Kohlberg Kravis Roberts has appointed Kaveh Samie as managing director and head of Middle East and North Africa.

Previously, Samie was a managing director and head of equities for HSBC Middle East & North Africa.

The appointment takes effect on 6 January 2011.

Samie will work closely with Ford M. Fraker, chairman of KKR Middle East and North Africa, to expand the firm's presence in the region.

“Kaveh has spent 25 years developing global and local equity platforms and building a strong network of relationships in the Middle East and North Africa. His close ties to investors, as well as his expertise in a multitude of financial products, will be very valuable as we grow KKR’s product offerings and evaluate investment opportunities in the region,” says Henry R. Kravis, co-founder, co-chairman and co-chief executive officer of KKR.

Prior to joining HSBC in 2009, Samie spent 16 years at Citigroup, most recently as regional head of equities for Middle East & North Africa, covering sovereign wealth funds, government entities, and family offices.

Previously, he worked for Oppenheimer, Prudential Securities, and Bank Julius Baer.