Meet the team
Middle East Team
Gaenor Jones, Regional Director, MEA
Regional Director, Gaenor Jones boasts over 25 years’ experience in Banking, Financial Services and Sales gained in the UK and the UAE. A British national, she has lived and worked in Dubai for over 16 years and has responsibility for launching/developing the Middle East office and raising the profile of the CII, its mission and core values.
Cementing and maintaining relationships with senior stakeholders, including regulators, membership organisations, corporates, training providers, individuals, banks and government entities is a key part of her role. She is also tasked with overseeing delivery and fulfilment of the CII’s education and qualification programmes.
Gaenor’s career has seen her holding senior management positions for leading financial institutions, including Lloyds bank in the UK and UAE where she was a Senior International Wealth Planning Manager, and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank where she was Head of Sales, Investment and Takaful. She is a Certified Islamic Banker and holds the Diploma in Financial Planning.
Irina Ginns, Regional Operations Support, MEA
As Operations Assistant, Irina Ginns plays a key role in growing and maintaining membership for the CII in MEA and she is responsible for regular engagement and communications with all corporate and individual members.
Irina has worked in the Middle East for the past 10 years supporting top executives within global multinational companies spearheading complex and effective corporate projects, and is adept in managing and streamlining administrative processes in collaboration with senior stakeholders.
Before moving to the UAE, she worked at Cambridge University where she successfully launched the first in Europe Ukrainian Studies Programme. Irina is an expert organiser of cultural and corporate events in Europe and the UAE, passionate about art, cultural diversity and education. Irina holds a Masters Degree in History of Art and Archaeology from the University of Amsterdam, and is multilingual, with operational command over English, Dutch and Ukrainian.
Gary Burns, Corporate Development Manager, MEA
A new Corporate Development Manager has joined the Middle East office. Gary Burns has over 30 years’ experience in the Finance, Banking and Professional Services sectors, working primarily in Business Development and Relationship Management. His previous positions have included those at HSBC, Capita and Link Asset Services.
Gary will be working with our Dubai team in the Dubai International Financial Centre, to further promote the CII brand and business in the Middle East, looking to nurture and deepen relations with the regulators and our existing corporate relationships, as well as developing new business leads and revenue opportunities.