Finance Monthly April 2019 Edition

THE YOUNG AND POWERFUL LEADER OF THE INVESTMENT WORLD MEET THE WINNER OF CEO TODAY ’S MIDDLE EAST AWARDS 2019 - ABDULLAH HAMAD ALTERKAIT It has been two very rewarding years for Abdullah H. AlTerkait. Having held the position of Chairman of Al Safat Investment Company in Kuwait since 2013, Abdullah has steered the company through many hurdles and into profitability, placing it ahead of the competition with its values and services. Al Safat has been busy with accolades and milestones in the past few years. Last year, the company received an award from Guinness for the impressive vinyl sticker tribute to the Amir of Kuwait, HH Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, on the Al Safat Tower. A year later, the company went on to win one of the 2019 CEO Today Middle East Awards in the field of investment. Abdullah AlTerkait is nothing short of what all leaders should aspire to be; a leader with a very positive and proactive outlook for the future who has spearheaded crucial business developments during his tenure. ith a background in finance and economics, Abdullah has spent the last 18 years of his professional career working in various sectors in Kuwait. He has previously held senior positions at Sarh Real Estate Company, The Roots for Brokerage (Egypt), Danah Al Safat Foodstuff Company and at Al-Ezdehar Real Estate in Lebanon. His extensive experience has given him plenty of insights into different sectors and regions out of Kuwait. Today, in addition to his position as Al Safat Investment’s Chairman, he is also the Head of Committee of the Politics and Economics Committee at the Union of Investments Company (UIC) and is a board member of local establishments like UIC and Shuhaiba Industrial Company, as well as the Executive Manager of Gulf Cable and Electrical Industries Co for the investment sector. It is indeed inspiring to see someone of his calibre and young age achieve so much in the past few years. His professional achievements are not only limited to the ones on his resume - the 35-year-old award winner also has a long list of certifications in Marketing, Finance, Investment Management and has completed a Financial Services Program from Harvard Business School. He is currently pursuing an EMBA from the London School of Economics. AlTerkait lives by the words of Benjamin Franklin: “An Investment in knowledge pays the best interest”. Education has always been at the forefront of his priorities and his hunger for learning never ceases. There are not many leaders who, at the very young age of 29, are able to take charge and turn a company around in the middle of a financial crisis. Al Safat Investment was going through a rough couple of years prior to 2013 when AlTerkait was appointed Chairman of the company. Debts were high, employees were in a stressful situation, shareholders and clients were extremely unhappy and there was immense pressure from the banks. At the time, it seemed like salvaging the company and bringing order out of this chaos would be a tedious challenge. Al-Safat Investment W 13 www.finance-monthly.com EXECUTIVE INSIGHT - AL SAFAT INVESTMENT