Karissa Stelma
Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer UAE
With over 20 years of international experience in the regulated financial services industry, Karissa has held a wide range of management and advisory roles, working closely with disruptive entrepreneurs and major corporates. Karissa can provide expert technical advice on the regulatory and ongoing obligations of a firm established in the GCC. She specialises in assisting new entrants to meet their initial and ongoing compliance and operational requirements, as well as translating the business implications of those obligations to C-Suite executives.
Karissa started her career at Credit Suisse First Boston in New York. Before co-founding a boutique private financial advisory and consulting firm specialising in private equity and wealth management, Karissa participated in equity research as a lead Business Analyst and held prominent roles as Chief of Staff to well-known entrepreneurs. Prior to joining Waystone, Karissa was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a DFSA-regulated asset management and advisory boutique specialising in multi-family office environments.
Karissa holds a Masters from New York University and a Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University College of Law. She has completed a FinTech programme with Saïd Business School and is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).
