| KIPCO Group - Executive Management
|
 |
Faisal Hamad Al Ayyar Vice Chairman Mr Al Ayyar joined the KIPCO Board in 1990, became Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer in 1995 and Vice Chairman in 2008. He is Chairman of United Gulf Bank, United Broadcasting Company and Saudi Pearl Insurance Company, Vice Chairman of Gulf Insurance Company and Jordan Kuwait Bank and a Board member of Burgan Bank, SADAFCO, Gulf Egypt Hotels and Tourism Company and the Masharee Al Khair Charity. He is a Trustee of the American University of Kuwait and a member of Kuwait Association for Learning Differences. He was the recipient of the Arab Bankers Association of North America (ABANA) Achievement Award 2005. He was an Achievement Award winner at the Tunis Arab Economic Forum 2007, the Beirut Arab Economic Forum 2007 and the Kuwait Financial Forum in 2009. Mr Al Ayyar began his career as a fighter pilot with the Kuwait Air Force. |
 |
Samer Subhi Khanachet Chief Operating Officer Mr Khanachet joined KIPCO as General Manager in 1990. He moved to the United States in 1991 to run United Gulf Management, KIPCO’s US subsidiary, to identify strategic resources to support KIPCO’s activities in financial services, media and other sectors across the MENA region. He was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2008. He is a Board member of United Gulf Bank. He holds board and committee positions with the American University of Kuwait, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University and the Forsyth Institute. He holds BSc degrees from MIT and an MBA from Harvard University. |
 |
Pinak Maitra Group Chief Financial Officer Mr Maitra joined KIPCO in 1988. He was appointed Vice President / Financial Controller in 1991 and Group Chief Financial Officer in 1996. He is a member of the Group's risk management and strategy development team. He is also responsible for long range planning, performance analysis and budget evaluation of KIPCO Group companies. He is a Board member of Orbit Showtime and Pulsar Knowledge Centre. Prior to joining KIPCO, he worked for Arthur Young International. In 2008, he won the MENA Private Sector CFO of the Year award. Mr Maitra is a graduate of Osmania University, India. |
 |
Declan Sawey Group Treasurer Mr Sawey joined KIPCO in 2007. He was previously Head of Asset & Liability Management for HBoS Corporate in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has also held positions with Gulf Bank of Kuwait, the Kuwait Investment Authority, Ernst & Young, Kuwait and KPMG, London. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers. |
 |
Mohsen Ali Hussain Group Chief Internal Auditor Mr Husain joined KIPCO in 2006. He has experience in public accounting and internal auditing and previously held positions with KPMG, Arab Insurance Group, National Bank of Bahrain, Ahli United Bank and United Gulf Bank. He is a Board member of the Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Company and the Vice Chairman of its board audit committee. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Information System Auditor (CISA), and a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and holds a BSc in Accounting. |
 |
Mazen Hawa Group Vice President, Finance and Operations Mr Hawa joined KIPCO in 2001. He manages KIPCO’s finance and operations department and also serves as advisor to a number of KIPCO operating subsidiaries. He is a Board member of Fajr Al Gulf Insurance Company and United Networks. Mr Hawa is a graduate of the Lebanese American University in Beirut and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Management Accountant (CMA). |
 |
Bibhau Tamang Group Vice President, Financial Control Mr Tamang joined KIPCO in 2000. His responsibilities include budgeting & planning, strategic projects including acquisitions, institutional relations and capital market funding. He helped establish Pulsar Knowledge Centre and sits on its Board. He has experience in strategic planning, IPOs & debt capital markets, mergers, acquisitions and start-up projects and worked for Novell Inc. prior to joining KIPCO. He holds an MBA from Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City. |
 |
Saad Mohammad Group Marketing & PR Director Mr Mohammad joined KIPCO in 2009. His responsibilities include financial institution relationship development and coordination of Group marketing activities. Prior to joining KIPCO, he was Bureau Chief for the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) office in Washington, D.C. and Bureau Chief of the KUNA office in Paris. He has over 20 years experience in the field of journalism and media. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Clarion State University, Pennsylvania. |
 |
Robert Hipkins Group Communications Director Mr Hipkins joined KIPCO in 2007. He has responsibility for KIPCO’s corporate communications. He was previously a senior consultant with Hill & Knowlton, one of the world’s leading public relations companies. Mr Hipkins has over 25 years experience in public relations and marketing in the UK, the United States, Europe and the Middle East. He began his career as a press officer for the British government. He holds an MSc from Edinburgh University, Scotland. |
 |
Antony Strover Advisor, Corporate Finance Mr Strover joined KIPCO in 1996. He has been involved in acquisitions, structuring and financing of transactions with KIPCO Group companies and advises KIPCO management on investment structure, governance and control policy. He also provides taxation-related advice to the Group. He is a Board member of Burgan Bank and a member of its audit committee. Prior to joining KIPCO, Mr Strover was a partner in Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales. |
 |
Lakhdar Moussi Senior Vice President Mr Moussi joined KIPCO in 2005. He is responsible for the Group’s development of its financial services sector, particularly insurance and pensions. He has experience in insurance, project finance, banking, investment and consulting. He has worked in Algeria, France, Bahrain and Canada and has been involved in the region’s insurance industry through his association with ARIG in Bahrain. Mr Moussi is a Board member of North Africa Holding Company and Tamdeen Real Estate Company. He has an MBA from the Ecole Superieure De Commerce de Toulouse, France and holds a PFP qualification from the Canadian Securities Institute. |
 |
Robert Drolet Senior Vice President, Technology & Media Mr Drolet joined KIPCO in 2006. He is responsible for the supervision, development and optimization of the company’s communications and media portfolio. Prior to joining KIPCO, he led and advised on turnarounds, M&A transactions and strategic alliances as Chief Executive Officer of Continental Europe and CEO US Communications Solutions and Global Chief Commercial Officer for Cable & Wireless. He previously held senior positions in the UK cable industry and at Bell Canada International. He is a member of the Québec Bar and a Solicitor (England & Wales). He holds a B.LL from Laval University, an LL.M. from Osgoode Hall Law School (Canada) and an M.Litt. from Oxford University (United Kingdom). |
 |
David J. Rhodes Senior Vice President, Group Head of Financial Services Mr. Rhodes joined KIPCO in 2009 and is responsible for the company’s financial services portfolio. He has over 25 years of financial services experience in the United States, Europe, MENA and the Asia Pacific Region. He held senior operating positions with Fifth Third Bank, (including serving as a board of director member on several of the bank’s operating subsidiaries.) Security Pacific National Bank, (now Bank of America) and Lehman Brothers. As the CEO of SSG Inc., a Wall Street based consulting firm, Mr. Rhodes assisted global financial institutions working primarily on issues involving the execution of major strategic initiatives. Mr. Rhodes holds a Bachelors degree in Economics from the University of Rochester and an MBA from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. |
 |
Iqbal Mohamed President, United Gulf Management Inc. Mr Mohamed joined United Gulf Management Inc., KIPCO's US subsidiary, in 1993. He was initially responsible for overseeing the Group's US real estate investments. He is currently responsible for structuring all Group US investments and supporting Group operating companies in their US connected activities. Mr Mohamed was appointed President in 2008. He previously worked for Arthur Young in London and is an Associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. Mr Mohamed is a graduate of Hull University, England. |
 |
Rory Keelan Chief Executive Officer, Pulsar Knowledge Centre Mr Keelan joined Pulsar Knowledge Centre in 2007 as CEO. Prior to joining KIPCO, he worked for the rating agency Capital Intelligence, for National Bank of Abu Dhabi and for Bank of America. Mr Keelan has an Economics degree from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. |
