Key Takeaways
- • Brevan Howard appoints Oualid Lahsini as CEO of its Middle East business and Head of Client Partnerships for MENA and Asia, strengthening the firm's regional expansion strategy.
- • Lahsini joins from Ares Management Corporation where he spent over nine years as Partner and Head of Middle East and Africa Relationship Management, bringing two decades of investment management industry experience.
- • The appointment underscores Brevan Howard's commitment to its Abu Dhabi hub, established in February 2023 at Al Sarab Tower in ADGM, which is designed to accommodate over 100 employees across portfolio management, research, trading, and operations.
- • Lahsini will be based in Abu Dhabi and report to Natalie Faye Smith, Head of Strategy and the Client Partnership Group at Brevan Howard.
- • The $35 billion global macro hedge fund firm continues to expand its Middle East and Asia presence as part of its broader institutional growth strategy.
Summary
Brevan Howard, a Jersey-based global macro alternative investment platform with over $35 billion in assets under management, has appointed Oualid Lahsini as Chief Executive Officer of its Middle East division. Lahsini will also assume the role of Head of Client Partnerships for the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia regions, positions that reflect the firm's strategic focus on deepening institutional relationships across these markets.
Lahsini joins Brevan Howard from Ares Management Corporation, where he spent more than nine years as a Partner and Head of Middle East and Africa Relationship Management based in Dubai. His appointment brings two decades of investment management industry experience to the firm. He will be headquartered in Abu Dhabi and will report directly to Natalie Faye Smith, Head of Strategy and the Client Partnership Group at Brevan Howard, ensuring alignment with the firm's broader client partnership and strategic initiatives.
The hire reinforces Brevan Howard's commitment to its Middle East expansion, which accelerated following the firm's establishment of a regional hub in February 2023. Located at Al Sarab Tower in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), this hub is designed to accommodate more than 100 employees across critical functions including portfolio management, research, trading, risk management, operations, client services, business development, compliance, and technology. The Abu Dhabi office complements Brevan Howard's existing institutional hubs in London, New York, and Geneva, positioning the firm to serve institutional clients across major financial centers globally.
This appointment signals the firm's prioritization of the Gulf Cooperation Council region and broader Asian markets as growth engines for alternative asset deployment, aligning with institutional investor appetite for diversified global macro exposure across emerging and established markets.
Lahsini joins Brevan Howard from Ares Management Corporation, where he spent more than nine years as a Partner and Head of Middle East and Africa Relationship Management based in Dubai. His appointment brings two decades of investment management industry experience to the firm. He will be headquartered in Abu Dhabi and will report directly to Natalie Faye Smith, Head of Strategy and the Client Partnership Group at Brevan Howard, ensuring alignment with the firm's broader client partnership and strategic initiatives.
The hire reinforces Brevan Howard's commitment to its Middle East expansion, which accelerated following the firm's establishment of a regional hub in February 2023. Located at Al Sarab Tower in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), this hub is designed to accommodate more than 100 employees across critical functions including portfolio management, research, trading, risk management, operations, client services, business development, compliance, and technology. The Abu Dhabi office complements Brevan Howard's existing institutional hubs in London, New York, and Geneva, positioning the firm to serve institutional clients across major financial centers globally.
This appointment signals the firm's prioritization of the Gulf Cooperation Council region and broader Asian markets as growth engines for alternative asset deployment, aligning with institutional investor appetite for diversified global macro exposure across emerging and established markets.
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