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Bio

Townsend brings with him more than 25 years of professional experience across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, advising financial institutions, developers, funds and business organizations with more than 13 years within the UAE and GCC regions.

Simon has founded his own practice where he offers the following:

– real estate investment & advisory

– private equity advisory & investment

– private debt

– securitization products

– venture capital

– corporate restructure

His focus is on real estate, prop tech, fintech, automotive, agriculture, healthcare, education and tech sectors.
He is a dynamic leader and has a proven track record of building and empowering teams to achieve enhanced performance

A holder of BSc (Hons) Urban Land Economics degree from the Sheffield Hallam University, he brings both advisory and capital markets skills sets; long experience within the Gulf region; and exceptional connectivity.

Imran is an Executive Director with over 18 years of investments and management experience across Europe and the Middle East. Active in investments & acquisitions, real estate transactions, complex deal structuring, asset management, business development and investment strategy. He has participated in numerous talks and panel discussions covering REITs and investments.

Imran founded BlackOak Global in September 2021, which focuses on providing shareholders and partners with exceptional value through carefully selected real estate opportunities.

In June 2017, Imran started CTZN Cosmetics, UK as a founding shareholder and is currently a board member.

He has worked as the Chief Investment Officer with Peninsula Real Estate, constructing risk-weighted, diversified real estate portfolio across the Middle East.

He has worked as the Chief Investment Officer for Dubai Healthcare City offering medical and healthcare providers with a ‘one-stop shop’ solution to set up operations and avail free zone benefits. The investment product portfolio has clinical, commercial, retail, business centre and free-hold land.

He has worked as the Head of Investments & Acquisitions with Equivitativa Group, working closely with Emirates REIT.

Joseph has over 17 years of commercial real estate investment experience in Europe, the United States and the Middle East and currently leads Cantor Fitzgerald’s MENA capital markets business, focused on capital raising and investment strategies. Previously, he led Knight Frank’s MENA investment team for over 10 years, sitting on both the global capital markets board and regional leadership committee, and in this role advised international institutions, pension funds, property companies and private individuals on their real estate investment holdings, both regionally and internationally. This included exclusively advising on the sale of the largest single office asset transaction ever undertaken in the Middle East. He holds a First Class degree in Business from the University of Wales and a Master’s degree in Property Valuation and Law from Cass Business School. He is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Member of the Investment Property Forum.

Gaurav is the Founder & Managing Partner at CoReal Partners, a boutique M&A advisory firm with Real Estate, Healthcare and Education sector focus, both in the Middle East and the US.

Gaurav has over 25 years of experience in the real estate & hospitality sector, eighteen of which has been in the Middle East and has had extensive involvement in investments, fund raising, advisory and operations of mid and large scale real estate projects during his career.

Over the past decade, he has been involved in over US$ 3 billion of real estate transactions, equity & debt raising, sale & leaseback and build to suits across all real estate assets classes and across the entire GCC and Egypt. This includes three pan-regional real estate funds where he was led the conceptualising, structuring and raising for over US$ 500 million of fund corpus. Gaurav has deep relationships across the investor landscape in the region and regularly advises leading private families, asset managers and institutional investors on investments and divestments in the region.

Mr. Bin Fahad is an astute, insightful and respected venture capitalist. His primary area of focus is his strategic investment in a broad spectrum of companies across multiple sectors – from those in the start-up stage of development, to those requiring cash injections to realize their full potential, through to more mature companies in expansion or later stages of their development. He is involved in an Executive capacity with Unifund Capital; an Investment Bank headquartered in Abu Dhabi, and also sits on the Board of Directors of several high profile institutions within the UAE, including banks and investment firms in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Mr. Bin Fahad was also, for eight years, a Board Member of FoodCo Holding PJSC, set up in 2006 as a result of the growth and diversity of the Abu Dhabi National Foodstuff Company, The board of directors of Foodco Holding assumes the responsibility for the strategic oversight and governance of the entire group, making decisions on acquisitions and divestments, as well as providing treasury, human resources and auditing functions for all companies within the group.

Zachary Cefaratti is principal founder of Dalma Capital Management Limited. Mr. Cefaratti has over 12 years of professional experience in the financial services industry. He is a founding member of the AIMA Middle East Executive Committee and of AIM Summit (the leading alternative investment management conference in the Middle East) and is a prominent figure in the UAE funds industry.

Mr. Cefaratti studied at Franklin University, Switzerland, Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, London School of Economics and University of Pennsylvania and holds a dual Bachelor’s degree in International Business Management and International Banking and Finance, accredited in the United States and Switzerland.

James Masacorale is an experienced corporate development director with 19 years of experience across UK, Europe, US and Asia. He is specialized in M&A, strategy, integrating and restructuring companies and, managing/transforming organizations from takeover through to disposal. He has an excellent understanding of the legal, financial, regulatory, IP, cultural and environmental factors impacting M&A of both public and private companies.

Mr. Masacorale also has excellent negotiation, influencing and selling skills at all operational levels, including that of foreign governments. He also has a strong and proven ability across the whole M&A process from creating opportunities for new business and building a pipeline of M&A targets, through due diligence, legal documentation, completion and integration.

Howard Leedham is a senior management executive with extensive experience in business development, capital raising, risk management and strategic planning.

Mr. Leedham is a former military officer with numerous accolades as a Royal Navy Pilot, Special Forces Commander and Operator and was awarded an MBE. Mr. Leedham left the military in the late nineties to pursue business goals and to leverage his knowledge of operations management.

Howard was recruited to Dalma Capital in 2013 and has led the Company through its Dubai FSA and Malta FSA regulatory approvals.

Mishal Kanoo is a Director at Dalma Capital and Chairman of The Kanoo Group, one of the largest and most diverse family owned groups of companies in the Middle East.

​Mr. Kanoo, a UAE national, is also a Director of AXA Insurance Gulf, Gulf Capital, KHK & Partners Limited and Johnson Arabia LLC. He finished his schooling in Dubai and holds two MBA’s in finance from the University of St Thomas, Houston Texas and the American University of Sharjah. He started his professional experience with Arthur Andersen in Dubai as an Auditor before taking up his current position in 1997 with the Kanoo Group. Mr. Kanoo has a reputation as a futurist and strategist with a strong track record of forecasting economic developments in and around the Middle East.

Lucy is managing Partner running successfully real estate and brokerage company Group Seven Properties LLC.

Lucy has been associated with the Company since its inception as promoter, she is responsible for the overall working of the Company and is instrumental in making strategic decisions for the Company. Lucy has over two decades of experience in the real estate sector.

The company activities are leasing, selling, management of residential and commercial properties and short valuations. In twelve years the company hold up to the top real estate companies in Dubai.

Andrew is partner in Knight Frank and Head of ME Capital Markets and OSCA. Andrew holds a Master’s degree in Real Estate Finance, Spatial Planning Development and was awarded the RICS and RTPI Academic Scotland Award for the Best Real Estate young professional in 2006. Spanning 12 years in real estate investment (9 as a qualified Chartered Surveyor), he has substantial experience in the development of a wider UAE real estate investment market with a particular emphasis on the schools, staff accommodation and industrial logistics sectors. He is regular guest speaker and contributor to the national press on all subjects relating to the commercial real estate hotel markets

Meher Mirchandani is a Director of Palmon Group and over the past years, Meher has inspired and spearheaded HR and talent acquisition to achieve notable results. As one of the Forbes Top Indian leaders, Meher recognises that culture is the cornerstone of an organisation and is responsible for creating and building a conscious culture with a growth mind set that empowers leaders to build strong, motivated and efficient teams.

Meher is dedicated to the growth of the employees believing that excellence is not a skill; it’s an attitude. Her leadership principle is that “success is something you attract by the person you become. It is your dedication to consistently grow yourself that will yield you the life you desire”. When you focus on the growth of the team player the company grows inevitably. A developmental coach and author, Meher is on the board of Entrepreneurs’ Organization and has strong passion for CSR and encouraging entrepreneurship in the UAE.

Kunal Lahori is the Managing Partner of Palmon Group, Kunal joined the Group in 2002 and served over a decade in different positions and was instrumental in establishing the Group as a major player in a range of sectors including logistics, retail, interiors, security and business storage solutions. Kunal conceptualized and led the charge to create Manrre, the region’s first industrial & logistics focused real estate fund.

Kunal has a rock-solid foundation in real estate which spans from construction, acquisition and investment. His true strength lies in asset management where he has optimized returns and asset value through tenant relationships and creative solutions. Kunal strives to be the best in whatever he pursues. He is known to be a perfectionist and pays meticulous attention to detail.

Manohar Lahori is an Indian business magnate, investor, and philanthropist, considered by some to be one of the most successful investors in Dubai.

Over 40 years ago Manohar Lahori established his first business venture, a garment factory under the name of Palmon Exports in Mumbai, India. A decade later, in 1985 Palmon moved its operations to Dubai after a meeting with late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum and so Palmon became one of the first companies to establish in UAE’s first free zone – Jafza.

Palmon Group made its name by shipping apparel to high-demand retailers in the US and Europe, including the likes of Walmart, Marks & Spencer and Gap.

Manohar has been recognized with many esteemed awards, including being CEO of the year, on the Forbes List for Top Indian Leaders in the Arab World, Arabian Business Top Leaders, Indian Power List and Top Indian Businessmen in the GCC.