Interview With Alexandre Pieyre, Chief Information Officer, Global Technology Operations At IQ-EQ

Alexandre Pieyre is the Global Chief Information Officer for Technology Operations at IQ-EQ, based in Dubai. He leads the global strategy and execution of AI, technology infrastructure, cybersecurity and digital enablement across 24 jurisdictions. Alexandre drives technology transformation aligned to business growth, focusing on operational resilience, cloud modernisation, automation, and service excellence.

He founded IQ-EQ’s security function, architected its ISO 27001 and ISO 20000 certifications and recently led the programme that achieved ISO 42001, the global standard for responsible AI management – positioning IQ-EQ among the first in its sector to adopt trustworthy AI at scale.

What Role Has Technology Played In Private Markets Over The Past Year?

Over the past year, technology has shifted from being an enabler at the margins of private markets to sitting right at the core of how they function, particularly in the Middle East. As the region rapidly accelerates its digitisation efforts, driven by ambitious national visions, technology is improving processes that were traditionally slower and operationally heavy. Take areas such as onboarding, deal execution and settlement as examples.

Tokenisation, AI-driven risk checks and digital identity frameworks have significantly reduced friction, meaning what once took months, particularly in private equity, real estate or infrastructure, can now be executed in a matter of hours. That shift has fundamentally changed how investors think about opportunity, timing and access.

What Changes Are You Seeing In How Private Market Participants, Including Family Offices, Operate And Make Decisions?

Family offices and UHNW investors are operating with far more agility than before. There’s a clear intergenerational dynamic at play here, particularly in the Gulf, where next-gen, tech-native heirs are stepping into leadership roles.

Their interests increasingly lie in digital assets, tokenisation and private market opportunities that offer much higher velocity than the more traditional approaches favoured by their predecessors.

That’s not to say new family office leads are abandoning the long-standing commitment to preservation and legacy, but they now expect highly personalised, data-rich visibility across portfolios, tailored to their specific structures, risk preferences and time horizons, alongside the ability to act quickly.

Decision-making is being increasingly driven by real-time, contextual insights rather than long reporting cycles, with capital being allocated through more flexible, digital channels.

With that said, the two defining shifts I’m seeing are velocity and hyper-personalisation. Both are increasingly enabled by technology that allows faster execution and better anticipation of individual client needs through tools such as predictive analytics.

How Are Digital Tools And AI Influencing The Pace And Structure Of Private Market Activity?

AI enables far more contextual and predictive insight, allowing investors to anticipate risk, opportunity and portfolio needs rather than reacting after the fact. When you layer that with tokenisation and automated verification, private markets become more modular and accessible. This changes not just how quickly transactions can be executed, but how portfolios are constructed, managed and rebalanced over time.

Structures that were once operationally heavy are becoming increasingly standardised, transparent and scalable, without losing the bespoke nature and trust that clients, particularly in the Middle East, have always valued.

Strong governance frameworks are increasingly important in reinforcing that trust and certifications such as ISO 42001, which IQ-EQ is proud to be one of the first holders of in our sector, help ensure AI-powered solutions are responsibly managed, transparent and aligned with global standards.

What Challenges Are Emerging As Private Markets Become More Technology-Driven?

Alongside the technological acceleration across private markets that we’ve discussed, 2026 will also be the year where cybersecurity becomes absolutely central for the region. The Gulf is moving rapidly toward large-scale digital investment frameworks and the challenge is that, with this shift, comes the need to protect digital identities, safeguard capital flows and ensure the integrity of highly automated processes.

Trust is a central part of the value proposition in the Middle East and investors here will want clear proof that the systems enabling this new agility are secure at every layer.

That means innovation and protection will have to advance hand in hand and the industry needs to move quickly to ensure that progress is matched with robust security frameworks, governance and resilience.

Looking To The Year Ahead, Which Technology Trends Are You Watching Most Closely In Private Markets?

Looking ahead, tokenisation is the technology trend I’m watching most closely in private markets, particularly as it moves from experimentation to becoming a foundational layer of private market infrastructure in the Gulf.

For a region where family offices and UHNW investors are heavily involved in asset classes like private equity, real estate and infrastructure, tokenisation has the potential to fundamentally change how capital is deployed here. By reducing operational friction, shortening settlement cycles and improving transparency, it allows investors to access and rebalance private market exposures with far greater velocity and flexibility.

When combined with more automated risk assessment and sovereign backed digital identity systems in the Gulf, tokenisation will give investors unprecedented speed, clarity and access, not only to regional deals but to global opportunities as well.