Our People

Mohammed Al Hassan is a co-Founder, co-Chief Executive Officer and Board Member at Gulf Islamic Investments (GII), with responsibility for the company’s leadership and strategy. Since its establishment in 2014, GII’s assets under management have grown to over $3.0 billion. Mohammed has originated unique investment opportunities for GII investors in real estate, technology and other private equity classes across the GCC, Europe and the US.

Mohammed has over 15 years of experience in Islamic investment banking across the GCC, spanning private equity, venture capital, infrastructure and real estate. He sits on the Boards of several regional companies, and chairs the Board of Directors at Al Meswak, Saudi Arabia’s largest chain of dental and dermatology clinics, in which GII is the majority shareholder.

Mohammed is an extremely well-networked individual with close ties to SWFs, banks & financial institutions, family offices and UHNWIs across the GCC. His domain strengths include general and investment management, M&A, deal sourcing, structuring and capital raising.

Before co-founding GII, Mohammed held the positions of Director of Investments at EJ Capital and Executive Director – Investment Placement (KSA & Kuwait) at GFH. In both roles, he was instrumental in raising hundred millions of dollars for investment opportunities, and driving the companies’ regional growth.

Mohammed holds a Business Administration degree (specialising in marketing) from NYIT, Bahrain.

Having consistently played crucial roles in regional asset building and investment growth, Pankaj’s main role encompasses leadership, strategy, business & people. His unique grasp of industry nuances and innovative eye for detail have been pivotal in the company’s increasing success.

Detailing the journey that led Pankaj to co-found GII is to reveal a master-class in investment management. At the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) he championed the understanding of investment world specially for the UHNWI of the region, significantly enhancing the portfolios of the investors. In 2004 he was instrumental in starting the Union National Financial Consultancy that would act as an advisory to the Abu Dhabi Royal Family for their asset management needs. This also led to the creation of Allied Investment Partners in 2007, a UAE-based investment banking company that would not only manage the assets of the Royal Family, but also act as an exclusive advisor to a number of prominent institutions in the region. Whilst at AIP and UNFC, Pankaj was responsible for the management of an investment portfolio that topped US$2.5 billion as well as a number of advisory mandates that exceeded US$5 billion in successful debt and equity syndication.

A firm believer in the power of encouraging new ideas and supporting education business ventures, Pankaj has been involved in numerous projects and company start-ups in both Advisory and Board Member capacities.

Shareholder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gulf Islamic Investments LLC (GII), UAE with overall 25 years’ experience. He is member of the National Consulting Council, Abu Dhabi and Assistant-Undersecretary in the Financial Department of Abu Dhabi, General Director of the Private Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (son of the President of UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi), Vice President of Youth Hostel Society, Board Member of The Emirates Insurance Company, Board Member of the National Investor Company, Board Member of Alwifaq Finance Company, Board Member of TTA Company – Bangkok – Thailand and General Manager of Al Ain Equestrian and Shooting & Golf club.

He also held previous positions - Assistant of the Legal adviser – ADIA (Abu Dhabi Investment Authority), Under Secretary of General Affairs Department - The Crown Prince Palace, General Secretary of Municipality Council in Al Ain, Vice President of the National Tourism and Hotels company, Board Member of Union National Bank, Board Member of the commercial Buildings financing committee, Board Member of the Private Housing loan Authority for Nationals and Board Member of Khalifa Bin Zayed Award for Teacher.

Ali Abdulla has well over 30 years’ experience in engineering, investments and company building. A consummate professional and committed businessman, he currently has four key roles. He is the Chairman and Executive Director of Tayseer Trading Company, the largest import and sales outlet of sanitaryware and tiles in Kuwait and the Managing Director of Ali & Nasser Abdulla Alkhawari General Trading and Contracting Company, a family-owned conglomerate that he has helped grow since 1995 to an estimate value of over $18 million.

In addition to being a valued board member at GII, Ali Abdulla is also a Board Member of Takhzeen Warehousing and Storage Company, the first self-storage facility of its kind in Bahrain and the Middle East. Prior to 1991, Ali Abdulla worked as a Planning Engineer at Kuwait Airways.

Ali Abdulla holds a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from the University of North Carolina, USA.

Fawaz is the Acting Vice President for Finance and Investment and also Member of Board of Directors of the following Companies:

• Intelli Group of Companies
• Saudi Indsur Steel Company
• Saudi Labour Services Company (ESAD)
• TASECO & TASECO TMS Transportation Co.
• Gulf Islamic investment
• United Food Industries corp. Ltd
• Tamimi Representative in the Chamber of Commerce.

Since 2010 Fawaz started the developement of Commercial and Industrial Affairs sector in the group planning for Investments and Resources Development for Business Coordination between the Group and Allied Companies. Fawaz established the Business Development Division and General Services Division and Supervised Tamimi Group of Companies' Strategy and preparation of Execution Plans.

Fawaz also has a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from California State University in Los Angles, USA.

Currently the Chief Executive Officer for Energy City Qatar, Hesham has a vast wealth of experience in the field of energy and has previously been a Senior Researcher and Industrial Investment expert. He has held a number of key positions in the energy and investment industry, making his role in different companies an imperative asset. Prior to joining Energy City Qatar, Hesham established an Industrial Assessment Programme in the GCC in order to help improve, and make a difference, in the energy sector.

His past roles have seen him utilise his skills in the USA and Middle East.

Hesham has a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University, USA and is a Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Responsible for the company’s leadership & strategy, Mohammed’s main focus is on business development and clients. He has enabled investors to access lucrative alternative investment products such as marquee real estate, technology and private equity all across the GCC, Europe and the US.

Prior to co-founding GII, Mohammed held the Board position with EJ Capital and leading various teams (Director – Investment Placement, KSA & Kuwait) in Gulf Finance House. In both roles he was instrumental in raising several billions of dollars’ worth of capital for investment opportunities and driving their regional growth. Mohammed’s own experience in Islamic investment banking within the GCC, and beyond, has cemented his position as a trusted advisor and fuelled his continually expanding network of SWFs, banks, financial institutions, corporates, family offices, high-powered executives and UHNWIs.

Like a true entrepreneur Mohammed has an unstoppable spirit of achieving new heights and he continues to share his insights and wisdom in an effort to propel businesses forward by occupying seats on various boards in the fields of F&B, hospitality, real estate and technology.

Having consistently played crucial roles in regional asset building and investment growth, Pankaj’s main role encompasses leadership, strategy, business & people. His unique grasp of industry nuances and innovative eye for detail have been pivotal in the company’s increasing success.

Detailing the journey that led Pankaj to co-found GII is to reveal a master-class in investment management. At the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) he championed the understanding of investment world specially for the UHNWI of the region, significantly enhancing the portfolios of the investors. In 2004 he was instrumental in starting the Union National Financial Consultancy that would act as an advisory to the Abu Dhabi Royal Family for their asset management needs. This also led to the creation of Allied Investment Partners in 2007, a UAE-based investment banking company that would not only manage the assets of the Royal Family, but also act as an exclusive advisor to a number of prominent institutions in the region. Whilst at AIP and UNFC, Pankaj was responsible for the management of an investment portfolio that topped US$2.5 billion as well as a number of advisory mandates that exceeded US$5 billion in successful debt and equity syndication.

A firm believer in the power of encouraging new ideas and supporting education business ventures, Pankaj has been involved in numerous projects and company start-ups in both Advisory and Board Member capacities.

Dr Tayeb A Kamali is the Director General for Education Training Development at the UAE Ministry of Interior. He is also the former founding Chairman of Emirates Driving Company and former Vice Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) – the United Arab Emirates’ largest higher education institution with 17 campuses throughout the UAE catering for 20,000 male and female students.

For three decades Dr Kamali has spearheaded education, training, research and applied technology programmes in the UAE and Middle East regions. This has been achieved by establishing and leveraging relationships with global leaders in academia, business and government. He has helped create a ground-breaking, world class eLearning institution at HCT through the strategic implementation of technology in education with initiatives such as integrated wireless campus infrastructures, online and paperless learning and knowledge management programmes.

Dr Kamali established numerous international conferences, focused on leadership, education, innovation and entrepreneurship, including Education without Borders, Festival of Thinkers and the HCT Global Entrepreneurship 2010.

Dr Kamali founded the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT) in 1996, the commercial, research and training arm of HCT. Under his leadership CERT became an institutional member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Growth Companies.

Dr. Kamali was a Fellow at the Pembroke College in UK; a founding Board Member of the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP); a member of the World Economic Forum’s Regional Agenda Council on the Middle East & North Africa; a 2012 Rolex Awards for Young Laureates Jury member and a member of the Cleveland Clinic International Advisory Board. He was a moderator at the Arab Business Leaders’ Forum and the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in 2012. In February 2013 he was a guest speaker at the UNESCO International Symposium on Mobile Learning in Paris. He also spoke at the Going Global 2013 Education Conference and participated in the New York University’s Global Colloquium of University Presidents. In September 2013 he was a panelist at the Annual Summit of The Stern Stewart Institute in Germany.

Dr Kamali is a board member of a number of institutions including the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government, the Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi School of Management, Gulf Medical University, The Boston Initiative, Outward Bound UAE and the Emirates Cricket Board. He also chairs the Academic Committee for the MBR School of Government. He is a Non-Executive Board Member at the Gulf Islamic Investments, U.A.E.

Dr Kamali holds a Doctorate in Engineering from George Washington University, USA and an honorary Doctorate in Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Canada. He also holds a number of qualifications from the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, USA, including an MBA (concentration in Aviation), a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Aircraft Engineering.

He has received many education and leadership awards throughout his career including France’s highest award for education, the Ordres des Palmes Académiques in 2006 and the Human Resource Leadership Award from the World Human Resource Development Congress in 2006 and 2009.

Executive Chairman at Berkeley Research Group and Tusher Professor of Global Business at the Institute for Business Innovation, Haas School, University of California, Berkeley

David J. Teece is a Professor at the Institute for Business Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. He is also the faculty director of the school’s Tusher Initiative for the Management of Intellectual Capital. He has authored over 30 books and 200 scholarly papers, and he is co-editor of the Palgrave Encyclopedia of Strategic Management, and Industrial and Corporate Change, an Oxford University Press Journal. Dr. Teece has received eight honorary doctorates and has been recognized by Royal Honors.

In 2020, Teece was rated #1 worldwide in management by London-based Clarivate and was given “Clarivate Laureate” status in economics (for innovation, entrepreneurship, and competition) in 2021 based on the citations he has received in the scientific literature. In the same year he was saluted as a ‘Distinguished Management Thinker’ by Thinkers50. Google Scholar indicates that he has been cited over 180,000 times.

Teece is identified as the originator (with two of his grad students) of the dynamic capabilities perspective in strategic management. He is also known for the “Teece model,” a framework he developed to assist companies with their technology commercialization strategies and business models. He has a companion framework on Dynamic Competition which is advanced as a better way to shape competition (antitrust) policy around issues of market power and M&A activity.

Dr. Teece in 2010 co-founded Berkeley Research Group, a research and expert services firm with top talent in domains ranging from intellectual property to competition policy to health care analysis and transaction advisory. In 2020 he co-founded Pilatus Capital, a venture capital firm with a technology focus.

Dr. Teece has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and has held teaching and research positions at Stanford University and Oxford University.

Mohammed Assad Ameen M. Said is a Saudi Arabian National and is the Chairman of Assad Said For Contracting Ltd, Saudi Arabia which he established in the year 1977. The company gradually secured its place as a major contractor for complete civil & architectural works of various civil buildings, power plants, substations, desalination plants, strategic fences, TV radio & transmitter stations and overhead transmission lines with major main contractors.

He also has various sister concerns like A; Al Alamiah Technical Corp (complete facility for electromechanical works), International Co-operation Co (for pored files and dewatering systems) and Anwar Energy. He is a Board member of Gulf Islamic Investments LLC, UAE. He is a seasoned businessman with several international investments across various business verticals including Food and Beverage, IT and Telecom.

Group Chief Financial Officer Siddharth has over 18 years of rich experience in Investments, Investment Management and Financial Management, with particular expertise in start-ups, JV’s, raising debt and capital. Prior to GII, Siddharth held the CFO position at Dubai Investments Industries LLC, Geltec Pharma Care and Bion Group.

Siddharth has a very diversified experience across Financial Services, Logistics, F&B, FMCG, Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing, Education and Healthcare. He also led the Contract Manufacturing Business of Geltec, as Deputy General Manager and is a Chartered Accountant by profession.

Amit has over 20-years’ experience with global private equity, real estate and technology investments. During his career he has completed 18 transactions with a total investment of $1b+ across asset values of over $7 billion. His hands on experience in portfolio management, debt restructring and leading turn around is excellent and he has been instrumental in delivering several exits with successful outcomes.

Currently the Chief Investment Officer, Amit has previously worked in Silicon Valley, leading SWF in GCC, family office in UAE and KKR owned ‘buy and build’ investment platform. He has an engineering degree from IIT Kanpur and an MBA from INSEAD.

With over 18 years of experience in the finance function, Husain has a successful track record in strategy, corporate governance, risks, controls, fund raising, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, consolidation, tax, audit, and accountancy. His professional qualification includes Bachelor of Commerce from Mumbai University, he is an Associate Chartered Accountant from Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and holds Wealth Management, Investments and Securities certification from the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments.

As CFO at Gulf Islamic Investments, he is responsible for driving Group’s Strategy, Finance, Audits (including the audits of various investment structure entities), Internal controls, Treasury, Taxation (local and international) function. He is also instrumental in implementing group-wide best practices in the areas of Corporate Governance, Shareholders management, internal controls, etc. He is also leading the digital transformation process for GII.

Prior to joining GII in April 2020, he worked as Group Chief Financial Officer at Dubai Investments PJSC ‘s private equity arm, where he worked on a variety of strategic matters in areas spanning new Investments, expansions, divestments in addition to the core finance and control function. In his role he raised long-term and working capital/project financing of USD 500 mn+ from number of local and international financial institutions.

Shreen Rattan Gupta has over 22 years of experience in Construction and Development. He has led and delivered developments across various sectors including Hospitality, Residential, Masterplans, Resorts, Commercial and Retail, all from feasibility to delivery. He has a broad experience of working across the world and understands regulation and market behaviour.

Previously Shreen has led the team on two major project, Aykon Tower (currently Damac Tower) and 2 Lucan Place, ensuring successful delivery and enhanced results. Before joining GII he worked with Sobha Realty and at Damac Properties as Head of Development. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Rohit Bajpai is an experienced Internal Audit, Risk Management, Information Security & Corporate Governance professional. Academically and professionally, he is a B.Com, Certified Public Accountant (U.S.A), MBA (Canada), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) & Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). He joined GII in January 2022 with several years of experience in building and leading Internal Audit, Risk Management and Corporate Governance functions of leading banks, finance companies, international accounting firms, & conglomerate. Furthermore, he was a strategic advisor to several Senior Managements, CEOs and Board Audit Committees on Regulatory Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering & Information Security (IS) matters.

His work experience spans across India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain & Qatar in reputed organizations such as Al Rajhi Bank, Al Salaam Bank, Grant Thornton, Muscat Finance S.A.O.G., Saudi Home Loans, etc. He was one of the 6 Member Financial Institutions’ Internal Auditors’ Forum & task force formed by Central Bank of Oman to recommend improvements in regulations.

Currently, he is leading GII’s Internal Audit Function, development and documentation of policies and procedures, information security & oversight of group entities’ IA functions. He is also strategic advisor to the group entities for Internal Audit, IT & IS and Policies and Procedures.

Steve Harrison was a British diplomat for 22 years (including two Head of Mission roles), promoting international trade and investment.

In his last positions with leading PR and Communications agencies based in the UAE (2021-23), Steve led a team embedded within the Central Bank of the UAE in Abu Dhabi to advise on public, corporate and crisis communications, then advised the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) on the communications strategy for its Saudi-Egyptian Investment Company (SEIC).

Steve has lived in the GCC since 2005. On leaving the British Diplomatic Service in 2008, he headed the Financial Services team at the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), moving subsequently to advise the EDB CEO and to the Bahraini Crown Prince’s Court in 2013 in a politico-economic advisory role.

After his initial degree was in Geography with International Relations from the University of Kent at Canterbury, Steve subsequently gained university-level language qualifications in Arabic and Russian (from the International Languages Institute in Cairo and Moscow State Linguistic University respectively), and a post-graduate qualification in Business Administration from the Open University Business School.

Imran Ladhani, Head of Operations & Investor Relations at GII since 2020, is a distinguished finance and investment professional, whose career over two decades includes leading institutions such as Deloitte, The National Investor, Abu Dhabi Financial Group and Shuaa Capital.

Imran was instrumental in launching the first UCITS-compliant fund in the MENA region, showcasing his expertise in navigating complex regulatory environments and his forward-thinking approach to fund management. Imran’s operational and analytical skills resulted in successful settlement of over 10,000 trades and reviewing over 5,000 Net Asset Values across diverse funds. Imran's hands-on experience with fund launches, transaction structuring and multiple jurisdiction migrations underline his comprehensive understanding of global investments.

Imran is a proven leader, committed to mentoring teams and fostering a culture of innovation and excellence. With an MBA and prestigious ACPA and CAMS certifications, his continuous pursuit of professional development reflects his dedication to the financial industry’s best practices.

Sumanth Seshadri is the Head of Compliance at GII and is responsible for Regulatory and overall Compliance including Anti Money Laundering. He has over 20 years of experience in the varied fields of Management Consulting, Financial Analysis & Reporting, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity / Venture Capital deals, Valuation, Investor Relations, Anti Money Laundering and Compliance.

Prior to GII, Sumanth worked as Assistant Consultant at A.F. Ferguson & Company, India and as Financial Analyst / Senior Financial Analyst / Assistant Finance Manager at Agility Logistics, Kuwait (listed company in Kuwait Stock Exchange & DFM). He was also a Finance Manager Investments at Dhabi Group, Abu Dhabi, UAE (Private Investment Arm of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, member of Ruling Royal family of Abu Dhabi and UAE Cabinet Minister of Tolerance) and CFO of MIF Group, Dubai UAE (Food & Beverage industry).

Sumanth holds a B.Com degree from Madras University, India, an MBA from Cardiff University, UK and MSc Finance from Lancaster University, UK. He is a Chartered MCSI from the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments (CISI), UK and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), USA a Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) from the Association of Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS), USA and is accredited by the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), the Financial Regulator in Mainland UAE as Compliance Officer / AML Officer / Internal Controller.

Mohamed Sayyar is GII’s Head of UAE Market. He is responsible for overseeing the capital raising for all of the firm’s alternative investment products and services from both institutional and private clients in UAE and international markets.

Mohamed has been with GII since 2014. He has over 18 years of extensive Islamic finance and investment banking experience and a strong global and regional FI Network where he was involved in sourcing, structuring, and fundraising for projects over $1.5 billion, in various sectors including real estate, energy, industrial telecommunication and retail across a range of geographical regions.

Before joining GII, Mohamed was the CEO of Mega Holdings Group in Bahrain. Before that, he was an Executive Director at First Energy Bank in Bahrain. Before that, he was the Head of Investment Placement in MENA real estate Co. in Kuwait and an Investment placement Manager in Kuwait Finance House Bahrain, where he contributed to the establishment of Kuwait Finance House-Bahrain under different departments.

Mohamed holds a Bachelor’s degree in Bank Management and Finance from the University of Bahrain and he is a certified Private Equity Specialist, CPES, from the American Academy of Finance and Management.

Murad has over 20 years’ experience in investment, real estate, private equity and asset management. Prior to joining GII, Murad worked as the CEO of INOVEST, a public listed investment company regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain. He also worked for GFH Financial Group as a Real Estate Investment Director. He started his professional career in Accounting and Auditing with KPMG Bahrain and Qatar.

He currently serves as an executive and non-executive board member in various investment and development companies in the region. He holds a B.Sc in Accounting from the University of Bahrain and an MBA (honours) from New York Institute of Technology (NYiT)-USA.

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Mr. Mohammed AlMuawda has more than 14 years of experience in the Islamic investment and banking industry, current he is responsible for fund raising activities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Prior to joining GII, Mohammed was a senior manager in the placement department at Gulf Finance House covering both Bahrain and Saudi markets, where he was involved in raising capital for projects in excess of $2 billion in private equity, infrastructure and real estate.

Mohammed has a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from the American University of London.

Mr. Khalid Al-Mahmood joined Gulf Islamic Investments in October 2014. He is a highly experienced capital raiser, responsible for capital and fund raising and investors relations within UAE, Oman and South East Asia.

Prior to joining GII, Mr. Al-Mahmood was the Regional Director - Investment Development and Distribution at Barwa Bank in Qatar, where he was responsible for managing the firm's investment activities and relationships within the GCC and South East Asia.

Before joining Barwa Bank, Mr. Khalid Al-Mahmood was the Senior Director and Country Manager of UAE, Oman and Asia within the Investment Advisory group at Abu Dhabi Investment House, where he was involved in sourcing, advising, structuring, raising capital and executing transactions in private equity, real estate and merger & acquisition. Throughout his career, Mr. Al-Mahmood has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for various investment opportunities.

Mr. Al-Mahmood holds an MA in Marketing practice from university of Bradford and a BA (hons) in business administration from university of Bradford, United Kingdom. He is also a certified Series 7 Investment Banker.

Osama brings several decades of experience in Islamic finance. His expertise includes drafting and reviewing Shari'ah contracts, including Morabaha, Modarabaha, Ijarah and Istisna'a agreements, structuring and reviewing investment opportunities to ensure Shari'ah compliance, disseminating and promoting the understanding of the Shari'ah investment rules by the broader investor community via publications, public speeches and conference attendance.

Dr Osama is currently working as an independent Shari’ah advisor. Prior to that, he worked with several renowned financial institutions including First Energy Bank as Head of Shari’ah Compliance & Advisory, Al-Salam Bank as Head of Shari’ah compliance. He also worked for ABC Islamic Bank as a Shari'ah Compliance Officer, Shamil Bank of Bahrain as Manager, Shari'ah Department and Secretary of the Shari'ah Board. Dr Osama was also Librarian secretary of Ahmed Al-Fateh Islamic centre library and officer at Ministry of Justice and Islamic affairs.

Other roles and positions of Dr. Osama include Member of the Shari'ah supervisory Board of Global Banking Corporation, International Investment Bank, Shari'ah adviser for Sakana Holistic Housing Solutions, Bahrain Bourse, International Tharawat, Family Bank, Alizz Bank, Allianz Global Investors, Allianz Takaful (Bahrain); Shari'ah adviser for Reef (Real Estate Finance), Chairman of the Shari'ah Supervisory Board for CAPINNOVA Investment Bank.

Dr. Osama has a PhD. at Lahaye University in the Netherlands, a master’s degree from Al-Emam Al Awzae University in Beirut, a bachelor degree in Islamic Sharia'ah from Prince Abdul Qader University of Islamic Studies in Algeria and a High School degree from the Religion Institute.

Anni has over 30 years’ experience in Commercial Real Estate Lending having made her way into the real estate industry as a banker. She is extremely qualified in origination, execution and management of significant loan portfolios as well as leadership and leadership coaching. She has consistently demonstrated her ability to act as an agile coach for start-ups and companies undergoing a change process.

During the 1990’s she held various senior positions at Eurohypo in International Real Estate Lending. In 2007 she moved to DekaBank in Frankfurt, the Asset Manager of the German Savings Bank Group, to become the Global Head of Real Estate Lending. Since 2019 Anni has worked on her own, advising and consulting for Real Estate Investment Companies and PropTechs, as well as serving in non-executive roles.

Aitua Ekhaese is a Strategic Advisor to GII. Aitua is the on the Board of GRID UK (GII Real Estate Development Company). Aitua is the Managing Partner of North Hill Advisory Partners, a London based Corporate Finance Advisory firm. Aitua is a member of the Board of Trustees of Astia – A US based non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and promoting women led venture investment opportunities.

Prior to North Hill, Aitua was a Partner at Havenvest Private Equity Middle East Limited (“Havenvest”). Havenvest, which was formerly HSBC Private Equity Middle East Limited, is a private equity firm focused on growth capital and buyout opportunities in the MENA region. The firm managed gross assets of $1.2 billion.

Prior to Havenvest, Aitua was a Director at Aspen Advisory Services Ltd (“Aspen”); a London based private family investment office. At Aspen, Aitua had primary responsibility for all in alternative asset investments and direct responsibility for the firm’s investment companies in the UAE and India.

Before Aspen, Aitua was the Head of Investment Banking and Co-Head of Corporate Finance at Saudi International Bank, London. He was responsible for the bank’s private equity and corporate finance activity. From 1994 to 1997, Aitua was based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where he led the banks local Investment banking activity.

Aitua is a qualified Chartered Accountant and holds a BA in Economics from the University of Manchester in the UK.