Equiti Group has appointed Patrick Pitchappa as Chief Information Security Officer and Abdullatif Manlla as Head of Compliance and MLRO, UAE.

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These appointments follow recent senior leadership changes at the firm. Sartaj Singh was promoted to Chief Technology Officer, focusing on AI and automation integration. Rick Fulton became Chief Risk and Audit Officer, overseeing market, credit, and operational risk. Sean Hong took over as Chief Financial Officer, tasked with restructuring finance operations and improving cost controls.

CISO Role and Responsibilities Detailed

Group CEO Iskandar Najjar said Equiti’s "foundations of governance, security, and innovation have guided our growth" and that the appointments will "continue strengthening those principles" during the firm’s global expansion.

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Pitchappa has over 28 years of experience in cybersecurity, IT risk, and technology operations. He has previously held roles at First Abu Dhabi Bank, BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Goldman Sachs, and VISA Inc.

He will lead Equiti’s cybersecurity strategy. He said: "Security is a shared responsibility. At Equiti, we stay ahead of evolving cyber risks, meet regulatory expectations, and protect client privacy at every step."

Compliance Head Oversees Regulatory Alignment

Manlla has experience in compliance, governance, and AML/CFT frameworks in the UAE financial sector. He previously worked at ADS Securities and First Abu Dhabi Bank. He will oversee Equiti’s compliance strategy and regulatory alignment.

He said: "Governance and compliance are integral to Equiti's success. My focus is on maintaining frameworks that are strong, agile, and aligned with global best practices."