United Arab Emirates
I started my career in mid 80s at an industrial bank in India. Six years later, I moved to advisory space and led assignments related to equity floatation, private placement of equity/debt products, project finance, and M&A. In 1999, I relocated to Abu Dhabi to join ADIC (now Invest AD) where I evaluated several private investments amongst which some were invested upon. In 2003, I joined the PE business of HSBC in Dubai and handled multiple transactions. I also served on the Investment Committee (IC) and acted as a board member of the Fund’s management company and of a few investee companies. When I left HSBC, its first GCC fund was fully invested and a few exits were achieved, while its second fund was also partially invested. The first fund achieved ~ 25% in IRR. In 2008, I joined BNP Paribas in Bahrain as a Founding Partner of their GCC’s PE business and succeeded in closing the fund at c. $ 75mn (“the Fund”) in Nov 2009 and thereafter invested in a few transactions. In 2011, BNPP decided to close down this business, which was further enabled by the geopolitical situation, particularly Bahrain’s at the time. As a result, I left BNPP in 2012 on the understanding that I will continue to oversee the Fund’s activities. Accordingly, as a board and executive member of the investee companies, I managed the Fund's portfolio up until the final exit in 2016. Despite all limitations, the Fund still delivered a net IRR of ~10%. In 2012, I joined Ghobash Group, a Dubai based conglomerate with full disclosure of my continued role at BNPP. As Group Investment Director, I served on the IC, while also overseeing all its investment activities. During my 12 years of CIO role, the active investment portfolio evolved to a multi-asset global business with significant growth in AUM. The Group now invests in almost a dozen asset classes covering both listed and private investments based on a well-designed framework of investment policies & rules. In parallel, I also led a few M&A transactions. Further, at Ghobash Group, I also held memberships of the HR, Audit and the Strategy & Business Development (SBD) Committees and acted as director on the Boards of few JVs including United Fidelity Insurance (UFIC), an ADX listed entity. After leading investment business for 12 years, I requested for relief from a full-time role. As a result, a successor was appointed in March 2025. Accordingly, as Advisor, I am now acting in a lighter role, while I continue to sit on the Group's SBD Committee and on the Board of UFIC where I also act as member of the IC and chair its AC.
Since April 2025, I am acting as Advisor and continue to sit on the Group's Strategy & Business Development Committee. In addition, I sit on the Board of United Fidelity Insurance Company (UFIC) as nominee director. In UFIC, I also sit on its Investment Committee and chair its Audit Committee.
Ghobash is a well capitalized multi-disciplinary business group, headquartered in Dubai. The Group has interests in businesses like Healthcare, Chemicals, IT, Office Automation, Oil & Gas, Education, Real Estate and Capital Market. My line responsibilities included providing oversight to the Group's investment activities through leading two separate teams. One team was handling public equities, while the other direct and alternative investments. I also performed corporate governance role in relation to the Group's businesses which included annual budgeting, performance review, and support on matters like cost rationalization, strategic studies/exercises, new businesses, etc. The sum nature of this role was both collaborative and evaluative. During my tenure as Group Investment Director, I was part of various key committees of the Group and also represented on the Boards and Board Committees of three of the Group's joint ventures and one of the listed companies.
I represented BNP Paribas MENA Private Equity Fund on the Boards and Board Committees of its portfolio companies. As a nominee director, I enjoyed full authority from the Fund in relation to its portfolio companies and accordingly monitored their activities and acted as decision maker on all key strategic, administrative, operational and financial matters. With the exit of last investment in August 2016, my role in the context of portfolio companies of the Fund was successfully concluded.
Spearheaded BNP Paribas' private equity business for the GCC as Partner for more than four years. Held board memberships of the Fund Management Company and the Fund Company since their establishment in 2008. Also acted as a member of the Investment Committee. BNP Paribas group in 2011 took a strategic decision to close down its private equity business globally and also in the region. A general lack of enthusiasm for private equity business in the banking sector on account of BASEL III also contributed to BNP Paribas' decision. Thus, in view of BNP Paribas' strategic decision, the investment activities of the Fund was discontinued in 2012, while the pre-existing investments were to be held to their maturities. In the capacity of one of the founding partners of the business, I was entrusted with the responsibility to oversee all the matters of the Fund until its liquidation. After the exit of last investment in August 2016 and distribution of divestment proceeds and performance fees, the Fund Company is now under liquidation, while the Fund Management Company is still continuing and I am still sitting on its board.
Worked as Investment Director. Handled all the aspects of business i.e. origination, execution, portfolio management and exit. Was directly associated with more than half a dozen successfully executed classical private equity transactions in the GCC. Held board memberships of the Fund Management Company and also some of the portfolio companies. Also held membership of the Investment Committee.