Matthew Cowan, Chartered MCSI, Regional Director – Middle East, India and Sri Lanka; Ganesh Iyer, CISI Country Head, India; Brian Selvanayagam, CISI Country Manager Sri Lanka
The CISI is pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew Cowan, Chartered MCSI, as Regional Director – Middle East, India and Sri Lanka. Matt joined the CISI in 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 region, with over half from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – the Institute’s Middle Eastern operations hub.
The Institute continues to show very strong growth in the Middle East, 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, and members are benefiting from a regular series of continuing professional development (CPD) seminars throughout the region.
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, training arm of the Securities and Exchange Board of India, has provided a significant boost in this respect. India remains a promising market and the CISI’s collaborations with the Bombay Stock Exchange and the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance has given the CISI access not only to Tier-1 cities but also 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. The team now provides support to all CISI international offices, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and India.
Matt said: “India and Sri Lanka are two key developing markets for the CISI. These markets show immense growth potential and I am definitely looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
"India and Sri Lanka are two key developing markets for the CISI. These markets show immense growth potential and I am definitely looking forward to the challenges ahead"
The CISI’s Global Business Development Director Kevin Moore, Chartered MCSI, 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.