SFO Capital Partners’ CEO Mohamad Abouchalbak sharpens the organization by nominating a C-suite senior management team

London July 3, 2023 – SFO Capital Partners announces the nomination of C-suite executives, marking a significant milestone in the firm’s journey towards institutionalization and ensuring a path of sustainable and well-structured growth.

As part of this new functional organizational approach, SFO Capital Partners is pleased to nominate Tarek Germanos (Head of Investments), as Chief Investment Officer (CIO), Benjamin Koch (Head of Business Development – Europe) as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Ahmed Naja (Head of Finance) as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). All three executives will continue to report directly to Mohamad Abouchalbak (CEO) and will retain their positions within the firm’s investment and management committees.

CEO Mohamad Abouchalbak, who has been leading the business for over a decade, refers to the firm’s significant evolution as he explains the rationale behind the shift to a functional and institutional leadership model: “Today, we are globally invested in eight different jurisdictions. In addition to our traditional office and housing verticals, we have successfully established a footprint in both the logistic and private credit segments. As a natural consequence of our growth and increased diversification, we aim to optimize individual responsibilities, while adhering to the highest industry standards. Ensuring process efficiency and fostering collaboration are essential for us to maintain our agility, which is one of our key unique selling propositions.”

In his role as CIO, Germanos will be responsible for overseeing all transactions, including buy-side and sell-side activities, as well as deal sourcing, debt origination and the expansion into new sectors and markets. Koch, taking on the role of COO, will continue to contribute to deal sourcing managing the interface with operating partners, while leading the portfolio management function focused on unlocking value throughout the investments’ lifecycle. Naja, as CFO, will oversee all corporate controlling, accounting and tax matters, as well as deal-related structuring, legal and fiscal considerations.

In addition, Zeina Khairallah has been promoted to the position of Managing Director, where she will lead the investor relations function responsible for investor coverage and equity raising, in response to the firm’s continued growth.    

Expressing his confidence in the appointed individuals, Abouchalbak adds: “Each member of our senior management team has played an instrumental role in our evolution thus far. Our shared experience, built over almost a decade of collaboration, fosters trust in a highly efficient working environment, ensuring the longevity of our business and delivering value to our investors. The senior management team will collectively drive a firm-wide approach through the implementation of our investment philosophy, risk management strategy, and further adoption of ESG principles.”