People

ABOUT

Ziad is a seasoned investment banker with more than 25 years of experience, having worked across the main divisions of leading US investment banks, before founding Awad Capital in 2013. At Awad Capital, Ziad is personally involved in all client engagements with a particular emphasis on connecting the best investment opportunities with the most suitable sources of capital.

Ziad started his career with Goldman Sachs in 1994, where he spent 13 years in Paris, London and Dubai. He worked with the leading global frequent borrowers and executed half a trillion USD of capital markets transactions. He was also a pioneer of digitization and represented Goldman Sachs on the Board of MTS Associated Markets, a bond trading marketplace.

Having settled permanently in Dubai since 2006, Ziad moved to Merrill Lynch in 2007, and stayed with the bank until 2012, through the acquisition by Bank of America / Merrill Lynch. He executed numerous advisory assignments, including for TAQA, Lamprell, Dubai Holding, Qatari Diar, ACWA Power, Investment Corporation of Dubai; as a well as a number of financing deals.

Ziad graduated with a masters from ESSEC in France in 1994 and is fluent in English, French and Arabic. He is passionate about health, fitness and mindfulness.

ABOUT

Dr. Nassim is a Partner & Managing Director, and a member of the Board of Directors of Awad Capital, where his main focus is to cover regional and international clients to offer them the most suitable advice and opportunities. He has close to 20 years of experience in Investment Banking and Corporate Finance.

Prior to joining Awad Capital in 2015, he was Head of Corporate Development at Dar Al Mal, an Alternative Asset Management company based in the DIFC.

Marc settled permanently in Dubai in 2005, and for his first 8 years in the region, he was Head of Clients & Markets, Financial Advisory Services for Deloitte in the Middle East. He was focused on building and strengthening the relationship with clients across the Middle East, with a particular focus on family groups and financial sponsors. Prior to joining Deloitte, he gained experience in M&A, private equity and banking, with leading French and Lebanese institutions.

Dr. Nassim holds a PhD in corporate finance (summa cum laude) from the Univeristé d’Aix-Marseille (France) and a postgraduate degree in financial management from Grenoble Graduate School of Business (France).

Marc spends his free time reading, listening to podcasts and enjoying quality time with his family.

ABOUT

Fouad Beyrouty is a Director at Awad Capital where he manages the origination, structuring and execution of M&A and capital raising transactions. He joined the firm in 2017 and has over 8 years of experience working on mergers, acquisitions, sales, divestments, debt raising and private placements.

Fouad has advised corporates, financial sponsors and start-ups on over 30 transactions across multiple technology verticals as well as more generalist sectors including construction, manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, education and logistics.

He joined Awad Capital from Al Mal Capital, a UAE-based financial services company, where he contributed to the M&A execution efforts. Before that, he worked at EY in their Abu Dhabi transaction advisory team and in private banking at Credit Suisse in London.

Fouad holds an undergraduate degree in business administration from the American University of Beirut. In his free time, he enjoys reading, traveling and outdoor activities.

ABOUT

Michael Jennings is a Vice President at Awad Capital, supporting clients on the execution of M&A and capital raising transactions. He joined the team in 2022 and has over 7 years of experience working on sell-side, buy-side and private placement transactions.

He joined Awad Capital from Klecha & Co, a European technology-focused investment bank, where he worked across a variety of sectors including cybersecurity, software, and defence-tech. Prior to this Michael was with GCA Altium, now Houlihan Lokey and GP Bullhound, where he worked across the technology sector, and also in more generalist verticals such as facilities management and manufacturing.

Michael holds an undergraduate degree in business management from Durham University in the UK. In his free time, he enjoys travelling and sports including football and golf.

ABOUT

Salman Kazrooni is an Associate at Awad Capital where he supports the execution of buy-side and sell-side M&A mandates as well as capital raising transactions. He has 3 years of experience working in private equity and investment banking, with a particular focus on the software and technology industries.

Salman has worked on multiple transactions in technology across the MENA region, Europe, and North America. He has worked on the acquisition of Navitrans in Belgium and Commsoft in the UK by Valsoft Corporation, a private equity firm based in Montreal. He has also worked on the Series D capital raise of The Luxury Closet in Dubai.

He joined Awad Capital from Valsoft Capital, a Montreal-based private equity firm with a focus on mid-market software businesses. Before that, he worked in Valnet Inc., a media and advertising firm in Montreal, as part of their M&A and operations team. Salman holds an undergraduate degree in Finance and Economics from Concordia University, Montreal, and is a CFA Level II candidate. In his free time, Salman enjoys sports, reading, and learning music.

ABOUT

Nabil Zaouk is an Analyst at Awad Capital, he supports the origination and execution of sell-side and buy-side M&A transactions as well as capital raising efforts.

Nabil has experience in Investment Banking, working in the Global Advisory team at Rothschild & Co. and interning at institutions such as Julius Baer Group and Lazard Asset Management.

Nabil holds a bachelor’s degree from King’s College London and a Master’s degree from Imperial College London. During his free time, he likes to play sports including football and padel, as well as spending time with his family and friends.

ABOUT

Saad Fasihi is an Analyst at Awad Capital where he supports the origination and execution of sell-side and buy-side M&A transactions, as well as capital-raising efforts.

Saad has gained experience in banking at CIBC, with the M&A team at the ALTEN group, and during his internship at KingSight Management, a lower middle-market buyout fund.

Saad has attended the Ivey Business School in Canada for the Honours Business Administration (HBA) program. Outside of work, Saad enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and fishing, and he also likes to play basketball.

ABOUT

Agnes is the Officer Manager as well as deputy Compliance and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO), and deputy finance officer at Awad Capital. She has been with the firm since 2016.

Agnes works closely with the Awad Capital Compliance and MLRO head to support the Client onboarding and due diligence workstreams which are key for starting and maintaining client relationships with Awad Capital, given its regulated status under DFSA rules. Agnes also manages all supplier relationships and takes an active role in recruitment as well as the on-boarding of new employees. In addition, she is responsible for supporting the CEO and the team in their day-to-day activities.

Agnes has more than 5 years of experience in the fields of general accounting, reporting, audit, general administration and compliance. Agnes earned a Bachelor of Science degree from USC in the Philippines and majored in Management Accounting. She loves to read suspense novels and listens to pop music during her spare time.