Apex Group and Global Custodian present: Financial Markets Book of the Year

Celebrating the pioneering minds driving financial markets forward

Driven by unyielding innovation, the rate of change in the finance industry is setting a pace that surpasses anything we’ve seen before. How do we discern threats and opportunities? Whose insights should we adopt and who is merely scaremongering?

To address these questions, we’re looking to great minds in the financial space, authors whose work captivates us and creates the clarity needed to drive positive change.

Launching in partnership with Global Custodian, financial markets books will undergo careful curation of nominees, shortlisting, analysis, and debate among an esteemed group of judges, comprised of global leaders in finance.

The first Financial Markets Book of the Year will be awarded in November 2025 at Apex Invest, the Capital of Capital, in Abu Dhabi. With $4 trillion of assets in one room, this unique event offers a curated experience for managers and investors to engage, learn, explore strategies, and connect.

Panel judges

Anand Rengarajan

Anthony Kirby

Ardal Loh-Gronager

Arjun Mittal

Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta

Bilal Baloch

Fabian Vandenreydt

Faisal Hasan

Jaspreet Randhawa

Jonathan Summers

Rebecca Thompson

Richard Schwartz

Salvatore Lavallo

Sameera Anand

Sandrine Reynaud

Viraj Kulkarni

Virginie O'Shea

Zuzar Madarwala

Anand Rengarajan

Anand is the Head of Sales, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Trust and Securities Services in Deutsche Bank’s Corporate Bank Division. Based in Singapore, Anand has over 30 years of experience and has been with Deutsche Bank since 2000. In his 25-year career at Deutsche Bank, Anand has held various roles in sales, business management and product management across cash management, securities services, and trust and securities services. He was awarded the Custodian Banker of the Year at The Asset Triple A Sustainable Investing Awards in 2025. Anand holds a Masters Degree in Engineering and a Masters Degree in Business Administration.

Anthony Kirby

Anthony has over 30 years of experience in financial services and provided EMEIA regulatory advisory network expertise within the financial services risk management division of EY. He headed up Regulatory Reform for Capital Markets and Asset Management, and Regulatory Intelligence (incl. focusing on DLT – Secretariat PTDL Group – now GBBC). Anthony joined EY after spending significant time within the capital markets and asset management industry where he held numerous senior/executive level roles in trading, operations, and risk management at Accenture, Deutsche Börse, Merrill Lynch, SWIFT (Head of Securities/Treasury), Instinet, and Reuters/Chicago Mercantile Exchange. He was a member of the FSA Market Advisory Committee. As of 2025, he sat on the boards of PRMIA, ISITC-Europe Advisory Board and was a Member of the City of London International Regulatory Experts Group (IRSG); he founded the Reference Data User Group in 2002 and MiFID JWG/Best Execution and Trading WG from 2005-15. He also co-chaired the FIX Brexit WG until Q1, 2020.

Ardal Loh-Gronager

Ardal founded Loh-Gronager Partners as an Investment Partnership in 2021. He is the Managing Partner, responsible for all investment decisions and runs its Global Fund. Ardal is also the author of the book: The Perceptive Investor. Ardal is half Danish, born in the United Kingdom, and was educated across Europe, Asia and Australia, giving him unique exposure to different peoples, cultures, and values from a formative age. He has always been entrepreneurial and business-minded having established and run several successful ventures. He attended Durham University in the UK, receiving the Queens Campus Scholarship and graduating with a BA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance. Ardal has over 15 years’ financial industry experience with both buy-side and sell-side expertise. His career in finance began with internships in sales and trading at Goldman Sachs and Swiss Re Asset Management. He subsequently joined Morgan Stanley as an interest rates trader, followed by Credit Suisse as a credit trader, before departing to manage an investment portfolio for himself and a small group of family and friends. Ardal decided to formalise the Partnership by forming Loh-Gronager Partners after several successful years, at the request of his investors and to manage external capital in the spirit of the original Buffett Partnerships.

Arjun Mittal

Arjun is the Founder and CIO at Abbey Road Investment Group, which he founded in 2021 after a successful 20 year plus career in banking, working with American Express Bank, Bank Sarasin and more recently as Deputy CEO for Bank J Safra Sarasin in Dubai. Arjun has worked in London and Dubai across several key roles in banking including research, sales and management, and so brings a well‐rounded perspective on financial markets, and the development of the wealth management industry. Abbey Road Investment Group has a Multi Family Office (MFO) which it runs from Dubai that caters to clients from the region. The MFO’s core function is portfolio construction and risk management, helping its families implement best‐in‐class investment strategies across global markets. In addition, Arjun and his team also enjoy generating their own research and investment ideas and are happy to get involved in trade executions to ensure their clients get the maximum benefit from their financial providers. The MFO is platform agnostic ‐ the team works with all banks and product providers.

Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta

Bhaskar is a Board Chairman/Member, Advisor, and Investor in banking, markets, crypto, asset management, healthcare, and technology. He serves on the board or advises several financially regulated firms in the Middle East, India, UK, and Europe. He also advises UAE, India and UK-based families and family office advisory firms and runs his Abu Dhabi-based family office foundation which invests in funds, real estate, and startups. An advocate for education and thought leadership, he is a visiting faculty member and sits on advisory boards at various universities in the UK, UAE, and India. He also serves as the Chairman of the Middle East Stablecoin Association and Secretary of the Middle East Investment Management Association. Previously, Bhaskar led market development at Abu Dhabi Global Market, helping it triple AUM and become the world’s largest regulated crypto jurisdiction. He also held senior roles at UK Export Finance, HSBC, ABN AMRO, Citigroup, and PwC. Bhaskar academic background includes a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Bhopal, an MBA in Finance from Indore University, a PhD in AI from the University of Manchester, a PhD in Terrorism from Kings College London, a PhD in History of Spices from Brunel University, and a PhD in Subtractive Sacred Architecture from University of Westminster.

Bilal Baloch

Dr. Bilal Baloch is a Partner at Shorooq, the UAE’s leading multidimensional investment firm. He is the exited Co-Founder and previously CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Enquire AI, a software company that uses artificial intelligence to verify and deliver expert insights to organisations worldwide. He has spent the past fifteen years in Washington, New York, and London at the intersection of research, consulting, and technology with a focus on global macro and political risk. He received his doctorate from the University of Oxford, master’s from Tufts University, and bachelor’s from the London School of Economics.

Fabian Vandenreydt

Fabian is a globally recognised expert in B2B payments capital markets infrastructure and fintech innovation, with over 30 years of leadership across strategy, product, and go-to-market roles in Europe and the Middle East. He has held senior executive and consulting positions at leading institutions including SWIFT, Euroclear, Capco, Abu Dhabi Global Market, and Motive Partners, and recently served as Chief Product Officer at NowCM and Strategy Advisor to Greenomy. Fabian is known for bridging traditional financial institutions with emerging fintech ecosystems. He has scaled industry-leading innovation platforms, built multi-stakeholder ecosystems across continents, and advised on ESG reporting, digital assets, and financial market infrastructure modernisation. A seasoned board advisor and public-private convenor, his governance and advisory experience spans regulators, fintechs, and global institutions.

Faisal Hasan

Faisal is a senior investment professional with a career spanning 24 years during which he managed diverse award-winning departments such as asset management, direct investments and treasury, investment research, and business development. Faisal is currently CIO and Head of AM at Al Mal Capital in Dubai, an SCA regulated multi-line investment advisor and manager with an established record in the region. Previously he was Sr. Executive Officer at FundRock (ME) in ADGM, part of Apex Group. He was also part of the senior leadership team in KAMCO Investments Company and Global Investment House in Kuwait. Faisal is a financial markets expert who speaks at various international conferences and is well quoted in the media on economic trends and financial markets. He holds a master’s degree in finance from Delhi University, India, and is a CFA charter holder from CFA Institute, USA.

Jaspreet Randhawa

Jaspreet brings over two decades of experience at the nexus of global financial services, capital markets, and technology, with a deep specialisation in transforming innovation into high-performing investment strategies. She has led multi-asset portfolios across private equity, private credit, and strategic technology investments, with a sharp focus on long-term value creation and transformative growth. Throughout her career, Jaspreet has held senior leadership roles at some of the world’s most respected financial institutions, including SunGard (FIS), Broadridge, Corvil, ICAP, and DTCC, where she played a pivotal role in shaping the evolution of capital markets infrastructure and financial technology. Her leadership has been instrumental in driving complex initiatives involving securities processing, post-trade modernisation, market data optimization, and regulatory innovation. Jaspreet’s investment acumen is rooted in her ability to build and scale global portfolios, structure sophisticated transactions, and identify asymmetric opportunities across diverse asset classes. She is known for navigating dynamic regulatory environments, scaling fintech and infrastructure platforms, and forging strategic cross-border partnerships that deliver sustained capital growth. She holds a BSc, BMC, and MBA, and is an alumna of Durham Business School and Harvard Business School.

Jonathan Summers

Jonathan has over 25 years of expertise in investment banking, asset management, venture capital, and corporate leadership. Renowned for his strategic vision and growth-driven approach, he has a proven track record in building and scaling businesses and guiding organisations through complex transitions as both an executive and board member. Jonathan is Senior Vice President and Head of Asset Management at ADGM in Abu Dhabi, the GCC’s fastest-growing financial center. In this role, he manages outreach initiatives to attract hedge funds, private equity, and global asset managers to the region, fostering connections with local stakeholders and sovereign wealth funds. This position leverages his extensive network and expertise in business development within a dynamic and high-growth environment. Jonathan holds a First-Class MA (Hons) in Modern History from Oxford University’s Pembroke College, equipping him with a solid foundation in analytical and strategic thinking. His global experience spans Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, and Abu Dhabi, granting him a unique perspective on cross-cultural management and international markets.

Rebecca Thompson

Rebecca has more than a decade of experience in private banking, investor relations, relationship management, and placements within a Swiss private bank, private equity group, an asset and wealth management company, and more recently developing her role to strategy and management, she works with UHNWI and corporates in the GCC, UK. and India. Rebecca was born in the Middle East, speaks Arabic, and spent most of her career in UAE. She holds a Bachelors in Politics and Arabic from Durham University UK, lived a year in Egypt, completed an MBA Essentials course with LSE, and is currently undertaking an MBA with Imperial College London. With a diverse mindset and extensive travel, she loves learning and relearning, reading, a variety of sporting activities, and draws from a vast array of perspectives from local and international experience both professionally and personally.

Richard Schwartz

Richard is co-founder of The Trade and Tungsten Publishing. He retired at the end of 2023 from his role as special projects editor and head of research at Global Custodian. Richard has written extensively about global financial services for numerous publications over the past 40 years. He has a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

Salvatore Lavallo

Salvatore is Managing Director at Apeiron-MENA and Longevity Partner at Pamedo Ventures. Formerly Head of FDI Attraction at the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Senior Advisor with the Tony Blair Institute, Salvatore started his career with McKinsey & Company. Based between the Middle East and East Africa since 2011, Salvatore held the record of youngest person to visit every country from 2017 to 2023. An avid art collector and investor with over 125+ works, Salvatore is a Patron of Bayt Al Mamzar, Friend of Abu Dhabi Art, and founder of Pamoja Art Projects. A graduate of New York University and the United World College, Salvatore reads widely across economic development, cultural identity, and philosophy.

Sameera Anand

Sameera’s career has spanned three decades across three financial hubs: Mumbai, Hong Kong, and Dubai. She has worked in Dubai since 2012 and is currently Senior Director at Singapore-headquartered Charles Monat (monat.com) in its branch in the region’s premier financial free zone, The Dubai International Financial Centre (“DIFC”). In this role she works with ultra-high-net-worth individuals on their wealth planning needs. Sameera previously worked in Dubai with Man Group (man.com), a diversified quantitative investment manager listed on the London Stock Exchange and also did a stint with the DIFC Authority. Sameera moved to Dubai from Hong Kong where she worked between 2004 and 2012 as deputy editor of the region’s leading trade finance publication, FinanceAsia magazine and website, financeasia.com, owned by London-headquartered Haymarket Media. Sameera started her career in 1991 with ICICI group, India’s largest private sector bank, in its investment banking division. During her stint there Sameera worked at ICICI Securities which was a joint venture between ICICI and JPMorgan. Sameera is a voracious reader. She enjoys many genres of books and at FinanceAsia reviewed non-fiction books for the magazine. Sameera graduated with an MBA from India’s leading business school, the Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad (IIMA) in 1991.

Sandrine Reynaud

Sandrine is originally from France. She co-founded Freedom Asset Management Limited, where was the CEO until June 2023, and is now the SEO of Freedom Asset Management (Middle East) Limited. She has extensive Financial Services experience in investments and operating an Asset Management firm over her 27 years involvement in the industry. Until 2014, Sandrine was an independent consultant, offering introductory services to boutique asset managers to harvest opportunities into continental Europe private banks, family offices, and large institutions. She also seats on a number of fund boards in Luxembourg and Ireland. Previously at Ernst & Young in corporate finance for 13 years in London and Frankfurt, she was part of the leadership team that established the Private Equity Advisory Group. Sandrine was also in charge of business development and advised private equity clients on a wide range of transactions in a variety of sectors. Sandrine is a member of CISI and holds an MBA. In her spare time, she enjo

Viraj Kulkarni

Viraj is the Honorary Consul of Cyprus in Mumbai, for the Maharashtra Jurisdiction. He is the founder of PIVOT Management Consulting Pvt Ltd., Asia’s largest consulting company in custody space. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and has over 34 years of in-depth and diverse exposure to emerging and advanced capital markets. Viraj’s extensive work experience spans over 12 years across three of the top five Global Custodians as Country Head of Securities Services with Citibank (India and Switzerland), JPMorgan Chase, and BNP Paribas. He also established operations at Morgan Stanley Securities Services in India and was part of the management team of the Investor Services Division at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). He is a Certified Independent Director from the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs. He has been recognised with multiple industry accolades and has published over 40 papers on capital markets.

Virginie O'Shea

Virginie is a capital markets fintech research specialist, with more than two decades of experience in tracking financial technology developments in the sector, with a particular focus on regulatory developments, data, and standards. She is the founder of Firebrand Research, a research and advisory firm focused on providing capital markets technology and operations insights for the digital age. Firebrand works with capital markets participants of all kinds to benchmark digital maturity across functionally-specific areas and highlights common challenges and best practices within peer groups on the buy-side, sell-side, financial market infrastructures, and intermediaries. Most recently, she was a research director with Aite Group, heading up the Institutional Securities and Investments practice and covering data management, collateral management, legal entity onboarding, and post-trade technology. In this role she spearheaded strategy for the practice and managed a team of analysts across the globe. Virginie has spoken at leading industry conferences, is actively engaged in a number of post-trade industry standards groups, and holds a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh.

Zuzar Madarwala

Zuzar is a seasoned financial services leader with over three decades of experience spanning private banking, wealth management, retail banking, asset management, and insurance across the Middle East and India. He is adept at building high-performing teams and delivering strategic product innovation. Zuzar has played pivotal roles in transforming business lines, driving digital wealth initiatives, and forging successful partnerships with global asset managers. Zuzar is currently leading strategic partnerships and products for the GIB digital retail bank in Bahrain. Prior to this, he was the Regional Head of Product Development at Ahli United Bank’s Private Banking Group, he spearheaded the creation of a world-class investment platform, launched award-winning digital capabilities, and led the integration of Citibank Bahrain’s wealth business. His previous roles include regional leadership at Sun Life Financial and senior positions at Citibank and National Bank of Kuwait. Zuzar has been recognized with multiple industry accolades and combines strategic insight, product expertise (both conventional and Islamic), and client-centric innovation to deliver sustainable business growth and superior client outcomes.

The judging process

Step 1

Nominated books will be evaluated according to predefined criteria and debated among the judges.

Step 2

Five books will be shortlisted and will be announced between August and November 2025.

Step 3

The winner will be announced in November and invited to attend Apex Invest: The Capital of Capital, in Abu Dhabi.

About Apex Invest

The Middle East is one of the most exciting investment landscapes out there and attending Apex Invest: The Capital of Capital in Abu Dhabi is the best way to find private investors, especially large family offices that are usually hard to reach. With $4 trillion of assets in one room, we’ve really focused on the investor experience – creating something special and unlike anything that’s ever been done before.

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