Learning from the Middle East

Friday, 3 June 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Following the successful expansion of the CISI into the Middle East, Matt Cowan MCSI is now sharing his experiences with the CISI’s India and Sri Lanka country heads to further develop the institute’s activities in South East Asia’s most promising markets, India and Sri Lanka.

The CISI has announced the appointment of Matthew Cowan, Charted MCSI, as Regional Director Middle East, India and Sri Lanka. Matt joined the CISI January 2012 and during his time with the institute, the CISI’s Middle East office has grown rapidly. In the past financial year, the institute had more than 4,500 exam takers in the Middle East region with over half form the UAE, and members benefited from a regular series of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminars throughout the region.

The CISI’s Middle Eastern operations hub is in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and has continued to show very strong growth driven by partnerships with regulatory authorities in the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Palestine, and Lebanon. The mix of Arabic and English qualifications continues to hold appeal as these markets develop.

India and Sri Lanka

India continues to show growth in investment operations and has sustained focus on wealth management. Recognition of our International Certificate in Wealth and Investment Management (India) qualification by the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM), training arm of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has provided a significant boost in this respect and development in this area. India remains a promising market and CISI’s collaborations with Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBG), has given the CISI access not only to tier-one cities but to a wider audience.

Expanding from a handful of staff members since its inception in 2011, the CISI Sri Lanka team has grown to 25 staff members and counting. Today CISI Sri Lanka is a fully functioning representative office, and comprises the Business Development, Customer Support, Marketing, Finance and IT departments. CISI Sri Lanka has been continually expanding since its inception, and now provides support to all CISI international offices, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and India. “India and Sri Lanka are two key developing markets for the CISI. These markets show immense growth potential and I am definitely looking forward for the challenges ahead.” Kevin Moore, Chartered MCSI, Director Global Business Development said: “Matt is well placed to oversee our planned growth in these regions. His years of experience will undoubtedly be advantageous in tackling these markets.” Matt’s experience in the financial sector goes back twenty years. In addition to operating his own UK based financial services boutique he has worked in a number of blue chip financial service providers. Apart from his passion and expertise in finance, Matt has a keen interest motor racing and is an active sportsman.