Akamai obtains license for branch in DIFC

Notes and media contacts

Enquiries
Akamai Financial Markets
Mike Brennan, Chief Executive Officer
+44 (0)7917 593443

1. Akamai Financial Markets (www.akamaifinancial.com)
Akamai Financial Markets is a specialist international executive search firm with leading positions in the EMEA and Asia Pacific markets. Akamai provides its services across a wide range of financial markets, covering Global Capital Markets, Investment Banking, Investment & Wealth Management and Insurance.

The breadth of Akamai's geographic coverage allows it to share industry knowledge and insights between its sector teams in Asia Pacific and EMEA. Akamai focuses on searching at Director, Managing Director, Regional Head and Business Head level.

Akamai Financial Markets is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hat Pin plc, the London listed human resources group (AIM: HTP). Since Akamai was acquired in September 2006, the firm has more than doubled in size with 92 staff now operating across offices in London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.
Akamai is led by Chief Executive Mike Brennan who founded the business in 1994.

2. Russell Adam

Russell Joined Akamai prior to its acquisition by Hat Pin plc to help develop the firm's capabilities across the Investment & Wealth Management sectors. He began his recruitment career at Michael Page Group and enjoyed success at Baines Gwinner and Heidrick & Struggles. He has a degree in Business Studies and Accounting from Edinburgh University.

3. Akamai's Business Intelligence Offering

Sitting alongside Akamai's Executive Search product offering is a range of bespoke Business Intelligence services. These have been designed to add further value to clients by ensuring that they have all the necessary information available to make key decisions in a fully informed manner. Akamai offers a range of products to cover all manner of client needs including, but not limited to:

Competitor Intelligence / Intelligence
Succession Planning / Talent Benchmarking
Perception Analysis
New Market Entry Analysis
Compensation Trend Analysis
Human Capital Risk Management
Threat Analysis

Media enquiries:
Amira Abdulla
Dubai International Financial Centre
Tel: +971 4 362 2433

About the DIFC:

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is an onshore hub for global finance. It bridges the time gap between the financial centers of Hong Kong and London and services a region with the largest untapped emerging market for financial services.

In just under two years, over 362 firms have registered at the DIFC. They operate in an open environment complemented with world-class regulations and standards. The DIFC offers its member institutions incentives such as 100 per cent foreign ownership, zero tax on income and profits and no restrictions on foreign exchange. In addition their business benefits from modern infrastructure, operational support and business continuity facilities of uncompromisingly high standards.

The DIFC is made up of the following core bodies:

1. The DIFC Authority (DIFCA) - Responsible for the Companies and Security Registries and attracting financial as well as non-financial institutions to set up in the DIFC. The DIFC Authority is also responsible for developing the financial services industry. (www.difc.ae)

2. The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) - An independent, unitary regulatory authority, responsible for the regulation of all DIFC operations. Its principle-based primary legislation is modeled on that used in London and New York and its regulatory regime operates to standards that meet or exceed those in major financial centers. (www.dfsa.ae)

3. The DIFC Courts - An independent court system set up to uphold the provisions of DIFC laws and regulations, the courts provide comprehensive legal redress in civil and commercial matters within the DIFC. The DIFC Courts system is especially designed to deal with all of sophisticated transactions that will be conducted within DIFC. The DIFC Court laws, based on the common law, not only sets out the jurisdiction of the court but also provides for a dispute resolution services, including arbitration and mediation, thus allowing for the independent administration of justice in the DIFC. ( www.difccourts.ae)

DIFC Investments- The creation of DIFC Investments will result in the allocation to it of all non public administration activities previously carried out by DIFC Authority. This will include amongst other things all commercial and other activities such as the operation and management of any current and future subsidiaries, the development of the centre's investment strategy and relevant policies and any other strategic investments or alliances which will further the goals and objectives of the Dubai International Financial Centre and contribute to the fulfillment of the Centre's vision. Some of the companies and organizations that DIFC Investments owns include:

1. The Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX) The DIFX is the region's first international financial exchange for equities, bonds, Islamic products, funds, index products and (subject to regulatory approval) derivatives. The target areas of the DIFX for seeking issuers inclue the Middle East and North Africa, as well as South Africa, Turkey and the Indian sub-continent. The regulator of the DIFX is the Dubai Financial Services Authority. The DIFX is located in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and its owner is the DIFC Authority. (www.difx.ae)

2. Hawkamah- the first Institute for Corporate Governance in the region, has been established in partnership with a group of international institutions, including the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry, Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Union of Arab Banks (UAB), Dubai School of Government (DSG), Young Arab Leaders (YAL), and the Institute of Management Development (IMD). (www.hawkamah.org).