Sonal Gupta

CFO | Board Director | Diversified and Family businesses | Investor

Kuwait City, Al Asimah, Kuwait

About

I am a people-focused, results-driven, senior executive with experience across geographies and functions. A natural connector, I believe in building trust and relationships to get things done. Most recently, as the Group CFO at ACICO, a Kuwaiti Industrial and Real Estate conglomerate , I am building on strong relationships to drive consolidation and shareholder value enhancement. At Alghanim Industries, a large complex privately owned conglomerate in the Gulf Region, I worked with the Family members and key stakeholders to support growth and change. I also consult Family business ventures.

Experience

  • Group Chief Financial Officer at ACICO Group
    Mar 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 5 mos

    ACICO Group is one of the largest producers of building materials in the GCC with production facilities in Kuwait, KSA, UAE and Qatar. The Group also owns, develops, and manages real estate properties across the Gulf region and UK. ACICO Industries is listed on Kuwait Stock Exchange

  • Board Member : Harvard Club of Kuwait at Harvard Business School
    Jul 2021 - Dec 2023 · 2 yrs 6 mos

  • Group Chief Financial Officer at ALHASAWI GROUP
    Sep 2020 - Feb 2022 · 1 yr 6 mos

    Hasawi Group is a privately held Kuwaiti conglomerate with a diversified portfolio of manufacturing, service and retail businesses. I was instrumental in achieving double-digit topline growth and ~2x growth in profitability during a global pandemic. I also headed the Hasawi Family Office. Team size 20

  • Head of Family Office at Omar Alghanim
    Dec 2019 - Dec 2020 · 1 yr 1 mo

  • Alghanim Industries (Full-time · 7 yrs 9 mos)
    • Vice President – Alghanim Family Office
      Feb 2018 - Nov 2019 · 1 yr 10 mos

      Alghanim Industries is a privately-owned multi-billion conglomerate with operations in 25 industries in 40 countries. Employs close to 15,000 people. Managed assets of ~$2bn in 50+ portfolio companies and worked with Alghanim Family members and the Group CFO to oversee leveraged buy-out and asset acquisitions of ~ $500mn. Team size 50.

    • Head -Enaya Insurance
      May 2017 - May 2019 · 2 yrs 1 mo

      Delivered on a strategy to capture market share, enabling Enaya to become a top ten Kuwaiti insurance Company (revenues ~ $50mn). Supported the digital transformation of the company and doubled profits in two years. Team size ~ 50.

    • Corporate Treasurer
      Mar 2015 - Apr 2018 · 3 yrs 2 mos

      Full responsibility for Group Treasury and Tax operations for over 50 legal entities in 7 countries with a loan book of ~$500mn. Team size 20. Secured incremental liquidity of ~ $150mn via structured financing, enabling key Group businesses to achieve negative working capital. Leveraged bank relationships to reduce borrowing costs ~30%. Strengthened risk management with zero fraud instances, multiple disaster recovery options and a strong focus on transacting digitally. Under my watch, AI won “Corporate Treasury Team of the Year” by Association of Corporate Treasurers and “Adam Smith Award” by Treasury Today for implementing digital banking through SWIFT Net.