Saar Ben-Attar

Helping leadership teams drive strategic collaborations for outsized impact | Ecosystems and Partnerships | Published Author

Johannesburg Metropolitan Area

About

Saar is the founder of Ascent Growth Partners, a specialist advisory and consulting firm with offices in Singapore and South Africa. For the past 20 years, Saar has been working with clients to realise their growth aspirations, in a rapidly changing environment, spanning North America, Europe, SE Asia, the Middle East and Africa, with particular focus on the Resources & Energy, Telecoms and Financial Services sectors. Saar works with his clients to frame their strategic challenges, examine leadership mindset and develop the practical skills needed to transform their organisations into more adaptive and future-ready businesses. He is a certified strategy practitioner, by the Association of Strategic Planning in the US and has attained his executive coaching qualification from Inner Life Skills International in 2010. ILS holds the highest level of international accreditation (ACTP) from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), for its coach training qualification program.

Experience

  • Ascent Growth Partners Pte. Limited (9 yrs 11 mos)
    • Managing Partner (South Africa)
      Aug 2016 - Present · 9 yrs 11 mos

    • Director
      Aug 2019 - Present · 6 yrs 11 mos

  • Collaborative Innovation: Programme Director at École des Ponts Business School
    Jan 2026 - Present · 6 mos

    Joining faculty, innovation leaders, and ecosystem builders, in this Certificate Programme in Collaborative Innovation, developed with the École des Ponts Business School, for experienced leaders who are ready to move beyond innovation frameworks and buzzwords, and to learn how to make innovation work, from insight to impact. Join us for our China Immersion Week, 01-05 June 2026. For more on our global community of leaders building the only kind of innovation that works today — adaptive, collaborative, and grounded in real impact - https://pontsbschool.com/collaborative-innovation/

  • Expert for ISO TC 279 - Innovation Management at ISO - International Organization for Standardization
    Apr 2025 - Present · 1 yr 3 mos

    Developing a transformative standard for Innovation Ecosystem Management.

  • Expert panel member at Center for the Future of Organization, Drucker School of Management
    Jan 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 6 mos

  • Associate Director at MAC Consulting
    Jan 2009 - Jul 2016 · 7 yrs 7 mos