As part of her experience, the newly-appointed figure has covered sectors including family offices, sovereign wealth funds and raised funds across asset classes such as private equity and fixed income.

Fatima Asad-Bakhtiari has joined Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management as managing director, head of distribution Middle East.

In this newly-created role, Asad-Bakhtiar will develop and strengthen relationships across the GCC with institutional clients in a strategic area. According to the report, Asad-Bakhtiari aims to provide access to a wide range of conviction-driven asset management expertise with an emphasis on private markets. She will report to Marie Jacot, global head of distribution at Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management.

“She brings a depth of experience in the Middle East market which will undoubtedly help us establish our brand locally,” Jacot said in a statement.

Asad-Bakhtiari moved to Dubai in 2004 after receiving her finance degree from John Molson School of Business in Montreal (formerly known as Concordia University). Initially she worked on the investment side before switching to sales in 2008.

Before joining Edmond de Rothschild, Asad-Bakhtiari worked for seven years as sales director Middle East for Wells Fargo Asset Management, raising AUM across equity, fixed income and hedge funds. She previously spent five years at Franklin Templeton acting as Middle East institutional sales manager covering sovereign wealth funds and family offices.