SFO CAPITAL LIMITED - Key Persons
Ahmed is the Chief Financial Officer of SFO Capital Partners and a member of its Investment Committee and Management Committee. He assumes overall responsibility for all finance-related activities of the firm and oversees all corporate controlling, accounting and tax matters, as well as deal-related structuring, legal and fiscal considerations.
Ahmed has over 15 years of experience. Prior to joining SFO, he held senior finance positions at Azadea Group Holding, one of the largest retail groups in the Middle East, where he was responsible for the financial consolidation and reporting covering 14 countries and representing annual sales of c.$2 billion. Previously, Ahmed worked at GulfMerger in Kuwait and was involved in more than 15 regional mid-market mergers and acquisitions exceeding USD800 million in aggregate value.
Ahmed holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with a finance focus from the American University of Beirut.
Job Titles:
- in 2023 As a Senior Analyst
- Senior Analyst, Operations
Ana joined SFO Capital Partners in 2023 as a Senior Analyst in operations. She is responsible for all operating matters in relation to the office and provides ongoing support the team.
Prior to joining SFO, Ana held roles as an office manager, Financial Assistant and PA at Phoenix Global Resources, a company focused on developing and unlocking portfolio assets in Argentine.
Ana holds a master degree in hospitality management from Universitário Senac - Águas de São Pedro and a diploma in Design and Visual Communications from the University of Arts in London.
Anthony is an Associate in the Investment team covering European equity and credit. He also covers the management of European real estate assets of the portfolio.
Anthony joined SFO as an intern in 2021 and has had multiple Engineering internship before.
Anthony holds a Bachelor Degree in Chemical Engineering from the American University of Beirut.
Job Titles:
- Associate, Investor Relations
Anthony joined SFO Capital Partners in 2022 as part of the Investor Relations team. Anthony is currently responsible for investor relations activities including the drafting of marketing materials, reporting to investors, compliance and other legal matters.
Prior to joining SFO, Anthony worked as a Private Banker and Fidiciuary officer at Saradar Bank SAL. In this role, he managed the portfolios of HNWI, offering them tailored financial instruments aligned with their investment profiles.
Anthony holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of Edinburgh.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Independent Director
Antonia is a former Partner at Fladgate LLP and is currently a Partner at GunnerCooke LLP. She advises on two major areas of law. Firstly, on the acquisition, development, funding and letting of commercial property. She specializes in property development work, all residential, commercial and mixed use.
Secondly, Antonia advises in the realm of private wealth especially for offshore high-net-worth individuals with complex vehicles. Antonia also works with the private capital group to advise on IHT, SDLT and tax efficient structuring for property transactions. Antonia has regularly been featured in the Legal 500 and the Surveyors 500 as being a "leading practitioner" in the commercial property field.
Antonia holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from University College London.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Independent Director
Audrey brings to SFO Capital Partners a diverse array of knowledge and experience in real estate investments, having worked at Park Hill Real Estate, the European capital-raising subsidiary of Blackstone, where she founded the firm's continental Europe business. Before joining Park Hill, Audrey ran her own business for five years marketing alternative asset funds across all asset classes to European investors.
Audrey began her career at Bank of America and has worked for funds in Germany and the UK for the last 25 years, including Caskar Partners, Cromwell Property Group and Kennedy Wilson.
Audrey is a graduate of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Business where she received an MBA and is an Economics graduate of Emory University. Based in London, Audrey sits on the Corporate Advisory Board for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Benjamin is the Chief Operating Officer of SFO Capital Partners and a member of its Investment Committee and Management Committee. He is responsible for widening SFO's investor base, contributing to deal sourcing, managing the interface with operating partners, and leading the portfolio management function focused on unlocking value throughout the investments' lifecycle. In addition, Benjamin is Head of Germany, responsible for all aspects of business execution domestically.
Benjamin has over 19 years of diverse and in-depth sector experience across the entire real estate investment lifecycle. He has been involved in the successful origination of new business at a cumulated total above $4 billion in value and has taken the profit & loss and asset management responsibility for various portfolios in the segment between $100 million and $500 million (AUM). Prior to joining SFO in 2021, Benjamin held positions in large-scale organizations like Daimler, Corpus Sireo and, lastly, Swiss Life Asset Managers.
Benjamin holds a Master ("Dipl.-Ing.") in Urban Planning from TU Dortmund University. Since 2011 he is lecturing at the International Real Estate Business School (IREBS) in Regensburg (Germany).
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Finance
Malek joined SFO Capital Partners in 2022 as part of the Finance team. Malek is actively involved in all finance-related activities of the firm's European portfolio companies, including structuring, financing as well as fiscal and statutory matters.
Prior to joining SFO, Malek held senior finance and investment management positions within French institutional management companies with multi-billion assets under management, including Twenty First Capital, AFER (Association Française d'Epargne et de Retraite) and Rothschild & Cie Gestion.
Malek holds a Ph.D. in Financial Management from the University of Paris II (awarded the University Research Thesis Prize in 2015), a Master's Degree in Financial Techniques and the Magistère Banque Finance from the same university.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate, Investments
Ilyas joined SFO Capital Partners in 2021. In his role as an Senior Associate within the Investment Team, Ilyas covers the US and European markets. He also covers real estate credit investments as well as the subsequent management of the portfolio.
Before joining SFO, Ilyas served in an advisory capacity at Natixis, an investment management company. He also gained experience as a visiting associate at Outlierz Ventures, a leading African seed-focused venture capital firm.
Ilyas earned his Masters in Finance from London Business School.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Independent Director
Joe is a former Partner and Chairman of Strategy&'s (formerly Booz & Company) Middle East business, with over 30 years of consulting experience in strategic, organizational, and restructuring services. Over the years, he has led major privatization programs in sectors such as oil and gas, mining, steel and electricity. He advised Middle East governments on sector deregulation and sector policy and led the reorganization of national oil companies and large corporations. He also works closely with large family-owned companies to help design governance and portfolio strategies.
Joe holds an MBA from Cornell University (USA) and a Bachelor of Business Administration from ESSEC (France).
Kevin, with over 32 years of industry experience and is responsible for overseeing and extracting value from the US student housing portfolio. His main role involves optimizing asset performance and enhancing market value by collaborating with investment and property management teams to develop and execute asset strategies.
Kevin is an experienced professional with expertise in new construction lease-ups and property openings, managing garden-style, cottage-style, and high-rise properties. He excels in maximizing asset value through market analysis, competitor assessment, performance enhancements, and efficiency strategies.
Kevin holds a BS in Restaurant and Hotel Management from the University of Boston.
Lama is responsible for the acquisition and management of US real estate assets. Since joining SFO Capital Partners in 2016, Lama has completed acquisitions of real estate assets totaling in excess of $600mn and is currently overseeing a portfolio comprising more than 4,000 multifamily and student housing units across multiple US states.
Prior to joining SFO, Lama held finance and investment positions at Webedia and The Resource Group, a global diversified investment holding headquartered in Beirut.
Lama holds a MSc in Finance from the American University of Beirut.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
Mario is the Chairman of SFO Capital Partners, as well as the Chairman & CEO of Saradar Capital Holding, a third generation family owned international strategic holding group, with over 2,000 employees which focuses on active investments across financial services, real estate and private equity.
Since taking over the family business in 1992, Mario has been a seasoned investor and serial entrepreneur. He has been involved in the establishment, acquisition and management of multiple commercial and private banks, as well as insurance companies and other financial services firms across the MENA region and Europe.
Mario is an active philanthropist and has founded in 2000 Fondation Saradar, a charity organization which has a history in supporting education, sports, as well as culture and arts. In addition, in 2012 Mario launched the Saradar Collection which is aimed at preserving and sharing modern and contemporary art from Lebanon with the rest of the world.
Outside of work, Mario is an avid Marathon runner and a triathlete, he is today the first Lebanese national to have completed 6 major marathons around the world.
Mattia joined SFO Capital Partners in 2022. As a Portfolio Manager, Mattia is dealing with our existing equity investments in Europe and the UK and focused to successfully implement our value-enhancing strategies and business plans throughout each asset's hold period.
Prior to joining SFO, Mattia held positions at HVS, a prominent consulting firm specializing in the hospitality industry, and at BNP Paribas Real Estate, a leading international real estate consultancy company.
Mattia holds a Master of Science in Finance program from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant & Associate, Investor Relations
- in 2019 As an Executive Assistant
Maya joined SFO Capital Partners in 2019 as an Executive Assistant. She is responsible for providing direct support to the CEO in addition to overseeing general office operations and expenses management, as well as coordinating travel and logistics. As part of the Investor Relations team, Maya is responsible for matters relating to compliance, AML and KYC, as well as reporting and consolidation activities.
Maya holds a Bachelor degree in Business and Management from Saint-Joseph University of Beirut.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Non - Executive Director
- Non - Executive Independent Director
Michael is a board member of SFO Capital Partners. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and has over 25 years of experience in commercial real estate advisory and cross-border investment transactions, gained initially at JLL, and through established partnerships and associations with Cushman & Wakefield and King Sturge in Luxembourg.
Founder and chief executive of RealCorp, a Luxembourg-based advisory firm, Michael is also a non-executive director with confirmed board-level experience in private and listed real estate funds. He currently serves on the boards of sovereign wealth, investment, and development funds in the UK and Luxembourg.
Michael holds an MSt in real estate from the University of Cambridge, a master's in finance from IE Business School and an MA in Property Valuation and Law from City University, London.
"We thrive in a business environment that
promotes diversity, inclusion, agility and
excellence. Our dedicated team is our most
valued asset and actively contributes to our
success and growth. We take pride in having
attracted highly capable and multicultural
talents across 6 jurisdictions"
Mohamad is the CEO of SFO Capital Partners. He is also a member of SFO's Board of Directors and its ESG Committee, and chairs the firm's Executive and Investment Committees. Mohamad has been leading all aspects of the firm's development since 2013.
With over 18 years of experience, Mohamad has been involved in more than USD15 billion of transactions in both advisory and principal roles across the real estate, hospitality and financial services sectors. Prior to joining SFO, Mohamad held positions at Kingdom Hotel Investments, JLL and Gulf Merger where he advised and acted on behalf of institutional investors and family offices on cross border transactions including mergers and acquisitions, direct investments and asset management.
Mohamad holds a Bachelor in Business Administration and Hospitality Management from the Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland.
Job Titles:
- Director
- in 2015 As a Project Management Director
Peter has joined SFO Capital Partners in 2015 as a Project Management Director responsible for sourcing and overseeing the development of real estate projects in the UK.
Peter has over 30 years of experience in financial structuring, acquisition and disposal of UK commercial and residential properties as well as in construction and development. Peter has advised and acted on behalf of HNWIs, family offices and institutions.
Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from Trent University Nottingham.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, Head of MENA
Radwan has joined SFO in March 2024 as the Managing Director for the MENA region where he will be responsible for promoting and developing our business across the Middle East.
Radwan brings with him over 25 years of experience in the real estate industry. He has held senior roles at organizations such as Kingdom Hotel Investment, Argent Financials, and Hines. Notably, at Hines, Radwan was responsible for implementing their regional development strategy and expanding Hines' reach into capital resources.
Radwan holds an MBA in finance from Boston University.
Job Titles:
- Finance
- Financial Controller
Rami joined SFO Capital Partners in 2014. He is responsible for overseeing the company's financial activities, analyzing financial data, develop budgets, and optimizing financial performance.
Prior to joining SFO, Rami held a role as an Associate Auditor at PwC, a leading professional services firm providing excellence in Assurance, Tax, and Advisory services. In this role, he was responsible for managing financial records, ensuring regulatory compliance, and pinpointing opportunities for enhancing financial processes.
Rami holds a BA degree in accounting from Lebanese American University.
Sarah oversees the US multifamily housing portfolio. She has over 15 years of experience in the multifamily industry and her primary responsibilities are to maximize asset performance and cultivate market value by working with investment and property management divisions to establish, communicate and implement asset strategy.
Sarah was responsible for the asset management of a $2.5 billion multifamily portfolio across the south and southeastern part of the United States. She also has a diverse background in property management, development, and underwriting and her industry experience touches all areas of multifamily including conventional, military, student, senior and affordable housing.
Sarah holds a bachelor's in Business Management from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Tarek is the Chief Investment Officer at SFO Capital Partners and a member of its Investment Committee, Management Committee and ESG Committee. He is responsible for overseeing all transactions as well as deal sourcing, debt origination and expansion into new sectors and markets. Tarek has been instrumental in the expansion of the firm's portfolio across Europe and the USA.
Tarek has over 16 years of experience and has been involved in more than $24 billion of transactions in both advisory and principle roles across the real estate and lodging industry. Prior to joining SFO, Tarek held different positions at Orion Capital Managers, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup covering real estate private equity and corporate finance.
Tarek holds a Diploma Grande Ecole from HEC Paris.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor, Head of US Program
Ziyad leads SFO Capital Partners' US Housing Investment program and is responsible for the origination and maintenance of all strategic relationships with operating partners and lenders in the USA. In addition, Ziyad is involved in all the underwriting and asset management functions of the US multi-housing investments.
Having spent the past 15 years in the US, he has completed over $1.2 billion in multifamily housing acquisitions, comprising 30 assets with more than 10,000 units across seven states. Prior to that, Ziyad held senior positions in large corporations in the USA, Europe and the Middle East.
Ziyad holds a Master Degree from Columbia University and is an Advisory Committee Member at the National Multifamily Housing Council; the industry's prime trade organisation in the USA.