Nomura has confirmed the appointment of Harish Hemandas as Head of International Wealth Management (IWM) business for the Middle East and Europe, according to an internal memo.
Hemandas joins from Standard Chartered, where he served as managing director and held several senior roles across private banking, treasury, and global financial markets. With more than 30 years of experience in the region, Hemandas most recently led the growth of Standard Chartered’s private banking business across the Middle East and Africa.
He succeeds Adil Khan, who previously led Nomura’s IWM business for the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, and stepped down after five years in the role.
Based in Dubai, Hemandas will lead Nomura Singapore Limited’s Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) branch, subject to regulatory approvals. He will also serve as the senior executive officer (SEO) and head of coverage for the Middle East and Europe.
In his new role, Hemandas will be tasked with scaling Nomura’s IWM franchise by driving business with high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, external asset managers, and other key client segments across the Middle East and Europe. As SEO, he will also oversee governance and control for the DIFC branch, ensuring regulatory compliance and robust risk management as the platform expands.
He will report to Singapore-based Anurag Mahesh, Head of Coverage for Southeast Asia, Global South Asia, and the Middle East at Nomura IWM.
The Japanese lender first unveiled plans to grow its wealth management presence in the region in 2022, with the launch of a DIFC branch under Nomura Singapore Limited.
The IWM platform focuses on serving high-net-worth clients, single-family offices, and external asset managers across the UAE and broader Middle East, including the GCC, North Africa, and the Levant.
