Boutique finance firm Falcon Group continues to expand its presence in the Middle East with the opening of an Abu Dhabi office.

The firm has also appointed Kapila Karunaratne to head up the new branch.

Karunaratne joins Falcon from consultants Baker Tilly, where he was director of business development and head of corporate and commercial finance. Before that, he was head of marketing for Finance House, an Abu Dhabi-based finance boutique. Karunaratne has experience in arranging syndicated loans and corporate and business banking.

Reporting to Nam Sahasra, Falcon’s UAE country head, Karunaratne will use his contacts in the industry to offer corporate clients and financial institutions in Abu Dhabi customised financial solutions.

Sahasra says: “Kapila has handled a varied portfolio of corporate clients and commands valuable business contacts in UAE. He has a strong name with our target client base so we are very pleased he is now part of our team.”

Commenting on his new role, Karunaratne says: “The aim is to provide an alternative funding source for corporate and FIs. Many are struggling to win funding from their traditional sources of funding and it is here where Falcon can step into the breach. Certainly, it’s an exciting time to join such an innovative funder.”

Meanwhile, Shan Weerakoon, who began working at Falcon in 2010, will join Karunaratne in Abu Dhabi.