• Former senior leader at HSBC Bank International, RAKBANK, Commercial Bank of Dubai and Saudi Awwal Bank joins Skybound to build a dedicated property sales and finance proposition for private clients, families and investors

Skybound Wealth has announced the appointment of Kieron Franklin as Group Head of Skybound Property & Finance, a newly created division designed to support private clients, families and investors with property sales, specialist lending and wider financial planning decisions.

The division has particular expertise in UK, expat and cross-border cases, where property decisions often sit across more than one country, lender, tax position, currency exposure or long-term financial plan.

Franklin joins Skybound following a 30-year career across major international banking institutions, including HSBC Bank International, RAKBANK, Commercial Bank of Dubai and Saudi Awwal Bank, formerly Saudi British Bank. His experience spans mortgage distribution, Premier and Wealth leadership, protection strategy, property finance and proposition development across the UK, Hong Kong, Jersey, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The launch of Skybound Property & Finance reflects a clear strategic move by Skybound: to bring property sales, finance and wider financial planning closer together for clients making some of the largest financial decisions of their lives.

For many clients, property is not just a property decision. The way a property is bought, financed, held, protected and eventually sold can affect cash flow, tax exposure, retirement planning, estate planning, currency risk, family security and long-term wealth outcomes. Yet too often, these decisions are handled separately.

A client may speak to one party about finding a property, another about the mortgage, another about tax, another about investments, and another about retirement planning. No one is always looking at the whole picture. That is where value can be lost and mistakes can happen. Skybound Property & Finance has been created to close that gap.

The division will support clients across property sales, UK residential lending, buy-to-let finance, specialist and complex lending, expat mortgage cases, refinancing, equity release and pre-relocation property planning. It will work closely with Skybound’s wider advisory teams across wealth planning, retirement, tax, currency and estate planning.

Franklin’s appointment gives the new division senior leadership from day one.

At HSBC Bank International, Franklin led Premier & Wealth across Hong Kong and Jersey, overseeing wealth and mortgage outcomes for more than 100,000 private and affluent clients. In the UAE, he held senior roles at RAKBANK and Commercial Bank of Dubai, with responsibility across mortgage distribution, protection strategy and wealth proposition development. He has also held senior roles at Saudi Awwal Bank, formerly Saudi British Bank.

He holds an MBA from the University of Liverpool, the CeMAP Bridge qualification with Distinction, and is RDR-compliant to Level 4.

Mike Coady, CEO of Skybound Wealth Management, said:

“Kieron is exactly the calibre of leader we want building the next generation of Skybound’s specialist divisions.

Property is one of the biggest financial decisions our clients make, but too often it is dealt with in isolation from tax, retirement, estate planning, currency and long-term wealth strategy. That is where mistakes happen.

Kieron has led mortgage, lending and wealth propositions at major international institutions and across complex markets. His appointment gives us the senior leadership, technical understanding and commercial depth to build this properly.

This is not about adding another service line. It is about making sure property decisions are joined up with the rest of a client’s financial life.”

Kieron Franklin, Group Head of Skybound Property & Finance, said:

“Skybound has the platform, international footprint and planning culture to build a serious property and finance proposition.

After 30 years in international banking, I know how often clients make property decisions without the right lending, tax, currency or long-term planning context around them.

The opportunity here is to build something more joined up. We want clients to access property and finance support that sits alongside their wider wealth plan, not outside it.”

Skybound Property & Finance opens for client referrals immediately. The division will host a series of client, partner and adviser events over the coming months to support the launch and build awareness across the Group’s client base.

The appointment follows a year of strong progress for the Group, including being named Company of the Year, Global Winner, at the Investment International Awards 2025, alongside awards for Excellence in Client Service and Excellence in Advisory Best Practice.

Further announcements across Skybound’s European and international footprint are expected over the course of 2026.

About Skybound Wealth Management

Skybound Wealth is the global wealth advisory brand of the Skybound Wealth Management Group, helping private clients, families, entrepreneurs and internationally mobile professionals protect, structure and grow their wealth with clarity and confidence.

With offices across the US, UK, EU, Switzerland and the UAE, Skybound delivers cross-border financial planning, advice and long-term wealth solutions worldwide.

The firm supports clients through dedicated specialist divisions including Global Partners, Athletes & Creators, Women Like Us, and now Skybound Property & Finance, backed by proprietary planning technology including MoneyMap, the Plume Advice Suite and the Skybound client app.

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