Dubai: Julius Baer is realigning leadership of its Middle East & Africa market, with Jean Pierre Dib and Philipp Kleinschnittger assuming the roles as Co-Heads Middle East & Africa, effective today. The Co-Heads will report to Rahul Malhotra, Head of Region Emerging Markets. Régis Burger, who has led the market as Head Middle East & Africa takes on the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, Region Emerging Markets, while continuing as CEO and Senior Executive Officer (SEO) of Julius Baer (Middle East) Ltd., retaining the regulatory oversight of the DFSA-regulated entity.
As the new Co-Heads Middle East & Africa, Jean Pierre Dib and Philipp Kleinschnittger are responsible for Julius Baer's client offering and strategic priorities across the region, bringing together the organisation's onshore presence in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Manama, and Johannesburg with its offshore coverage out of Zurich, Geneva, and London. Their joint leadership draws on complementary experience and expertise while providing the strong oversight needed to support Julius Baer’s growth ambitions in the region.
Jean Pierre has more than 20 years of experience in senior private banking roles, most recently as Senior Client Partner for Julius Baer in Dubai. For over a decade, he has played a key role in the Bank’s Middle East franchise, driving client acquisition and management across the GCC and wider region. Drawing on his deep regional expertise, he has established an extensive track record in advising UHNW individuals, entrepreneurs, and family offices.
Philipp brings more than two decades of international banking experience. Since joining Julius Baer in 2016, he has held several senior leadership positions, including Head CEO Office Initiatives and Head of Business Technology Front, followed by Head Middle East & Africa Switzerland, UK & South Africa, and Chairman of Julius Baer South Africa (Pty) Ltd. In each of these roles, he has successfully led multi-jurisdictional teams to deliver strategic initiatives and business growth, based on the needs of our clients.
Rahul Malhotra, Head of Region Emerging Markets, Julius Baer said: “Jean Pierre and Philipp bring the kind of long-standing, client-first leadership that has built our franchise in the Middle East. This highly-collaborative model reflects our commitment to supporting our clients across their wealth journeys. The Middle East continues to see significant wealth creation, particularly across the GCC, making it a highly strategic growth market for Julius Baer. I believe we are well positioned to expand further, and I am confident that Jean Pierre and Philipp will build on our momentum. I wish them both every success in their new roles.”
He continued: “I would also like to thank Régis for his leadership of the market as Head Middle East & Africa. He has made a considerable contribution to building our presence across Middle East & Africa, and I look forward to working closely with him as COO Region Emerging Markets.”
Julius Baer has been present in the Middle East since 2004, when it became the first wealth management firm to be established in the Dubai International Financial Centre, holding licence number 1. The Bank's Middle East & Africa franchise has grown steadily since, with the launch of Julius Baer (Abu Dhabi) Ltd. in December 2025, 50 years of presence in Bahrain marked in 2026, and an office in Johannesburg since 2018. Together with its offshore coverage from Zurich, Geneva, and London, this combined onshore and offshore model remains central to how Julius Baer serves its sophisticated clients across the region.