Publicis Sapient appoints Oliver Reppel and Rohit Mathew to industry lead roles

Global consulting firm Publicis Sapient has installed two new leaders at the helm of its Financial Services practice in the region.

Oliver Reppel and Rohit Mathew have both been appointed as co-Heads of Financial Services for MENA, bringing a combined 50+ years of experience in financial services – in consulting and industry roles – to Publicis Sapient. Both are based in Dubai.

Reppel joins from Accenture, where he led the financial services business in the Middle East. He brings more than 24 years of experience in financial services, specifically within the domains of retail, corporate and investment banking along with central banks and payments.

“I’m thrilled to join Publicis Sapient and be part of a team that’s leading the charge in the AI-driven digital business transformation marketplace,” said Reppel. “Together with the entire team, we will build upon the company’s strong financial services foundation in MENA and drive forward strategic, value-focused initiatives that will help accelerate client growth and success.”

Mathew also joins from Accenture, where he led a large portfolio of financial services clients. Prior to that, he worked at KPMG within the management consulting team focused on financial services in the Middle East. Mathew has more than 19 years of experience in financial services across both the public and private sectors in the Middle East.

“I’m looking forward to co-leading Publicis Sapient’s Financial Services practice in MENA at such a pivotal time for the industry driven by rapid digitalisation and technological integration, economic diversification initiatives and regulatory support for innovation.”

Commenting on the appointments, David Murphy, Executive Vice President and Head of Financial Services International at Publicis Sapient, said: “The Middle East’s financial services sector is undergoing significant digital business transformation, presenting immense opportunities for advancement, including embracing emerging technologies such as generative AI, and increased investment and partnerships between financial institutions and technology providers.”

“Publicis Sapient continues to expand its footprint in the region and I’m excited to work alongside Oliver and Rohit to shape the future of financial services and banking in this dynamic market.”