Board & Management

Waha Capital’s Board of Directors is comprised of some of the most distinguished public and private sector business leaders.

ADX

Annual Report 2020

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Board Management

Waha Capital’s Board of Directors is comprised of some of the most distinguished public and private sector business leaders.

The Company has received nominations for the candidates for Board membership of the Company for 2021. The names and details of candidates can be accessed here.

Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi

Chairman

Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi is the Chairman of Waha Capital. He is also the Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer of Mubadala Investment Company, where he has strategic oversight of the company’s broad investment portfolio and special projects at the group level.

Al Muhairi is also a member of Mubadala’s Investment Committee, which is mandated to develop the company's investment policies, establish investment guidelines, and review proposed projects and investments to ensure they are in line with business objectives. He is also the Chairman of Mubadala's new investment and business planning committee, which approves deals within a certain financial threshold in addition to the responsibility of annual and multi-year business planning. Furthermore, Al Muhairi has oversight of Mubadala’s Real Estate & Infrastructure and Disruptive Investments platforms.

Moreover, Al Muhairi currently serves as Chairman of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD) and the Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE), the US-UAE Business Council, and Mubadala Health. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Cleveland Clinic in the United States and is a board member of Aldar, Abu Dhabi Global Market, Noon.com, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Hub71, Ellipses Pharma Limited, and Investcorp.

Al Muhairi was one of the principal architects behind the Abu Dhabi 2030 Economic Vision. Prior to joining Mubadala, he worked with the UAE Offsets Program Bureau as a Senior Project Manager. His previous roles include working with McKinsey & Company as a commercial and governmental consultant.

Al Muhairi holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Foreign Service in Economics and Finance from Georgetown University.
Ahmed Ali Khalfan AlMutawa Al Dhaheri

Vice Chairman

Mr. Al Dhaheri is the Chairman of Ali & Sons Holding L.L.C and Foodco Holdings PJSC. He is also a board member of Al Wathba National Insurance Co PJSC, Abu Dhabi Aviation PJSC and Al Ramz Corporation Investment & Development PJSC.

Mr. Al Dhaheri is a Certified Public Accountant from California, United States and holds a bachelor degree in Accounting from Seattle Pacific University Washington, USA. Mr Al. Dhaheri also holds a Diploma in Business Administration (specilising in accounting) from the Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi UAE.
Homaid Al Shimmari

Director

Mr. Homaid is the Deputy Group CEO and Chief Corporate & Human Capital Officer in Mubadala Investment Company. He has an oversight of Mubadala’s Business Services, Enterprise Technology Services, Government Affairs, Construction Management Service, Employee Career Growth, Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development, Performance Management and Emiratization.

Mr. Homaid is a member of the Investment Committee at Mubadala, which is mandated to develop the organization’s investment policies and guidelines, in addition to reviewing all proposed projects and investments to ensure they are in line with Mubadala’s business objectives. Furthermore, Homaid is also the Chairman the Management Committee at Mubadala, which is responsible for reviewing, considering and approving certain corporate, organizational, operational, and performance matters across the Group in accordance with the Delegation of Authority.

Prior to the merger of Mubadala Development Company and International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), Mr. Homaid was the CEO of the Aerospace and Engineering Services platform in Mubadala. His main focus was driving forward the strategic vision and plans for developing technologically advanced industries within Abu Dhabi and the UAE, in addition to ensuring Mubadala is well positioned to become a key global aerospace, ICT and Defence player.

He holds prominent roles with key Aerospace, Information Communications Technology companies and organizations. Homaid is the Chairman of Maximus Air Cargo and a board member of Abu Dhabi Aviation. Homaid is likewise a Member on the Board of Trustees of Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research.

Mr. Homaid is also committed to developing the talent and experience of UAE Nationals to allow them to become the next generation of skilled professionals and business leaders. As part of this commitment, Homaid plays an active role in supporting the UAE’s academic institutions. Prior to joining Mubadala, Mr. Homaid was a Lieutenant Colonel in the UAE Armed Forces, serving in the areas of military aviation, maintenance, procurement and logistics. Homaid holds a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University - USA, and holds a black belt in Six Sigma from General Electric, a highly disciplined leadership program.
Rashed Darwish Al Ketbi

Director

Mr. Al Ketbi is the current Chairman of the Board of the RDK Group. He is also vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Al Wathba National Insurance Company PJSC and Foodco Holding PJSC. He currently serves on the board of Darwish Bin Ahmed & Sons Co LLC.

Mr. Al Ketbi holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce degree from Indiana University and a Master of Business Administration from the University Of St. Louis University of Management, USA.
H.E. Nader Al Hammadi

Director

H.E. Nader Al Hammadi is an established member of the Abu Dhabi business community and joined the Waha Capital board in 2019.

He is the current Chairman of Abu Dhabi Aviation, and Emirates Reem Investment Company (ERC). He also holds board positions at several companies including Royal Jet, Abu Dhabi Airports and Emirates Driving Company.

He began his career in 1990 at Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT). He held several positions and was instrumental in establishing GAMAERO, a joint venture between Gamco and Aerospatiale, where he served as its Executive Director. He joined Presidential Flight in 1996 and held several key management positions and was appointed Managing Director and CEO in 2014.

He has 30 years of work experience which includes 15 years in managing public and private joint-stock companies covering several sectors, including real estate investment and aviation management as well as his experience in the hotel, construction, manufacturing and mining sector.

He graduated from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, USA in 1990 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Electronics (Avionics). He obtained a postgraduate degree in Engineering Business Management from Warwick University in London, UK in 2002 and participated in “The Advanced Management Programme” held at INSEAD in Fountainebleau, France in March 2007.
Rasheed Ali Rasheed Al Omaira

Director

Mr. Al Omaira holds board positions on the Al Wathba National Insurance Company and Abu Dhabi National Company for Building Materials (Bildco) and he was the Chairman of Vision Capital Brokerage Company. Mr. Al Omaira is also the Chief Executive Officer of Bildco, an Abu Dhabi Securities exchange listed company that has three subsidiaries (Bildco Reinforcing Steel Services Est., Bildco Aerated Concrete Products LLC and Bildco Cement Products LLC). Bildco Steel Industries provides and manufactures building products for residential and commercial construction projects.

Mr. Al Omaira has over 24 years of experience in leading businesses. Mr. Al Omaira has led his family business Omaira Group of Companies and manages the daily business and assets, ensuring its maintains profitability and revenue growth. Mr. Al Omaira was also the CEO of Vision Capital Brokerage Company between 2006 and 2010.
Mohamed Hussain Al Nowais

Director

Mr. Mohamed is the Managing Director of AMEA Power, a developer, owner and operator of renewable and thermal power projects in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. He is also the Executive Director at Al Nowais Investments Company.

Previously, Mr. Al Nowais worked as an Investment Associate at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), as well as an Investment Banking Analyst with JP Morgan in New York, USA. Following his graduation, he completed multiple internships with international financial institutions including HSBC in Abu Dhabi and Citi Bank in London, UK.

Al Nowais holds a Bachelor’s Degree with joint honours in Economics and Business Finance from the Brunel University in London, UK.

Waha Capital’s senior management team is comprised of talented professionals with significant regional and international experience and world-class expertise developed at leading global investment firms.

Ahmed Khalifa Al Mehairi

Chief Executive Officer

As Chief Executive Officer of Waha Capital, Mr. Al Mehairi drives the overall direction and strategy of the company, seeking to build on its diversified investment portfolio and generating greater returns for its stakeholders and shareholders.

Prior to his appointment at Waha Capital, Mr. Al Mehairi was a senior investment professional at the Global Special Situations Department of the Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC). Before joining ADIC in 2008, he worked in the field of equities investments at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).

He has extensive experience within a wide range of asset classes and sectors in the field of Asset Management and Investments. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors at the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a member of the Board of Directors at Abu Dhabi National Hotels Company PJSC. He previously served on the Boards of Al Dar Properties PJSC, Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), TAQA Morocco, Al Dhabi Investments, National Health Insurance Company (Daman), Massar Solutions, Foodco Holding, Aseel Finance and Sorouh Real Estate.

Mr. Al Mehairi holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from The John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. He has also completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Simon Reeves

Chief Financial Officer

Simon Reeves joined Waha Capital from J.P. Morgan in London, where as CFO, he had led the firm’s financial function and was instrumental in improving performance across a number of the company’s business divisions including private banking and investment management in Hong Kong, Japan and Brazil.

Simon brings close to 20 years of financial management experience and an extensive background in financial management, strategic planning and budget control. He is a Chartered Global Management Accountant and holds a Master of Science in Strategic Business Management from Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK.
Hashem Dabbas

Chief Investment Officer, Private Investments

Hashem Dabbas leads Waha Capital’s Private Investments business. He is responsible for a broad global investment mandate, that is executed through two portfolios – “Core” and “Global Opportunities”. The Core portfolio targets stable, cash-generative assets within the MENA region. The fully flexible Global Opportunities portfolio targets investments in the alternatives space with high risk-adjusted returns.

Prior to joining Waha Capital in 2021, Mr. Dabbas was Head of Special Situations - Energy & Industrials at the Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC). Previously, he was an investment banker with Morgan Stanley in New York.

Mr. Dabbas holds a BSc in Materials Science & Engineering with a Double Minor in Economics and Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Read more about Waha Capital’s Private Investments business here
Mohamed El Jamal

Chief Investment Officer, Public Markets

Mr. El Jamal joined Waha Capital in 2010 and since that time, he has been instrumental in setting-up and developing Waha Capital’s Public Markets business. He is the CIO and lead PM of the Waha CEEMEA Credit Fund SP and the Waha MENA Equity Fund SP, both of which have a long-term track record of outperformance and have consistently ranked in the top percentile of their respective peer groups.

Under Mr. El Jamal’s leadership, Waha Capital’s Public Markets business has opened up and attracted third party capital from a mix of international and regional investors. Mr. El Jamal has more than 15 years of professional experience investing across capital structures, including public credit, equities as well as private debt. Prior to joining Waha Capital, he worked for Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking in London focusing on equity and debt financing transactions across CEEMEA.

Mr. El Jamal holds a Master’s Degree in Financial Engineering, which he obtained with Honors, from ESSEC Business School in France.
Paul Myers

General Counsel & Company Secretary

Mr. Paul Myers is Waha Capital’s General Counsel and Company Secretary and is responsible for Waha Capital’s legal and regulatory affairs, corporate governance, compliance and company secretarial functions.

Prior to joining Waha Capital, Mr. Paul held senior legal roles in AFK Sistema, one of Russia’s largest public investment companies and in Redline Capital, a Luxembourg regulated funds management group. Prior to this, Paul worked for Allen & Overy where he advised both private enterprises and listed companies on high value global transactions across a number of industry sectors.

Mr. Paul has close to 20 years of experience including complex public and private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private equity, fund structuring and compliance and corporate governance.

Mr. Paul holds a BA from the University of New South Wales and an LL.B from the University of New England, Australia.
Haitham Abdulkarim

Head of Investor Relations and External Communications

As the Head of Investor Relations and External Communications, Mr. Abdulkarim drives the investor relations strategy for Waha Capital. As the focal point for shareholders, Mr. Abdulkarim ensures Waha Capital is actively connecting and engaging with them. Mr. Abdulkarim also facilitates open and transparent communications at Waha Capital when communicating externally to key stakeholders.

Prior to joining Waha Capital, Mr. Abdulkarim was responsible for Fundraising and Investor Relations at Samena Capital, a pan-Asian private equity investor with US$1 billion in assets under management. In this role, he was involved in fundraising for investment opportunities across Asia and the Middle East from global and regional investors.

Mr. Abdulkarim was also an investment banker at HSBC Global Banking and Markets in Dubai, where he advised Middle Eastern companies, family offices and governments on M&A transactions and fundraising.

Starting his career in Singapore, Mr. Abdulkarim was part of the Mergers & Acquisitions team at BNP Paribas CIB and also the Corporate Finance Advisory team at Deutsche Morgan Grenfell & Partners. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting & Management from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Yazid Ben Salem

Head of Business Development

As the Head of Business Development at Waha Capital, Mr. Ben Salem is tasked to accelerate the growth of Waha Capital, both regionally and internationally. Building on the successes of Waha Capital, Mr. Ben Salem will expand the product portfolio and broaden third-party investments.

With over a decade of experience in the Middle East asset management industry, Mr. Ben Salem joins Waha Capital from Russell Investments in Dubai, UAE, where he developed lasting strategic relationships and raised funding for multi-asset mandates from regional and emerging markets investors.

Mr. Ben Salem holds a Master’s degree in Engineering from École Centrale de Lyon in France and is also certified by the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association. He is fluent in three major languages – Arabic, English and French.
Hilary Rowe

Head of Human Capital and Support Services

As Human Capital & Support Services at Waha Capital, Hilary is responsible for overseeing the Human Capital and Support Services for the firm and its assets.

Hilary has over 20 years of Human Resource management experience in investment banking and asset management. Prior to joining the company, Hilary worked at a number of leading global firms in both the UK and the GCC.

Hilary holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Psychology from the University of Surrey, a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from the University of Westminster, London and is a Master Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Hilary also holds an Executive Master’s in Leadership Development and Executive Coaching from Hult-Ashridge Business School, UK.