Bryan Stirewalt

Bryan Stirewalt brings 40 years of experience in financial services across the public and private sectors, spanning Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. He is a globally recognized expert in financial crime, corporate governance, public policy, enforcement, and financial supervision. He holds a B.A. degree from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Stirewalt served as Chief Executive of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) from 2018 to 2021, leading an organization of nearly 200 professionals and overseeing licensing, supervision, and enforcement across the DIFC financial sector. During his tenure at the DFSA, he was responsible for the regulation and supervision of more than 500 financial institutions, including banks, insurers, asset managers, and exchanges. He played a key role in strengthening enforcement mechanisms, financial crime compliance, and risk management frameworks, overseeing regulatory investigations and enforcement actions against financial misconduct. Under his leadership, the DFSA launched a cyber threat intelligence platform, one of the world's first public-private partnerships in financial sector cybersecurity.

Career History

• Senior Advisor at Secretariat (2025–present)
• MENA Regulatory Leader at EY, leading the Financial Services Regulatory team (2023–2025)
• Managing Director at K2 Integrity, leading its financial crimes risk and compliance advisory practice (2022–2023)
• Chief Executive of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) (2018–2021)
• Managing Director of Supervision at DFSA (prior to 2018)
• 10-year career with the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) as a National Bank Examiner

Stirewalt served nearly 10 years as Co-Chair of the Basel Consultative Group, representing non-member jurisdictions at the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. He worked closely with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on AML/CFT regulations, financial crime risk mitigation, and enforcement strategies, contributing to the development of global anti-financial crime standards. Earlier in his career, he worked with international development organizations to strengthen financial sector supervision in Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Cyprus.

What Bryan Stirewalt could bring to Julius Baer (Middle East) Ltd.: Stirewalt brings deep understanding of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) ecosystems and a strong network across the financial services landscape in the region and globally. Through his extensive network and former role as Co-Chair of the Basel Consultative Group, he has built strong relationships with regulators across the region and internationally, including the Abu Dhabi Global Market, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore. His expertise in regulatory governance, financial crime compliance, and institutional risk management positions him to strengthen Julius Baer's governance framework and regulatory relationships in the Middle East.