Stifel Financial Corp. is establishing its first office in Israel, which will offer investment banking and institutional services in the country, and appointed Alain Dobkin to serve as managing director and country head for Israel.

Dobkin is a veteran banker and helped establish Citigroup Inc.'s investment banking platform in Israel as one of its original members. He later left to join Israel-based Spring Hill Partners as a managing partner.

Stifel Financial's global head of investment banking, Brad Raymond, said Israel is a highly strategic market for the company.