Stephen Austen is head of Standard Bank Plc’s newly established branch in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

Austen’s appointment takes place in the context of a recent strategic decision by the Standard Bank Group to substantially expand its activities in the Middle East and North Africa. As managing director and head of the Dubai branch he will be responsible for the development of the group’s services in the region. In this, he will be assisted by the team in Dubai including resource banking, treasury/capital markets, trade and corporate banking and private banking specialists as well as by Standard Bank Plc’s representative office in Iran headed by Hamid Anoushahpour.

Austen joins Standard from Future Bank in Bahrain where he was chief executive officer and board member.