In his capacity as Chief Business Development Officer at the DIFC Authority, Salmaan Jaffery is responsible for developing and executing business strategies aligned with the DIFC’s 2024 growth ambitions. The business development team, under Jaffery’s direction, identifies and evaluates potential partnership opportunities that serve business and client growth within the DIFC community.

Jaffery has 20 years of extensive operating and advisory experience working with global financial services and consulting firms across the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and North America. During this time, he has established a track record for earning trust and delivering value to clients by developing new revenue opportunities, improving performance, and driving organizational change. Jaffery has cultivated a vast network of peer and C-Suite relationships and is an accomplished thought leader in customer centricity and Islamic finance.

Before joining the DIFC Authority, Jaffery held leadership roles in Conventional and Islamic Finance at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young Middle East. Prior to that, he held operating and finance roles at Citibank and American Express in New York. Jaffery has also led client teams at Oliver Wyman focused on customer-driven growth strategies and new venture analyses.

Jaffery holds an MBA from Cornell University and a B.A. in international relations (Phi Beta Kappa) from Colgate University in the United States. He is President of the Cornell University and Johnson School Clubs, Middle East, and serves on the oards of several non-profit organisations.