Dubai-based GRC consultancy J. Awan & Partners has expanded its wings into Europe with the launch of a new office in London.
Founded in 2014, J. Awan & Partners is a consulting firm and technology provider specialised in governance, risk & compliance (GRC). The firm provides its services to clients across the financial services landscape, from banks and wealth managers to fintechs.
Following previous expansion into Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, Karachi, and Toronto, London now marks the firm’s seventh hub globally, with the UK office geared at bringing J. Awan & Partners’ successful proposition in the region into one of the world’s largest financial services centres.
According to a benchmark by the City of London Corporation, despite Brexit, London continues to hold the top spot for financial services in terms of overall offer when compared to other global destinations, including New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Paris, Dubai and Frankfurt.
Meanwhile, with £11.6 trillion of assets under management, London is the world’s second largest financial wealth hub behind just US powerhouse New York.
“One challenge that financial services institutions in The City face is navigating diverse and highly complex regulations particularly around anti-money laundering and know-your-customer,” said Jehanzeb Awan, the CEO of J. Awan & Partners (he founded the firm following a decade at Morgan Stanley and National Bank of Dubai).
This is where J. Awan & Partners comes in. The firm provides advisory services around risk & compliance, financial crime and anti-money laundering, and supports broader regulatory work around audit preparation, compliance, professionalisation, outsourcing, and reporting.
- Awan & Partners also has a proprietary regulatory technology solution, Azakaw. “AI-powered Azakaw is an adaptable regulatory software that helps companies more efficiently and effectively meet compliance requirements across jurisdictions or industries while reducing risks and improving profitability,” explained Awan.
In London, J. Awan & Partners will focus both on locally-based groups seeking to mature their GRC function, and Middle East players that are seeking to establish and grow a footprint in the UK and continental Europe out of London.
“The regulatory and compliance experience and expertise of J. Awan & Partners combined with Azakaw creates a powerful competitive advantage for our banking, fund and asset/wealth management, capital markets, fintech, and insurance sector clients,” said David Bryden, an industry veteran (ex-KPMG, Deloitte and Bank of America, among others) who has been installed as leader of the new London office.
