Kartikeya Rai

Spear's Review

Kartikeya Rai of Barclays has spent just over a decade working in private banking in West Africa, travelling extensively within the region and witnessing the growth in African clients’ businesses and wealth. 

During these travels and working with his clients, Rai has seen industries such as technology, telecoms, agriculture, fintech, oil and gas make the shift from being locally to globally focused. This development excites him.

‘[My clients] are becoming global players and demanding more,’ he says. ‘I aim to be with them every step of the way, helping them make decisions which fulfil their ambitions and affect not just them, but future generations.’

Adviser profile

Kartikeya Rai is one of the many advisers that Barclays Private Bank has appointed to work across its global client base. He also represents African clients settled in different global jurisdictions and countries across Europe and Middle East, but pre-dominantly covers the West African market for Barclays, especially the hubs of Nigeria,Ghana and South Africa.

Rai acts for entrepreneurs who have created their money in a broad range of industries, from oil and gas to fintech, and assists clients in protecting and growing their overseas wealth through services such as wealth and investment advisory, banking and credit solutions.

Rai helps clients achieve their long-term goals and is there from beginning to end. Often this means weathering various storms and navigating various obsta-cles along the way.

‘The demands on wealth management are ever-changing, and so are the needs of our clients,’ he says. ‘I help the client make decisions which serve that purpose, as well as providing the flexibility to adapt to changing demands and circumstances.’

He considers the coronavirus pandemic the most severe problem he has encountered in his lifetime, and one that requires a greater level of communication and understanding than ever before.

‘The conversations are deeper. Having options to help them anchor their wealth to safety and adapt to the changes thrown at them has never been more important to my clients. This is a dimension which requires a greater level of dialogue and long-term advice,’ he tells Spear’s.