Chief Investment Officer/Vice Chairman          ElSewedy Group, Egypt

Business Development & Strategic

Planning and Group CFO

Primarily responsible for effectively delivering a diverse range of strategic planning and business development related objectives working for the largest electrical cables manufacturer in the Middle East with operations in 35 countries and one of the largest stocks in the market (by market cap).

Initial activities as the company’s Chief Investment Officer included developing macro and micro investment strategies and planning processes, organizing the financial structure and securing debt and equity as well as monitoring and managing the existing investment portfolio.

Other activities included negotiating new targets (Brownfield), purchasing fixed assets required for the new site (Greenfield) including land and machinery, and overseeing budget preparation, implementation and compliance as well as regularly presenting investment memoranda, interim and annual reviews to the Board of Directors.

During my tenure in the role was particularly recognized for setting up the company’s Foreign Direct Investment Department, making investments in 21 countries in the Gulf, Africa and Europe as well as establishing 28 companies outside Egypt and acquiring companies in Slovenia, Egypt and Algeria.

Took up current role from December 2007 when responsibilities now focused on risk analysis, setting the group’s long-term strategy in line with company goals and overseeing corporate processes to facilitate effective decision making and performance based culture as well as introducing KPIs.

Other duties center on providing leadership and direction to the business to increase market share and generate new revenue streams, analyzing market trends and exploring new opportunities as well as identifying and prioritizing investment opportunities. Also tasked with preparing financial models and detailed business cases as well as creating and developing innovative workflow processes to clarify roles and improve the group’s operations.

As Group CFO have been tasked with overseeing long-term budgetary & tax planning, cash flow projections, treasury and cost management in alignment with company goals, assessing performance against the annual budget and long-term goals as well as advising BU / departmental Heads in evaluating their financial plans and P&L.

Also responsible for managing the group’s cash flow to ensure all operations run smoothly, ensure records systems are maintained according to GAAP, payroll is properly handled and that efficiency, quality and internal controls are in place as well as ensuring that the group’s policies and procedures are continuously upgraded and updated to cope with the group evolving goals. I was recognized for saving annual income taxes of LE 9.5m through financial engineering between two subsidiaries, designing and implementing an inventory system for the large retail business as well as implementing Oracle release 12.

In parallel with my role described above also act in a consultancy capacity advising an Egypt headquartered real estate group on their investment strategies to ensure compliance with the objectives set by their Board of Directors.

Activities encompass evaluating deals and investment opportunities and making recommendations to the executive committee, overseeing financial operations and advising on capital allocation, sales and marketing planning as well as making suggestions to enhance the company’s existing real estate investment portfolio.

Especially recognized for helping the group to grow 15 fold in terms of total assets in the last seven years, successfully negotiating the settlement of bank debts and saving the group from liquidation as well as helping to acquire Century 21 (the largest real estate broker in the world) franchise in Egyp

Successfully undertook a two year operational management and business strategy related assignment working for a medium sized medical equipment trading company.

Responsibilities focused on directing business strategy and implementing workflow processes, increasing market share and new revenue streams as well as setting budgets, managing resources and setup bids for tenders and controlling costs.

Acknowledged for obtaining seven new trading agencies from Europe and USA as well as boosting revenue and profitability by 200% and 150% respectively within the two years of my tenure.

Effectively delivered a short term senior finance related role working for Egypt’s largest assembling and trading automotive company.

Activities were very similar to those described above for ElSewedy with key achievements including negotiating and performing the bank's settlement of Ghabbour Group, solving the A/R chronicle problem that was equivalent to bank debts, implementing BAAN and leading the treasury function in very severe conditions that was critical to the success floatation of the group.

Delivered a three year role for Egypt’s largest investment bank tasked initially with marketing corporate finance services to private as well as public enterprise companies and offering client advisory services related to feasibility studies, debt / equity structuring, mergers, divestitures as well as the issuance of equity instrument and the identification of the appropriate market for such the offerings.

Recognized for leading and participating in eight IPOs and private placements for the private and public sector in the Egyptian stock market and providing after sales support.

Within my private equities role managed a team of investment analysts across a range of business sectors, formulated strategy for stock market and private equities target companies and performed portfolio interim and annual investment appraisals as well as leading legal counsel and auditing firms in legal and financial due diligence cases.

Recognized for increasing the investment portfolio more than five times in the span of two years via equity swap and direct purchase, creating value via performing capital restructure and securing bank debts whereby, for a turnaround situation, sales increased by 300% in a period of two years, resulting shareholder value increased by 250%. Created value for another investment via applying tax engineering, thus, saving yearly taxes of LE2m.

Undertook a medium term marketing and analysis related assignment working within a prominent Islamic Finance based investment fund player.            

Responsibilities included identifying target industries and achieving the fund’s optimum risk return formula, analyzing credit data and potential risk as well as monitoring the account with associated management and risk implications.

Delivered short and medium term finance operations and business development role working for Qatar’s second largest Islamic bank.

Activities included establishing the bank’s international investment department, preparing risk reports including economic analysis and industry highlights as well as conducting bank appraisals and financial analysis.

Particularly acknowledged for generating business channels in Europe and the Far East, leading a local syndication to finance Qatar’s only amusement park, recommending the liquidation of a number of international working capital facilities and implementing Basel requirements as well as leading the transformation of the bank from a cash to accrual basis.

During this eight year period successfully undertook a series of increasingly responsible roles within the commercial banking sector at the headquarters and main branch of Chase Bank.

Initially took a three year role as a Loans Officer within bank operations before serving a two year spell as Commercial Services Assistant within a similar setting.

In March 1991 became a Senior Credit Analyst within corporate banking.