Gareth ThomasIndustry ExpertGareths banking career spans over 25 years with a wealth of experience drawn from severalglobal and regional leadership roles, with specialisation in debt issuance and infrastructurefinance, risk management, trade and transactional banking products.Gareth has covered theMiddle East banking activity throughout his career.Based in Dubai, Gareth currently leads HSBC's Global Banking and Global Liquidity andCash Management businesses for the MENAT region. He is responsible for debt and equitycapital markets, lending, infrastructure and real estate, advisory, payments and cashmanagement and client coverage.Prior to taking on this role Gareth was HSBC's Co-Head of Public Sector Banking, with aglobal focus on banking relationships with governments, development banks and otherofficially-mandated organisations. Gareth led efforts in the Middle East, Africa, NothernEurope and the Americas and continues to act as Senior Banker to several governments in theMiddle East.Gareth began his career in 1991 with Barclays Bank. This included a period as its Head ofCorporate Banking for Dubai and Oman, based in Dubai. In 1998 Gareth joined ABN AMROwhere he was promoted to Global Head of Emerging Markets, responsible for all debtproducts. Following the acquisition of ABN in 2008, Gareth ran Royal Bank of Scotlandsdebt businesses for the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa and its Export Financebusiness globally, before being appointed RBS Global Head of Sovereigns & Public Sector.Gareth joined HSBC in 2012.