Gareth is a former regulator in the UK, DIFC, QFC, and AIFC, where he has held senior management and leadership roles in the areas of Authorisation, Supervision, Financial Conduct, Capital Markets and Financial Crime (including AML/CFT, International Sanctions and Anti-Bribery & Corruption).
He has been in the Middle East since 2003 (including just under three years in Central Asia), both as a regulator in Dubai and Qatar, later heading Middle East Compliance & Financial Crime functions – firstly for Barclays in Qatar, and then for Société Générale located in Dubai, covering its operations in DIFC, Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia.
In his time at Barclays and Société Générale Gareth has overseen compliance and financial crime matters across multiple business units including private banking, corporate banking, investment banking, private equity/natural resources, trade finance, correspondent banking, debt capital markets, global markets and M&A, whilst working closely with various booking centres in London, Paris, Luxembourg, Geneva, Monaco, Channel Islands, Turkey and Singapore.
Gareth has been a consultant since July 2023, following his tenure as Deputy Chief Executive of the Astana Financial Services Authority and brings with him perspectives both from regulators in their authorisation, supervision, policy and enforcement work across all financial sectors and disciplines, as well as perspectives from global financial institutions in meeting regional and international standards.
Gareth applies his focus at Sanctuary on the provision of regulatory and compliance services to authorised or regulated financial services firms, or firms seeking to be authorised to conduct regulated financial services.
