structuring business. She is a member of the Merrill Lynch EMEA Executive Committee, the Global Private Client Executive and Operating Committees. Prior to her current role, Eva served as chief operating officer for EMEA Equity Markets and head of Global Markets & Investment Banking in Iberia as well as President of Merrill Lynch Spain.

Eva joined Merrill Lynch in 1997 as head of Equity Markets for Spain and Portugal being responsible for the integration of newly acquired Broker FG into the ML structure. In 1999 she was promoted to Country Manager for Spain and Portugal and in 2000 she became CEO of Merrill Lynch Capital Markets España. Before joining Merrill Lynch Eva worked for Goldman Sachs International in London for 5 years in the International Equities department. Prior to this she worked for 5 years at the Spanish broker Beta Capital.

During her tenure in management, Ms. Castillo has been a strong advocate in the areas of promoting and developing career opportunities of employees between different departments and geographies, and in implementing mentoring and training programs.

Ms. Castillo holds BA Degrees in Business, Economics and Law from Universidad Pontificia de Comillas - ICADE - 3 in Madrid. She is actively involved in different organisations, including her co-operation with APNA, a Spanish association that provides support to parents of autistic children. She is also a member of the Society of Friends of the Prado Museum in Madrid.
Bob Wigley, Chairman of Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Bob chairs Merrill Lynch's EMEA Region Management Committee and sits on Merrill Lynch's Global Operating Committee and Client Coverage Council.

Bob Wigley joined Merrill Lynch in 1996 to help spearhead the development of Merrill Lynch's European investment banking business. Bob became Co-Head of Corporate Broking in 2000, Co-Head of UK Investment Banking in 2001, Global Co-Head of Telecom and Media Investment Banking in 2002 and Chairman of EMEA Corporate Banking from 2003 before taking up his current position in December 2004.

Bob is a member of the Court of the Bank of England and a member of its Risk Policy Committee and a Non-Executive Director of LCH.Clearnet and of Euroclear PLC. He is a Deputy Chairman of Business in the Community (the UK corporate social responsibility organization) and Chairman of BITC's Education Leadership Team. He is a member of the Senior Practitioner Committee of the Financial Services Authority, a member of the Chairman's Committee of the London Investment Banking Association, a member of the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, a member of the Chancellor's 'wise men' group representing key financial stakeholders in London, the EU Advisory Board of the London Corporation, the Advisory Council of Business for New Europe and Chairman of Oxford University's Centre for Corporate Reputation. He is an Ambassador for the children's mobility charity, Whizz-kidz. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and is a member of the Court of the Guild of International Bankers. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and has a business degree from Bath University. He is married with three children.

As a client banker, Bob has advised on many of Merrill Lynch's larger European transactions and personally led the teams on GUS's £2bn hostile bid for Argos, Asda's £7bn sale to WalMart, the £13bn merger of Cable & Wireless Communications with NTL, the $37bn merger of Hong Kong Telecom with Pacific Century Cyberworks, the $11bn sale of C&W Optus to Singapore Telecom, United News and Media's £2bn sale of its TV assets, Philip Green's £1bn acquisition of Arcadia, the £1.25bn IPO of Burberry for GUS, Logica's £1bn merger with CMG, the £3bn IPO of Yell, the €1bn sale of Bertelsmann's publishing business, BertelsmannSpringer and Bertelsmann's music joint venture with Sony, Philip Green's £12 bn hostile bid for Marks & Spencer, the sale of lastminute.com to Sabre Inc., Exel's £4bn sale to Deutsche Post, LogicaCMG's acquisition of Unilog and related rights issue, BOC's £9bn sale to Linde, the IPO of QinetiQ, the £9.5bn demerger of GUS to form Home Retail Group and Experian, the acquisition of WMData by LogicaCMG, the IPO of Hogg Robinson Group and the £2.3bn placing of Her Majesty's Government's stake in British Energy.