Leonard T. Koonce 
SICO BSC (c), a leading regional asset manager, broker-dealer and investment bank (licensed as a wholesale bank by the CBB), today announced the appointments of Owen Vallis as Chief Risk Officer and Nimita Nazer as Middle Office Manager. These two titles are newly created positions in the SICO management team aimed at expanding and improving both functions within the Bank, noting that the Middle Office is a recently created department to support the asset management activities. form the bank. The new appointments to the leadership team are part of SICO’s commitment to maintaining the best calibers in the industry, as it strives to maintain its operational excellence while continually deploying the best resources to serve its customers. .
Owen Vallis will assume his role as Chief Risk Officer at SICO with 18 years of risk management experience. Prior to joining SICO, Mr. Vallis spent 10 years as Head of UK Asset Management Risk at Credit Suisse Group in London. He also served as a vice president at JP Morgan for two years. Mr. Vallis also previously worked at Morgan Stanley and Kleinwort Benson as a risk analyst. He holds a BSc. in Disaster Risk Management from the University of Portsmouth, UK.
“This new role is a very exciting step in my career and I look forward to working with the Board of Directors, management team and employees to strategically grow SICO’s risk management department into a one that is best equipped to respond prudently to any new threats, while maintaining long-term, sustainable business growth,” Mr. Vallis said.
Nimita Nazer takes up her role as Head of Middle Office as a seasoned investment banking professional with over 15 years of experience in international conventional banking and financial services in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Nimita joined SICO in 2018 as Portfolio Administrator of the Asset Management Equities department and was responsible for managing the department’s non-investment related activities. She previously held the position of Client Services Manager at HSBC Securities Services in Bahrain for 7 years. She is a Chartered Accountant and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI), UK.
Commenting on her appointment, Nimita said, “I am delighted to step into this new role at SICO with the opportunity to capitalize on my experience here and further develop the business and contribute to SICO’s expansion strategy. SICO. The Middle Office department is an integral part of SICO’s front and back office ecosystem. I look forward to taking on this new role and being able to create value alongside the team.
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About SICO
SICO is a leading regional asset manager, broker-dealer, market maker and investment bank, with $4.5 billion in assets under management (AUM). Today, SICO operates under a wholesale banking license from the Central Bank of Bahrain and also oversees two wholly owned subsidiaries: an Abu Dhabi-based brokerage firm, SICO Financial Brokerage, a specialized regional custodial house, SICO Fund Services Company (SFS). SICO also oversees a majority-owned subsidiary, SICO Capital, a Saudi investment bank. Headquartered in the Kingdom of Bahrain with a growing regional and international presence, SICO has an established reputation as a trusted regional bank offering a full range of financial solutions including asset management, brokerage, investment banking and market making, supported by a strong and experienced research team that provides regional insight and analysis of over 90% of the region’s top stocks. Since its inception in 1995, SICO has consistently outperformed the market and developed a strong institutional client base. Going forward, the bank’s continued growth will be guided by its commitments to strong corporate governance and the development of trusted relationships with its customers. The bank will also continue to invest in its information technology capabilities and in the human capital of its 100 exceptional employees.
Media Contact:
Mrs. Nadeen Oweis
Corporate Communications Manager, SICO
Email: [email protected]
