Our team are committed to ensuring our clients receive the right advice, strategy, plan, and attention according to their unique needs. With a team of certified financial planners, wealth management experts, senior investment advisors and strategists, our goal is to build long-term relationships with our clients rooted in trust and transparency.
Our Team
Meet the experts
PAUL
DONOVAN
Managing Partner
DANIEL
WILLIAMS
Managing Partner
Chris
Anderson
Managing Partner
Paul has had a successful banking career spanning almost two decades. He
started his career in the UK before relocating to Dubai in 2008 to join HSBC
as a Senior Investment Advisor providing investment advice to a portfolio of
HNW clients. He subsequently joined Coutts & Co as a Vice President to build
and manage a portfolio of private banking clients from within the DIFC. In
2013, Paul was approached by Arbuthnot Latham to help set up their first
international office, holding the role of Director (Team Leader) for over 8
years. Paul has successfully achieved various professional qualifications
through the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). Paul is a keen golfer who has
regularly represented the Emirates Scratch League team.
Daniel has been advising HNW individuals since 2006 and is an expert in
Investment Management Solutions for international clients. Starting his career
in the City of London as a Stockbroker with a focus on US equities and
Alternative Investments, he moved to the British Private Bank, Arbuthnot
Latham in 2011, where he served as Director Investment Management as part of
the Investment Committee until 2015 before moving to head up the bank’s
Investment Management team in the Middle East, as Investment Director.
Daniel enjoys various sporting activities and is a keen golfer. Given his
experience Daniel regularly commentates in the press and on panels as a
subject expert and holds various professional qualifications through the
Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).
Chris has been advising private clients and their families since 2007 and has a wealth of experience in the Middle East Private Banking market. Chris spent 15 years at Barclays, most recently as a Senior Private Banker, Team Leader, and Market Head for the Private Banking business in the UAE. During the past decade, whilst based in Dubai, Chris was responsible for managing a significant book of private clients from the region, including both local families and expatriates.
In addition to his client responsibilities, he held various management and leadership roles at the Bank.
Prior to relocating to Dubai, Chris started his career in London and held roles in Investment Management, Strategy, and Product teams at Barclays, before joining their Middle East coverage team as a Private Banker.
Chris holds a degree in Physics from the University of Bristol and is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), amongst other necessary professional qualifications in the UK.
Alfonso
Diaz
Partner
Megan
Connelly
Client Services Executive
Alfonso is a seasoned wealth management and investment advisor. He has enjoyed a 20-year career acquiring, developing, and maintaining strong relationships with High Net Worth (HNW) individuals. Alfonso started his private banking career at Banco Santander in Madrid before joining Merrill Lynch as Vice President – Investments. His most recent role was as an Executive Director at Fisher Investments. Alfonso has advised private clients and successfully managed teams of financial advisors in Madrid, Geneva, and London prior to making the move to Dubai.
Alfonso has vast experience and a strong understanding of investment portfolio construction, tax, retirement, and estate planning, as well as financial counselling. He has a professional affiliation and membership to the European Financial Planning Association as a certified European Financial Advisor (EFA). In addition to this, Alfonso holds a Masters in Finance, a Masters in Corporate Tax from IE Business School and an Executive Leadership Program from IESE Business School. Outside of the world of Finance, he is also a keen golfer in his spare time.
Alfonso has vast experience and a strong understanding of investment portfolio construction, tax, retirement, and estate planning, as well as financial counselling. He has a professional affiliation and membership to the European Financial Planning Association as a certified European Financial Advisor (EFA). In addition to this, Alfonso holds a Masters in Finance, a Masters in Corporate Tax from IE Business School and an Executive Leadership Program from IESE Business School. Outside of the world of Finance, he is also a keen golfer in his spare time.
Megan has over eight years’ experience within the banking and wealth management industry. Megan joins us from a DIFC based family office, serving as Head of Client Infrastructure. Prior to this, Megan spent five years as a Senior Relationship Manager at Berenberg Bank.
Megan holds a first-class degree in Business and Management from Brighton University.
Megan joins the Client Services team and will be working closely with the Managing Partners in providing a high-touch, quality experience to their clients. Megan will also be responsible for developing and enhancing the overall service offering at Sigma, to further improve the client journey and ensure first-class client experiences.
Megan holds a first-class degree in Business and Management from Brighton University.
Megan joins the Client Services team and will be working closely with the Managing Partners in providing a high-touch, quality experience to their clients. Megan will also be responsible for developing and enhancing the overall service offering at Sigma, to further improve the client journey and ensure first-class client experiences.
Chris
Cocker
Chief Investment Officer
Farah
Hertog, CFA
Lead Portfolio Manager
Mathias
Bottern
Lead Portfolio Manager
Chris has enjoyed a successful banking and investment career spanning over 30 years.
After graduating City, University of London, he started his investment banking career at S.G. Warburg & Co. in the 1990’s, where he was focused on trading UK Government Bonds. Through a succession of mergers and promotions, Chris ran a significant UK Gilt and Swap book for the investment bank UBS Warburg.
In 1998, he co-founded an award-winning property development company, creating sustainable communities and high returns from complex, historic listed buildings in UK National Parks. The Partnership was successfully exited in 2007, and the bespoke developments are still used as a quality benchmark by the government’s rural planning authority. Concurrently he developed an international property portfolio which he continues to manage today.
Chris and his family relocated to Dubai in 2012 where he joined Barclays Wealth as a Director and Investment Advisor, advising HNW and UHNW families on investment opportunities, asset allocation and hedging across a broad spectrum of asset classes.
In 2016 he joined UBS AG, Dubai Branch as an Executive Director, spending six years advising international clients and assisting them to develop portfolios better suited to a more volatile investment environment.
Chris is a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Charterholder and a SAQ Certified Wealth Management Advisor.
Farah joined Sigma Private Office from Fisher Investments, where she worked as an Investment Advisor for over 3 years, specialising in direct global equity portfolios. Prior to this, Farah worked at Arbuthnot Latham in London for over 4 years, where she was an Investment Manager and part of the Investment Committee. Farah holds a Postgraduate degree in Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics and is Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder.
Mathias started his career as an investment trainee at Nykredit in 2008 and has built up a host of investment experience at various Danish banks where he had a strong focus on multi-asset portfolio advisory and management. Most recently he worked at Fisher Investments as an Investment Advisor, specialising in direct global equity portfolios. He holds a finance degree from Copenhagen Business School.
When it comes to wealth and investment advisory, we never follow the status quo.
