Annual Dubai Conference 2026

With a career in financial services spanning four decades, Joe has a strong commitment to the future success of the industry in Jersey.

Joe commenced his professional life in the banking sector, rising to the position of CEO of Jersey and the Isle of Man for a major bank, which included responsibilities for trusts and investments. In recent years, he expanded his focus as Director of Financial Services within the Government of Jersey, where he worked closely with industry and regulator to ensure the island’s position as a leading international finance centre. Before joining Jersey Finance in February 2019, Joe was working to establish high-reputation regulatory frameworks and business models for IFCs in the Middle East and Africa. He is a board director of the World Alliance of International Finance Centers (WAIFC).

An joined Jersey Finance in May 2016 as the Business Development Director for Asia and is now based in our Middle East Regional Hub office, in the DIFC in Dubai.

An studied law in Belgium at the University of Leuven including one Erasmus exchange year at Queen Mary and Westfield College in London. She subsequently did an LLM in international business law at Trinity College Dublin.

Cormac Sheedy returned to Jersey Finance in May 2026 as a senior consultant, with a market focus on Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He brings more than 25 years of experience at the intersection of financial services, family offices and international financial centres. He relocated to Dubai in 2003 during the formative years of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and has since developed a deep understanding of the region’s regulatory, commercial and wealth management landscape. Throughout his career, Cormac has built a strong track record of engaging with banks, sovereign wealth funds, family offices and financial institutions across the Gulf region. His expertise spans business development, strategic partnerships and advisory roles, with a particular focus on international structuring, digital transformation, governance and strategic change.

Trevor McFarlane is the Founder and CEO of Emerging Markets Intelligence & Research (EMIR), an exclusive boutique advisory and research firm, harnessing the network effect of Boardroom by EMIR. An expert on geopolitics, macro-economy and government policy, he advises visiting global CEOs and politicians on how to succeed in the Middle East. Over 2,000 regional CEOs and business leaders subscribe to his analysis. Having built the most influential intelligence network in the Middle East, Boardroom by EMIR, Trevor sits at the centre of a web of globally respected EMIR advisory partners who pull off future-shaping transformational projects for select clients. Before founding EMIR, McFarlane was at The Economist, where he supported corporate leaders through its advisory arm and, before this, covered the Middle East & Africa at The Economist Intelligence Unit.

Richard is an experienced corporate lawyer with extensive expertise in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and corporate reorganisations across a broad range of industries, including healthcare, education, logistics, retail, and food and beverage. He is particularly recognised for his work in private equity and venture capital transactions, advising investors and businesses on complex funding arrangements, with a focus on the technology and media sectors. Richard has advised on numerous UAE and regional M&A transactions and joint ventures, regularly assisting international companies with market entry strategies and business structuring in Dubai and the wider UAE. He also advises high net worth individuals and family businesses across the Middle East and MENA region on governance, succession planning, restructuring, and trust structures.

Jacques Visser has served as the Chief Legal Officer of the DIFC Authority for the past 11 years. He also holds appointments for the DIFC in several other capacities, including serving as member of the DEWS Supervisory Board, and as Board Member and Investment Committee Chair for both the Dubai Future District Fund and the DIFC FinTech Fund. Prior to working for the DIFC, he spent over 20 years as a financial services lawyer, focusing on multi-jurisdictional investment structures, fund formation, asset management and regulatory matters in emerging markets

Affinity is an independent private client, trust, and fiduciary business. They work closely with families and individuals across multiple jurisdictions, including Jersey and the DIFC, providing long-term structuring solutions to help preserve and enhance assets for current and future generations.
Privately owned, their interests are wholly aligned with their clients, and their ethics and values are at the core of everything they do. They were the first UN Global Compact participant in Jersey, consistent with Affinity’s commitment to sustainability. Their primary focus is service excellence from qualified, entrepreneurial, and commercial directors and trustees to ensure enduring relationships across generations.

Our heritage is unique, originating from a single-family office established to oversee the affairs of three generations of a founding family. This legacy continues to shape our approach today, founded on trust, discretion and a deep understanding of the needs of ultra-high-net-worth families. Through our multi family office, trust and corporate services businesses across Jersey, the Isle of Man and Malta, we provide bespoke solutions for international families, many with GCC connections. We specialise in the discreet structuring and administration of complex cross-border holdings, including high-value UK real estate, yachts, private investments and philanthropic interests, with a focus on preserving wealth and creating enduring family legacies, drawing on our in-house expertise and extensive network of trusted partners to deliver, efficient and highly personalised solutions.

At Fairway Group we put our clients first. As an independent, owner-managed fiduciary group offering private client, corporate, funds and pensions services, we are able to provide continuity to every client through a director-led, dedicated team and a proactive and nimble service. Headquartered in Jersey and with offices in Dubai, Kuwait, Singapore and Madeira, our global presence allows us to seamlessly connect with our diverse international client base. We are an award-winning independent trust company distinguished for excellence and a personal touch. With a global network of trusted advisors and specialists, we provide unwavering expertise to meet our clients’ needs.

We are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 55 of the world’s most dynamic markets. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, here for good.

Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong stock exchanges.

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