The Market Makers in MEA with Abrar Hussain

Episode 18 - A Conversation with David Stockton, CEO of Dulsco Group: Leading with 16,000+ strong workforce.   🚀 Join us as we delve into the remarkable journey and insights of a dynamic leader, David Stockton, CEO of Dulsco Group. His wealth of experience and Dulsco's path to success are incredibly inspiring:  IN this Episode, we explore: 🌍 Dulsco's Evolution, key factors behind its s...

  Episode 17 - I had the honor of hosting Shaikha AlMazrouei, Vice President of the UAE Clusters unit under UAE Investments platform at Mubadala. We immersed ourselves in a detailed discussion about Mubadala's pivotal role, its investments, and the dynamic UAE and global economic landscape. Mubadala, one of the largest & successful sovereign wealth funds with 300+ billion assets under man...

Episode 16- In our latest episode, I had the honor of hosting Nameer Khan, Chairman of MENA Fintech Association. Our conversation delved deep into the world of fintech and its transformational impact on the MENA region. We discussed:  🌐 Nameer's incredible journey in shaping the fintech ecosystem in MENA.  📈 The primary goals and initiatives of MENA Fintech Association in fostering fintech...

Episode 15 - In this episode, I had a conversation with Mahmoud Adi, Founding Partner of Shorooq Partners and Co-Founder & Board Member at Pure Harvest Smart Farms, the largest Agri tech business in MENA region. Mahmoud is a celebrated Entrepreneur, a successful Venture Capitalist leading one of the largest venture tech investment firms in emerging markets and sitting on the Board of various c...

  Episode 14 - I had a discussion with Antonio Di Cecca, Chief Operating Officer at Tabreed, one of the world's largest district cooling utilities. Antonio shares his view on:   👉🏼 How Tabreed's district cooling solutions contribute to a more environmentally friendly approach to cooling significantly reducing its carbon footprint  👉🏼 The role that district cooling plays in the broade...

Episode 13 - In this episode, I had a conversation with Gaurav Dhar, CEO at Marshal & Board member at MENA FinTech Association. Gurav is also a successful venture investor having invested in more than 400+ startups across the globe with a focus in MENA region. Gaurav shares his view on: 👉🏼 His journey as a 2nd generation entrepreneur and the path that led him to champion fintech ecosystems i...

Episode 12: The Market Makers in Middle East & Africa’ Video Podcast with Abrar Hussain is now live.  In this episode, I had a discussion with Ruban Shanmugarajah, Chief Executive Officer of Babyshop at Landmark Group.  Ruban shares his view on: 👉🏼 Factors that have contributed to the growth of Babyshop in UAE, MEA and South Asia.  👉🏼 We explored how Babyshop harnessed the power of the Omn...

Episode 11: The Market Makers in Middle East & Africa’s Video Podcast with Abrar Hussain is now live.  In this episode, I had a discussion with Katarina Hasbani, Partner at AESG Katarina shares her view on: 👉🏼 Defining Sustainability – Environment, Social impact and governance.  👉🏼 How sustainability can help companies run better.  👉🏼 How organizations can build sustainability across the...

Episode 10: Driving Innovation and Sustainability in the Financial Sector with Andrea Prazakova, Senior Vice President, Mastercard Foundry & ESG, EEMEA at Mastercard. Andrea shares her inspiring story and provides valuable insights into her role at Mastercard, where she spearheads innovation, CX, UX, UI, research, and ESG efforts across the EEMEA region. During our conversation, Andrea sheds l...

Episode 09: In this informative episode, I had a discussion with Krishnan Gopi, Group Chief Disruption Officer at GEMS Education, one of the oldest and largest Kindergarten to Grade 12 / Year 13 private education providers in the world. Krish shares his view on: 👉🏼 His career Journey from two successful entrepreneurial exits and now a C level executive 👉🏼 The evolving role of a Chief Disruptio...

Episode 08: In this captivating episode, I had a discussion with Miguel Rio-Tinto, Group Chief Digital and Information Officer at Emirates NBD, One of the largest banking groups in MEA. Miguel shares his view on: 👉🏼 Emirates NBD’s Dhs1bn ($270 mil) Digital transformation program 👉🏼 Organizing 2000+ IT engineers into different squads to foster collaboration between IT and business units 👉🏼 Na...

Episode 07:  In this episode, I had a discussion with Sundeep Sahni, CEO and Co-Founder at Valeo Wellbeing, about his successful billion dollar exits, Valeo’s vision for building a Healthcare platform and how to scale and build successful companies. Sundeep Sahni previously co-founded Lazada Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s e-commerce platform which was acquired by Alibaba for $3 billion. He was also a...

In Episode 6, Dr. Fatih Mehmet Gul, the visionary CEO of Fakeeh University Hospital (FUH) - a leading healthcare provider in the UAE and Middle East - shares his insights on: 🔸 Crafting the state-of-the-art Fakeeh University Hospital with a $500M investment, turning it into a phenomenal success 🏥💰 🔸 Realizing the dream of merging cutting-edge technology with compassionate care for improved pat...

Episode 05: On the occasion of International Women’s Day, I had the privilege of having a discussion with H.E. Maryam AlSuwaidi, CEO of the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and Forbes’ 11th most powerful businesswoman in the Middle East for 2023. Our conversation centered on women in leadership, and how she is leading the way as the first woman to head the UAE market’s regulator an...

In this episode, I had a discussion with Sandeep Chouhan, Chief Business Transformation and Technology Officer at Network International, the leading enabler of digital commerce in the MEA region with presence across 50+ countries. He is Ex COO of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Mashreq Bank as well. Sandeep shares his views on: 👉🏼 Technology-led transformation as the most sustainable transformation...

In this episode, I had a discussion with Onur Kirazci, VP at Sandvine, and Advisory Board Member at Neterra.  In this Episode, Onur shares his views on: 👉🏼 Establishing and scaling up businesses in MEA Region 👉🏼 Importance of customer success in MEA region that creates snowball growth effect  👉🏼 Leadership style that’s works to lead diverse teams in MEA region  Enjoy and share your thoughts...

In this episode, I had a discussion with Francesco Burelli, Partner at Arkwright Consulting, about the future of fintech and banking ecosystem in MEA region. Francesco brings over 23 years’ experience in corporate and product strategy, innovation and corporate venturing, and digital transformation. He advises clients across Middle East, Asia and Europe and devising a strategy for them to be future...

In this episode, I had a discussion with Noelle Homsy, Co-Founder of ENVI Lodges, about the future of hospitality, changes in the industry value chain after the pandemic and ways to drive sustainability. Noelle is the Co-Founder of ENVI Lodges, a brand and hotel management company focused on operating luxury ecolodges in remote destinations. She is passionate about driving regenerative tourism in...