Kleinwort Benson makes senior hires to Private Wealth Management Team
15 January, 2008 – Kleinwort Benson, one of the UK’s most innovative providers of banking and financial services to corporate and private clients in the UK and Channel Islands, is pleased to announce the hiring of
Rhys Francis (ex-Coutts) and
Gilbert Rizk (ex-UBS) to lead the expansion of two specialist private banking teams serving high net worth clients. Both will report to Martin Heale, Head of Private Wealth Management in London.
Rhys Francis will be responsible for expanding Kleinwort Benson’s focused service provision for mature and inherited wealth clients. Rhys joins Kleinwort Benson from SEI European Services where he was Head of Private Clients. He previously spent eleven years with Coutts as a senior private banker, and as a senior manager leading teams focused on the highly individualised wealth management needs of Professionals, Executives and Entrepreneurs.
Rhys says, ’I am excited by the challenge and opportunity afforded by such a great brand as Kleinwort Benson. There’s a very good story to tell to clients and the professional community.’
Gilbert Rizk will lead the further expansion of Kleinwort Benson’s service offering to individuals and families who have accumulated their wealth in a diverse range of specialist fields, such as the Arts, Sports and Business. Gilbert joins from UBS Wealth Management, where he spent five years looking after a wide variety of key clients, as well as entrepreneurs. Gilbert was previously with Merrill Lynch for ten years as a Vice President, overseeing the International Private Client division.
Gilbert says, ’This role is a very exciting opportunity to be involved in a growing and dynamic business, with such a respected brand and strong pedigree in the wealth management arena.’
Their arrival follows hot on the heels of appointment of new overall Head of Private Wealth Management (PWM) UK and Channel Islands Mark Hussein, former Head of HSBC’s commercial investment and insurance division. They are amongst the latest wave of recruits to the rapidly expanding and evolving PWM division which aims to position itself as the most innovative provider of wealth management services to private individuals in the UK and Channel Islands.
Mark says: ’Kleinwort Benson is dedicated to providing a unique client-focused, needs-based approach to wealth management, coupled with a truly innovative proposition and this continues to attract private bankers of the highest calibre to us. We are extremely pleased that Gilbert and Rhys have joined the team and we are sure that our clients, and our business as a whole, will greatly benefit from their individual client management skills and experience.’