Equiti Expands Senior Leadership, Naming New CISO and UAE Head of Compliance/MLRO

Equiti Group has expanded its senior leadership bench with the appointment of Patrick Pitchappa as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Abdullatif Manlla as Head of Compliance and MLRO for the UAE. The dual appointments reflect the Group’s continued investment in governance, cybersecurity resilience, and regulatory alignment as it grows across global markets.

Pitchappa brings nearly three decades of international experience in cybersecurity, IT governance, and technology risk. His career includes senior posts at major global financial institutions such as First Abu Dhabi Bank, BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Goldman Sachs, and VISA Inc. At Equiti, he will spearhead the firm’s information security strategy, advancing enterprise-wide defences amid an increasingly complex threat environment.

Manlla joins with a strong background in compliance, AML/CFT oversight, and regulatory governance within the UAE financial sector. He previously held leadership roles at ADS Securities and First Abu Dhabi Bank. In his new capacity, he will guide the firm’s UAE compliance operations, ensuring robust alignment with global best practices and the evolving regulatory landscape.

Iskandar Najjar, Group CEO of Equiti Group, emphasised that the company’s long-standing pillars of governance, security, and responsible innovation remain central to its market expansion. “With Patrick and Abdullatif, we are strengthening the frameworks that have supported our growth for years,” he said.

Pitchappa highlighted the collaborative nature of cybersecurity, stressing that security must be integrated throughout systems and processes to protect clients and uphold regulatory expectations.

Manlla added that Equiti’s governance culture provides a strong footing for advancing agile, globally aligned compliance standards that support transparency and long-term growth.

With these appointments, Equiti further solidifies its position as a market leader in security-first innovation, regulatory integrity, and global governance.