Eric Bazil
Principal Founder
Eric’s career can be defined by the trust and partnerships he has developed working exclusively with ultra-high-net-worth private investors and prominent families for more than 30 years.
Educated in the U.K. and the U.S., Eric graduated with an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University in 1988 with an emphasis on business and finance, and he has since focused his professional experience entirely in the field of investments.
Prior to establishing Phoenix International in 2013, Eric was a Managing Director at Citibank Private Banking NY, where he assisted investors from the Middle East with their offshore investment and banking activities. He also worked as a Senior Financial Consultant at Merrill Lynch with a focus on domestic investments and asset management for private and corporate investors.
Eric is of Armenian origin, and holds dual citizenship in the United States and the United Kingdom. He has lived in the U.S. since 1986, and currently resides in New Hampshire with his wife of 34 years. He has a daughter living on the East Coast and a son living on the West Coast.
Chris Manion
Financial Analyst
Chris joined Phoenix International in 2016 as a Financial Analyst with a focus on strategy and due diligence. He assists in many facets of business operations, including fundraising, business development, client support and compliance. Other responsibilities include overseeing the administration, accounting, and reporting functions at Phoenix.
Prior to joining Phoenix International, Chris held a variety of positions, most recently as a Client Service Manager at State Street Bank & Trust Company. He graduated from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College with a B.S. in Finance, and holds FINRA Series 7, 63 and 65 licenses.
Danielle Ouellette
Paralegal
Danielle joined Phoenix International in 2021 with more than 30 years of paralegal experience. She plays an integral administrative support role at the firm, and is skilled in document preparation, legal writing and advanced discovery techniques.
Danielle received her Bachelor of Science degree in Paralegal Studies, magna cum laude in 1991 from Rivier University in Nashua NH. She has had affiliations with the Paralegal Association of New Hampshire and the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, and is a Notary Public and Justice of the Peace.
Muwaffak Bibi, Independent Advisor
Advisory Committee Chairman
Muwaffak is a career international banker, based in Geneva. His extensive experience was gained mostly at Citibank, across a multiple of banking and finance disciplines, including Corporate / Investment / Consumer / Private Banking and Wealth Management. He successfully completed numerous executive assignments in the Middle East, USA and Europe.
Muwaffak currently is an independent consultant, advising on financial affairs, including portfolio composition and investment themes. He is chairman of the advisory board of Phoenix International, a US based company, focused on niche opportunities in Private Equity and Real Estate transactions. Additionally, he serves as a member of the board on some of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) international branches, particularly the Geneva branch where he plays a client interfacing role.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +4179 699 9367 (Mobile)
Prior Experiences:
Beginning of 2018 Muwaffak joined FAB, as Regional CEO for Europe/Americas/MEA, out of FAB offices in Geneva. In this role Muwaffak carried the P&L responsibilities for the various countries, formulated the respective strategies for each branch, including talent attraction, and sustainable profitability. He successfully completed his executive role at FAB in February 2021.
Muwaffak was at Credit Suisse for the three years ending in 2017, where he performed the roles of UHNW (Ultra High Net Worth) Head for the Middle East. He worked closely with senior private bankers and product providers to enhance the CS franchise in the Middle East.
Muwaffak‘s core banking expertise was gained at Citibank, where he spent 35 years in various geographies and positions. Since 1999 Muwaffak has been based in Geneva, responsible for managing and developing the Citi Private Bank’s franchise in the MENA region in the capacity of CEO and Chairman.
He actively built one of the strongest private banking Middle East franchises within the industry. He was successful in attracting and retaining top talents, introducing team strategies to support key client relationships, and spearheading the offering of timely investment products to the client base (particularly Private Equity and Real Estate).
Muwaffak’ s abilities to steer a dynamic business through challenging environments were evidenced in two notable periods: the unfortunate September ’11 events, and the 2008/9 financial crises and its adverse impact on banks. Through his leadership, communication and interpersonal skills (and affinity to staff as well as the wider client base), the Citibank Private Bank business was steered to safer grounds and put back on a growth trajectory.
In recognition to his outstanding contribution to the business Muwaffak was awarded in 2009 the Chairman’s Council Outstanding Achievement Award, which is given every year to one person within the Citi Private Bank (among 4000+ employees worldwide), that sets a standard globally for being an extraordinary role model, who has contributed significantly to the Citi franchise.
Muwaffak’s career started at the 6 months corporate credit training in Citibank’s Athens training center. Thereafter he began his assignments in 1980 as a Corporate Banker in the Middle East with postings in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain.
In 1988, he moved to the US Consumer Bank with senior assignments in Citicorp Mortgage Inc. based in New Jersey and St. Louis, where he oversaw the credit origination and underwriting for the residential mortgage consumer business. During that assignment Muwaffak attained his Senior Credit Officer designation of Citigroup, endowed on a select few within the firm.
In 1993, he relocated to London where he was responsible for the internal ‘business risk review function’ for the Citibank Consumer Banks in Europe, with a special focus on risk–return criteria and proper deployment of each branch resources.
Starting in 1996, he joined the Citi Private Bank as Head of the EMEA (Europe, Middle East/Africa) business in New York, until he moved to Geneva in 1999. Muwaffak was a member of the board of Citi Islamic International Bank incorporated in Bahrain, which provided a wide range of Sharia compliant services in the Middle East region.
Muwaffak is involved in charity work, actively supporting two Swiss NGO’s, specifically directed towards educational efforts. He is an active member of the Worldwide Alumni Association of the American University of Beirut, and was the President of the Swiss Alumni Chapter, focused on fund raising for scholarships, through social events.
Muwaffak holds an MBA from McGill University in Montreal and a BA from the American University of Beirut. He is fluent in Arabic, with working knowledge of German and French. He is married with three children. Hobbies include cooking, sports, reading and travel.