Experience
A.R.M. Consulting, UAE; USA
2008 – Present
Adviser, interim management, and management consulting provider for corporate growth and transformation.
Managing Director | Founder
- Created an operations plan for a startup seeking Seed Funding. Raised $750K.
- Developed a carried interest plan for employees of a private equity startup.
- Wrote employee operations manual for nationwide firm.
- Set up a startup merchant banking firm (the Belleau Wood Group), creating and deploying processes and procedures for managing operations and evaluating potential clients and projects. Raised $3MM in equity financing. Managed new business, financial controls and compliance over the three-year engagement.
- Institutionalized a family business by documenting operations and procedures to expand organically. Expanded to 2 new cities.
- Seconded as CFO for six months at the Arab Youth Venture Foundation (non-profit), tasked with securing $273K in funding from the Emirates Foundation, by providing metrics confirming the Foundation’s staffing and outreach goals for nationwide S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, astronomy, and math) events.
- Worked on business development processes and client on-boarding procedures for a transportation company operating on government contracts in the Middle East.
- Consulted on operations and HR management for a family-owned business, developing procedures and controls to correct business performance obstacles that were negatively impacting long-term business strategies.
- Developing line management, authorizations, risk-based pricing and new application automation to deliver profitable growth of the organization.
WeCrowd Capital, Houston, TX
2017 – 2019
Startup equity crowdfunding platform.
Chief Operating Officer
Developed algorithms and metrics to promote site offerings through automated advancement.
Created a secondary trading methodology.
Prepared pitch material for fundraising efforts.
Developed financial projections for potential investors.
Saffar Capital, Manama, Bahrain & Dubai, UAE
2001 – 2008
Saffar is a financial services company focused on growth-stage opportunities throughout the Middle East. Licensed by the D.F.S.A.
Chief Operating Officer
- Managed six direct reporting staff. Maintained administrative and operational responsibility for 20 full-time staff.
- Performed pre-acquisition investment due diligence and post-acquisition integration and operational improvements for investments. Evaluated and determined targets for investment.
- Performed due diligence on a fund of funds, including alpha attribution to determine investment viability. Used for $10MM cost avoidance.
- Maintained regulatory information, budgeting, and managed financial reporting, including audits; presented internal and external reporting to management and shareholders for all group companies. Enabled valuation of assets for $43MM capital raise from existing shareholders.
- Developed procedures to maintain regulatory compliance required by the Dubai Financial Services Authority.
- Conducted treasury activities of the company, including cash flow management and the maintenance of collection channels. Recovered $4.6MM in expense and deal completion fees from partners.
University of Strathclyde
Graduate School of Business, Manama, Bahrain
2004
Strathclyde is one of the oldest, largest and most respected business schools in the UK and has consistently been ranked in the top 10 in terms of both research and teaching quality.
Teaching Assistant
Taught Managing Financial Resources (Finance and Financial Management).
Taught Financial and Managerial Accounting.
Significant Mandate:
Inside Consulting Partners, UAE
2012 – 2019
Family Office focused on FinTech and financial products distribution businesses.
Chief Operating Officer
- Assisted in analysis and turnaround of a Fintech company in preparation for a trade sale.
- Provide regulatory insight and implementation.
- Analyze new technologies for Private Equity investment.
- Developed technology plans to support pass-through agreements with service providers.
- Assist Single and Multi-Family offices in determining their asset allocation strategies.
Equity crowdfunding startup - we lost our discretionary funding when Hurricane Harvey hit!
Significant Mandate:
Saudi Swiss Securities, Manama, Bahrain & Riyadh, KSA (later became Credit Suisse Saudi Arabia)
2004 – 2007
Investment Bank in Saudi Arabia.
Senior Consultant/Acting Chief Operating Officer
- Supported the development of the business plan to get a brokerage license in Saudi Arabia, resulting in the award of one of the first three new licenses in 23 years.
- Successfully managed the operational deployment of a $28MM financial services firm in Saudi Arabia, resulting in fees of $4.5MM. The company was acquired by Credit Suisse (Global Investment Bank).
- Supervised the creation of brokerage operations manuals to avoid compliance penalties.
- Managed the office build-out and IT systems in line with Credit Suisse’s best practices and standards, including redundancy and business continuity.
- Directed the regulatory certification process to start full revenue-generating operations.
Significant Mandate:
Zawya.com, Dubai, UAE
2002 – 2007
The premier Middle East Regional financial information and analysis provider.
Non-Executive Director/ Controller
- A key member of the post-acquisition transition team with primary responsibilities for the integration of operations and financial controls. Ensured adherence to budgets through process control. Changed procedures to ensure financial success.
- Served on the Board of Directors for six years. The company was later acquired by Thomson Reuters (Financial Information Provider) for a 26% CAGR on investment.
- Drove revenue growth from $0.25MM to $10.7MM.
I presented all the lectures for both classes to two cohorts.
Experience
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Lehman Brothers, New York, USA
1991 – 2001
Global bulge bracket financial services firm.
Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer, Business Support Services (BSS)
1999 - 2001
Managed staffing and total compensation for a department with a staff of 237 in offices in New York, London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, linking total compensation to employee performance.
Restructured BSS and expanded and enhanced services, including qualitative service level agreements to Investment Banking, Equity Research, and Capital Markets business units, resulting in a transfer pricing model that accurately allocated costs to end-users and rationalized the department’s cost structure resulting in lower costs and improved service offerings. Planned to self-fund a $3MM bonus pool.
Mapped performance reviews with division objectives to create procedures that aligned company goals with individual success.
Prepared and implemented a business plan with a $27MM global budget for all BSS areas, including Project Management, Research Services, Internet Development, Graphic Design, Computer Graphics, and Digital Media.
Developed training programs and provided assessments for employee job advancement and to retain key personnel. Reduced voluntary turnover by 30%.
Established measurable performance objectives for 14 direct report staff, focusing on career development within departmental and firm-wide needs. Supervised senior managers to develop the same.
Progression through Lehman Brothers:
Vice President, Financial Data Services
1995 - 1999
Assistant Vice President, Financial Data Services
1993 - 1995
Operations Analyst, Financial Data Services
1991 - 1993
Columns
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Sed pede ullamcorper amet ullamcorper primis, nam pretium suspendisse neque, a phasellus sit pulvinar vel integer.
Columns
Sed pede ullamcorper amet ullamcorper primis, nam pretium suspendisse neque, a phasellus sit pulvinar vel integer.
Sed pede ullamcorper amet ullamcorper primis, nam pretium suspendisse neque, a phasellus sit pulvinar vel integer.