AES International

03/11/2026

Market timing, stock picking, and decisions made in the moment can erode returns over time.

Download our free whitepaper to see the 10 principles that help you avoid them: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0zBqGv0

02/11/2026

Four years ago, Craig Norrey rejoined AES – and he’s been raising the bar for everyone around him ever since. Whether it's at work or during a team challenge, there's no second place.

Craig has the incredible ability to stay calm under pressure and think strategically. No matter what's going on, he never reacts impulsively, approaching every challenge with a level head and unmistakable positivity. That steadiness sets the tone for the whole team.

Craig always makes time for everyone, however busy he is, and he’s genuinely everyone’s biggest cheerleader – celebrating every win, big or small, like it’s his own. He’s a fantastic motivator who leads by example, and it brings out the best in all of us.

Add his sharp, analytical mind and that constant drive to find better ways of doing things, and you’ve got someone who makes both the work and the team, stronger.
Thank you, Craig, for pushing us all to be better!

02/11/2026

Six years on, and Sarah Norton is still proof that the best finance leaders care as much about people as they do about numbers.

Sarah leads our Finance and Support teams with a mix of analytical precision and genuine warmth. She has a real gift for making time to teach, taking the complex and making it clear, and helping the people around her understand not just the what, but the why.

Her morning rounds through the office are something we all look forward to. Whether she’s solving a tricky finance query or simply checking in with a friendly chat, she brings the same upbeat, thoughtful energy to every interaction. As a colleague puts it, she creates an environment where people feel supported and valued – and that’s true right across the business, not just her own teams.

Sarah is a true SWAN: Smart, Works hard, Ambitious, Nice, and Selfless. That last one shines through most – she champions Positive Change not because she has to, but because she genuinely wants to help others succeed.

Thank you, Sarah, for years of balanced books and lifted spirits in equal measure!

31/10/2026

Most executive leaders could stop working tomorrow. Income stopped being the obstacle years ago. And still, most keep going.

Sometimes that’s love of the work. More often it’s what the work provides: a structure to your week, people around you, the feeling of being needed, real problems to solve.

Some leave the moment they’ve had enough, only to find themselves unsure what to do on a Monday morning.

Both require you to answer the same question: Am I ready for what comes next?

Readiness has less to do with the number and more to do with whether you’ve built something to step towards. Structure, connection, purpose and stimulation can all be rebuilt, and the people who settle best start years before their last day at work.

Sam Instone writes on this for The National:

Giving up work entails sacrificing more than just a salary

30/10/2026

Successful families assume they’re well prepared. Our free wealth security checklist whitepaper helps you see the full picture, from estate planning to cyber risk, and find the gaps before they matter: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0zwwjc0

29/10/2026

The recent General Counsel Conference tackled the realities in-house lawyers face right now: technical, economic and personal.

Monita Barghachieh of Marafeq Qatar and Behnam Khatami of Nami Associates unpacked how regulation is evolving across the region. Legal frameworks don’t develop in isolation from economic planning and geopolitics, and Qatar is moving prudently towards greater transparency and accountability. As Khatami put it, intervention and maturity are connected.

The AI panel was one of the liveliest of the day. Matteo Grassani of Zahid Group argued that legal needs to be in the room when AI tools are used, not leave it to IT, because AI has no legal privilege. Hemma Patel of ASSA ABLOY and Rashika Bakshi of WPP agreed on the balance: automate the repeatable, low-risk work, and keep people (and legal) at the centre of decisions.

And ‘When Crisis Strikes’ brought hard-won experience. Vera Kolesnik of Nestlé MENA said crises demand speed over perfection, with two constants: stay compliant and never compromise consumer safety.

Wafa Derouiche of TE Connectivity, Zaid Gardner of Property Finder and Eliana Fonseca of Emirates Flight Catering reminded the room that counsel live through crises too, and that psychological safety and regular updates, even with limited information, keep teams going.

It was great to have some of the AES team on the ground, talking with general counsel about protecting their financial futures. In-house lawyers spend their careers managing risk for their organisations; the best conversations of the day were about doing the same for themselves and their families.

29/10/2026

Group medical insurance is usually your second-highest people cost. Do you know where that money is going?

Most plans get reviewed once a year, at renewal, when it’s already too late to change much. The best employers look at it differently.

Our CEO whitepaper covers what they do, and where most companies are getting it wrong.

Download it here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0ztd3H0

28/10/2026

For internationally mobile families, a scam doesn't need to fool everyone - it only needs to exploit the gaps between them.

When accounts, advisers, financial life managers, lawyers, and trustees are spread across countries and time zones, an urgent transfer, a change of account details, or an instruction from a “trusted adviser” can seem routine to the person receiving it.

The safeguards are simple but essential:
- Verify unexpected requests through a known contact, not the details supplied in the message.
- Agree in advance who can authorise payments and account changes.
- Require confirmation through a second, independent channel for high-value instructions.
- Keep key family members and professional advisers informed - especially those across borders.

Distance and complexity should not become an attacker’s advantage.

27/10/2026

At our Q3 townhall, we celebrated Dan’s ten years at AES. A decade of brilliant work, precision, and generosity with his time.

We also recognised our Heroes of the Quarter; Carol, Kylin and Rory.

All three simply make other people’s jobs easier. Clients, partners and colleagues say the same thing about them: professional, patient, and a pleasure to work with.

Thank you for setting the standard and showing what genuine care in action looks like.

26/10/2026

Four years in, and Ben Roberts remains one of the most recognisable voices at AES – if you’ve dealt with us, there’s a good chance you’ve spoken to Ben.

Ben’s professionalism and genuine enthusiasm for AES come through in every conversation. He knows the business inside out, and he never stops learning – always curious, always building on what he knows, and always eager to share a new idea he’s picked up along the way.

Anyone who's met Ben will notice the same thing - how much he cares. Whoever’s on the other end of the line, Ben wants to make sure they feel genuinely looked after and truly cared for. That shapes every interaction, and it’s a big part of why people remember speaking with him.

Behind the scenes, he’s still our go-to proofreader, catching the details others miss, all delivered with that quirky humour and a reader’s eye for a well-turned phrase.

Thank you, Ben, for four years of enthusiasm, curiosity, and genuine care – you represent AES brilliantly.