Channel Islands-based Fairbairn Private Bank has bolstered its London team with the appointment of Mark Lambert to the newly-created role of senior business developer.

Lambert was latterly a business development director within the wealth management business of UBS; he previously worked as a financial planner and independent financial advisor with American Express and, more recently, in the investment platform and private banking worlds.

The bank said in a statement that the UK is a priority market where it sees tremendous growth potential.

Currie was himself only named head of UK private banking at the end of October. Currie joined from Coutts, having spent the past year on secondment as head of sales and business development in the US for Citizens Private Bank and Trust, an RBS subsidiary. Before this he was managing partner of Coutts & Co’s executive client group in the City of London.

In other developments, Fairbairn Private Bank is also opening an office in Dubai and has received a representative office licence from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates. London-based private banker Andrew Bates will relocate to the Isle of Man in the spring of next year to oversee the launch of the new operations in Dubai.