CAIRO: Merrill Lynch's Global Wealth Management (GWM) group held on May 7 an educational event for women investors from Egypt and the Middle East, the firm said in a press statement. The event, held in Cairo, was meant to help the delegates better understand the financial markets while outlining the different services available to them. Hoda Galal Yassa, president of the Arab Women Investors Union, was the keynote speaker. Gary Dugan, chief investment officer for GWM EMEA, and Lara Shukralla, financial advisor GWM EMEA, were also present at the conference. Dugan offered his global and regional outlook for the markets, outlining key themes for 2008 while Shukralla discussed options available to the delegates to protect their wealth in times of volatility. A panel, including Ihab Said, financial Advisor GWM EMEA, Steven D'Souza, diversity and inclusion manager for GWM EMEA, and Lara Alamendine, financial advisor GWM EMEA, spoke about diversity and the development of the financial services industry highlighting the importance of females as investment professionals. Amir Sadr, head of Middle East Offshore GWM, said, "Merrill Lynch has for a long time been at the forefront of educating investors about financial planning and investing. This event further demonstrates our commitment to meeting the developing needs of our clients in Egypt and the Middle East and highlights the importance of female investors to the financial services industry.
