Mr. Salah Sharif
Ms. Fatema Kamal
Dr. Hassan Almulla
Ms. Haifa Sulaiman
A key player in the strategic management of the Group’s core operational functions, Salah Sharif, Chief Operating Officer of GFH, is also responsible for ensuring the highest standards of operational excellence across the Group and its Special Purpose Vehicles and Project Companies. He has more than 30 years of regional and international exposure to conventional and Islamic banking and finance, with experience across commercial and wholesale banking and in industrial and infrastructure advisory sectors. In addition to his executive role at the Group, Salah also serves on a number of investee company boards. He is the Chairman of Falcon Cement Company, Vice Chairman of Infracorp and Vice Chairman of Gulf Holding Company, and a Board Member of Khaleeji Commercial Bank, GBCorp and CapCorp. Prior to his current role in GFH, Salah was seconded as the CEO of Cemena Holding Company (CHC), an industrial subsidiary of the Group, one of the largest cement holding companies in the MENA region. Previously, he held a number of senior roles in leading, global financial institutions, including American Express and Standard Chartered Bank where he held key executive positions. Salah holds an MBA from the University of South Wales, UK. And most recently, he completed the Senior Executive Leadership Program offered by Harvard Business School, Boston, USA.
Fatema Kamal is the Chief Executive Officer at Britus Education and is a Senior Executive Director at GFH Financial Group, leading on the Group’s education investments. She has played an instrumental role in the operational transformation of the British School of Bahrain and other education assets in GFH’s portfolio. Fatema has 18 years of working experience and a strong track-record of sourcing, structuring, advising and managing private equity. She has in-depth field experience in the financial sector specializing in investment structuring, strategic and organizational planning, tax structuring oversight, Sharia product structuring, joint venture negotiation, business development and project management. Prior to joining GFH, Fatema held the position of Senior Executive Director of Investment Baking at Global Banking Corporation BSC. She also worked as an auditor with KPMG Bahrain. Fatema holds a master’s degree with honors in Business Administration from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom, and a bachelor’s degree in accounting with honors from the University of Bahrain. Fatema is also a qualified and licensed CPA from The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and CIA from The Institute of Internal Auditors.
Dr. Hassan Almulla is the President of University of Technology – Bahrain. He also previously held the position of Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bahrain Polytechnic and the Chair of the General Sciences Department at the College of Health Sciences. Dr. Hassan has a proven track record of more than 26 years and extensive experience in leading, establishing, and growing educational institutions. His extensive experience in teaching, research, and academic administration has culminated in the creation and implementation of a highly ambitious but pragmatic institutional strategy in light of organizational challenges and based on the best educational standards while strengthening governance and financial management. Dr. Hassan holds a PhD in Physiology from the University of Edinburgh, a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences from the Arabian Gulf University, and a Diploma in Business Administration from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Haifa Sulaiman is an Executive Director at GFH Financial Group focusing on GFH’s education investments. Haifa was part of the leading team members in establishing GFH’s education platform “Britus Education”, in addition to assisting with strategic acquisitions and managing the operation of other education assets in GFH’s portfolio. Haifa has also played an instrumental role the operational and brand transformation of AMA International University, currently knows as University of Technology Bahrain. Haifa has over 14 years of working experience with a blend of educational knowledge andcommercial skills and a respectable track record is sourcing, structuring, advising and managing private equity in addition to financial experience, investment structuring and project management process of several investments post the acquisition phase. Haifa is a Board member in Britus International School, Bahrain, Britus International School for Special Education and a member of the Board Trustee in University of Technology Bahrain. Haifa holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from University of Bahrain and has passed the first level of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exams and is a level II candidate.
