www.bankerme.com NOVEMBER 2017 | ISSUE 200

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A D T T N IN I N E G H 18 T YEARS IN

"Everything that we are doing is driven by our investors’ needs. Our ambition is large, and we have the right team and resources to make it happen." Global

wealth Get the next issue of Banker Middle East before it is published. Full details at: creator www.bankerme.com Mohammed Alardhi Investcorp’s Executive Chairman Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority Dubai Technology

INSIDE:

14 FACILITATING 30 RISING ABOVE 60 ANTICIPATING BUDDING 70 DATA ANALYTICS TO ENHANCE CUSTOMER INDUSTRY PROGRESS ADVERSITY HEADWINDS EXPERIENCE IN FINANCIAL SERVICES 18 COVERSTORY

Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Chairman, Investcorp aims to have $50 billion in AUM by 2022.

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Global wealth creator

Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Chairman at Investcorp, has an ambitious vision to propel the firm’s international presence and to broaden its returns and offerings to clients

ifty billion dollars of “Our global footprint is really in the region in increasing; our global brand is the 1980s and in the early 1990s, (AUM)—that is the size strengthened and we are no more following the acquisition of Tiffany F Mohammed Alardhi, the just a bridge between the Gulf and & Co. and Gucci, managing to raise executive chairman of Investcorp, a the US and Europe. We are a global Investcorp’s international profile. global private equity and alternative company that is providing a suite of Up until 2015, the firm built investment firm, is targeting within alternative investments to investors a golden brand name with five years, almost doubling its current all over the world,” said Alardhi. approximately $11 billion in assets portfolio size. He wants to achieve Since its incorporation in under management, comprising of most of this by growing organically. in 1982, Investcorp had positioned corporate investments in Europe, “We want to grow AUM both in itself as the bridge between the US and the Middle East, real response to client needs and because Gulf investors and investment estate investments across North we can draw on a lot of operational opportunities in the west. Nemir America and the US based hedge leverage,” said Alardhi, a former Kirdar, the founder, had pioneered fund business, known as Alternative Omani air force chief. The focus Investment Solutions. of the five-year plan will come After Alardhi took over as mainly from growth in Investcorp’s Executive Chairman, Investcorp core businesses: private equity, started to scale up and diversify its real estate, alternative investment Investcorp aims to have business even more, offering more solutions and the credit management an AUM of choices to its investors. business, Alardhi explained. Not long into his new role, In August, the company said it the Executive Chairman laid was targeting ten investments across $50 billion out ambitious plans to push the the private equity and real estate investment firm to think big and segment in the current financial year. by 2022 carve a global role by developing With oil prices sinking in 2015 a strategy that paves the way for and Gulf economies tightening their a transformation—and so far that purse strings, many companies in the Investcorp has distributed transformation is developing well. region were hurt by the challenging In the current financial year Gulf macro environment, meanwhile the company hopes to offer with Alardhi taking the helm two $3.4 billion its clients 15 new investment years ago, Investcorp’s assets under opportunities spanning a range management have almost doubled to to its clients during the 2017 of different asset classes and its about $21.3 billion and the firm has fiscal year, the highest level in credit business, a record for the distributed $3.4 billion to its clients the firm’s history company. Traditionally, Investcorp during the 2017 fiscal year—the used to offer between four to five highest level in the firm’s history. opportunities a year. cont. overleaf

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cont. from page 21

Executive Chairman, Mohammed Alardhi leading a meeting of senior executives at Investcorp’s London office in Mayfair.

Alardhi’s ambitious growth “He brings a lot to the table—he is markets. “There are new markets target for the company can only somebody who managed one of the that we cannot ignore anymore,” be delivered by its people—and he biggest companies in the world. His said Alardhi, adding that looking believes that this is where the true real value-add has not only been on eastward will be an exciting part of strength of the company lie. “A the investment side but on the policy the company’s growth plan. challenging vision is nothing without and strategy side too, so he brings Its office presence is expanding. drive. You need an ambitious, fantastic insight,” said Alardhi. Earlier this year it opened its first entrepreneurial team who believe in Deepak Parekh, Chairman of Asian office in , joining the vision, and are laser-focused on Housing Development Finance the six other locations it operates making it happen,” asserts Alardhi. Corporation (HDFC), India’s leading from including New York, London, To help catapult itself as an financial services conglomerate has Bahrain, , and international contender amongst also recently joined and sits on the . “Our portfolio companies leaders in the industry, Investcorp advisory board which meets annually, have been active in China for has recently invited onto its advisory and he is helping Investcorp in its many years, but we see it as an board some renowned names from the quest to expand into Southeast Asia. exciting market where we would financial world including Mohamed like be more active as a Firm,” El Erian, Chief Economic Advisor at EASTERN EXPANSION said Alardhi, adding that he sees Allianz and former Chief Executive Though listed on the exchange in the opening of Singapore’s office of Pacific Investment Management Bahrain, Investcorp has become a as a springboard to gain a better Company (PIMCO), the behemoth globally recognised name, and is understanding of the region and to investment management company. exploring opportunities in emerging explore opportunities.

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A challenging vision is nothing without drive. You need an ambitious, entrepreneurial team who believe in the vision, and are laser-focused on making it happen.

– Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Chairman, Investcorp –

India is another country that Investcorp is evaluating as part of its growth plans and the Executive Chairman thinks that the country 2017 WAS A YEAR OF GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS has made great strides in creating FOR INVESTCORP a business environment that is encouraging and conducive for growth, translating into potential deals.

BANKING ON SAUDI’S HEALTH About one third of Investcorp’s AUM Assets Under Management originates from the Gulf, the lion’s $21.3 billion share of which comes from Saudi 98% Arabia, and Alardhi is determined to invest in the future of the Kingdom, helping it deliver on its objective to privatise key sectors and stimulate 34% 33% 68% additional growth. Net Income EPS Fundrasing “We expanded our team in Saudi $120.3 million $1.25 $4.1 billion and we are focused on supporting the National Transformation programme and mainly the “This has been a pivotal and successful year for Investcorp. We have made significant progress towards delivering on privatisation efforts,” said Alardhi. our ambitious growth strategy, as well as producing robust financial results for our investors. The Firm is making Healthcare is one of the sectors great headway executing a number of initiatives that are Investcorp finds most attractive. As designed to diversify the Firm’s client base, product offering, geographical reach and, ultimately, better serve the needs part of the National Transformation of our clients wherever they are in the world.” programme, KSA’s massive economic Mohammed Mahfoodh Alardhi reform plan, the government expects Executive Chairman the private sector’s contribution in total healthcare spend to reach 35 per cent OTHER HIGHLIGHTS by 2020, from the current 25 per cent. Acquisitions of government assets Capital returned Total investment activity are one way to benefit but also $ $3.4 billion $2.1 billion participating in the growth from 127% 37% demand for healthcare is another.

Industry experts have recently New New business line: European real geography identified that Saudi Arabia is lagging Investcorp Credit estate team in terms of number of hospital beds— ASIA Management established currently the Kingdom has 2.2 beds per 1,000 people, compared to the world average of 3.1. However, the Source: Investcorp cont. overleaf

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cont. from page 24 target of the five-year plan which is Though the bulk of our long term to broaden the suite of alternative growth will come from organic growth, an offerings,” he added. Infrastructure and secondary important part will come from inorganic markets in private equity are just two growth because it will help us achieve of the areas the company is exploring to help expand its offerings to clients. another key target of the five-year Additionally, a new focus for the plan which is to broaden the suite of company is institutional investors— both regionally and globally—as alternative offerings. well as to improve ties with regional sovereign wealth funds. Last year, – Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Chairman, Investcorp – Abu Dhabi’s state investment fund, Mubadala, became Investcorp’s largest shareholder, acquiring 20 per privatisation drive will help plug Seven months ago, the firm acquired cent of the alternative investment the gap with the rest of the world, 3i Group Plc’s debt management firm, to become a strategic partner according to a report by Arqaam arm, taking Investcorp’s AUM to that Alardhi sees as complementary Capital entitled, KSA, Healthcare, nearly $22 billion. The acquisition to Investcorp’s growth plan. Ready, Set, Merge. Investcorp has led to the launch of a new business “It was not possible for Investcorp already been active in this space. line, Investcorp Credit Management, to simply remain a boutique firm and Last year it bought a stake in Saudi broadening Investcorp’s capabilities continue to increase its profitability and Arabia’s Al Borg Medical Laboratories, and offerings. attract new opportunities, investors and one of the largest private medical “Though the bulk of our long funds,” said Alardhi. “Everything that laboratory chains in the region. term growth will come from organic we are doing is driven by our investors’ Education and infrastructure growth, an important part will come needs. Our ambition is large and we are other sectors that are on from inorganic growth because it have the right team and resources to Investcorp’s watch list in the Gulf’s will help us achieve another key make it happen.” largest economy. The Executive Chairman also believes that there are opportunities to be sought after from Aramco, whether indirectly by seeking out investments in auxiliary companies, such as petrochemical companies, or assets that may be spun off, as the Saudi Kingdom continues to reshape Aramco.

COMPLETING THE CIRCLE Rigidity can only stifle growth, and this is another facet of the company’s new growth plan—to be dynamic and nimble. “Our approach is centered around developing innovative solutions for our clients' evolving needs. In recent months we've created new offerings in real estate and alternative investment solutions, and are hard at work to broaden our client solutions further,” said Alardhi. A new focus for the company is regional and global institutional investors, said Alardhi.

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