BrazilFormer DFSA chief Bryan Stirewalt becomes Senior Advisor at consultancies
Shortly after stepping down from his role at EY, Dubai-based financial services veteran Bryan Stirewalt has taken on two Senior Advisor roles at global consultancies Grant Thornton and Secretariat.
Bryan Stirewalt has over 35 years of experience with regulators, supranational bodies, financial institutions and consulting firms. He has deep knowhow in financial crime prevention, corporate governance, enforcement, financial supervision, risk management, fintech innovation, and regulatory strategy, among others.
Over the past 18 months, he served as the MENA Regulatory Leader at EY, and as the head of its Financial Services Regulatory team, advising financial institutions on cross-border compliance, financial crime prevention, cyber risk, and regulatory enforcement.
This month, he has stepped down from the Big Four firm and transitioned to life as an independent consultant, serving as a boardroom advisor in his key fields of expertise. Stirewalt has meanwhile also affiliated himself with two consultancies, Grant Thornton and Secretariat, where he has been appointed a part-time Senior Advisor.
“We are excited to welcome Bryan as we continue to support our clients on their growth journey,” stated Grant Thornton in a post on LinkedIn. “He will boost the value we provide to our clients in the financial services sector.”
Secretariat’s post reads: “We are excited to welcome Bryan as a Senior Advisor. He has advised governments, financial regulators, and multinational corporations on complex regulatory challenges and financial crime compliance. His arrival strengthens our Investigations practice.”
Bryan Stirewalt bio
Before EY, Stirewalt was a Managing Director at K2 Integrity, leading its financial crimes risk and compliance advisory practice. In this role, he worked closely with financial institutions, corporations, and governments to strengthen anti-money laundering frameworks, sanctions compliance, and enforcement strategies. He advised clients on regulatory investigations, financial crime remediation, and governance enhancements in response to enforcement actions.
His career further includes serving as CEO of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) where he directed regulatory strategy, oversaw licensing and supervision, and led initiatives in fintech, regtech, and digital assets. He was responsible for the regulation and supervision of more than 500 financial institutions, including banks, insurers, asset managers, and exchanges.
In addition to his role in developing the regulatory infrastructure of the DIFC, he has strong relationships with the Central Bank of the UAE, Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), ADGM, and Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority [VARA].
During his time at the DFSA, Stirewalt also served as the co-chair of the Basel Consultative Group for nearly 10 years, representing non-member countries at the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. The Basel Consultative Group provides a forum for deepening the Basel Committee’s engagement with non-member global supervisors on banking supervisory issues.
He also worked closely with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on AML/CFT regulations, financial crime risk mitigation, and enforcement strategies, contributing to the development of global anti-financial crime standards.
Earlier in his career, Stirewalt spent a dozen years at BearingPoint in the United States, and worked for the US Treasury Office as a national bank examiner.
