Emad Barsoum

Co-Founder

With 30 years of experience leading and investing in growth companies, Emad’s singular vision of supporting entrepreneurs as they work to grow their businesses is the driving force behind Ezdehar’s success. Emad is a member of the firm’s investment and portfolio committees and is involved with the firm’s investments in AluNile, Global Corp, Dsquares, Rich Foods, Family Group, and Al Tayseer HealthCare Group.

Emad also serves as Chairman of AluNile, Global Corp, and Rich Food, working closely with senior management and providing operating insights and development coaching to help them transform their companies.

Before founding Ezdehar, Emad was a Co-Founder and Partner of 8 Miles LLP, an Africa-focused private equity firm that raised approximately USD 200 million and executed investments across Egypt, Uganda, and Ethiopia.

Previously, he spent 10 years with the Orascom Telecom Group as CEO of Wind Hellas, where he led one of the largest debt restructurings in Europe in 2009, and as Chairman and CEO of OrasInvest Holding, where he led the growth of the company across 8 countries in North Africa and Asia and later exited the business to a PE consortium in the largest MENA LBO at the time. He was also the co-founder and CFO of Djezzy Algeria, and a Director at Mobinil (currently Orange, Egypt’s first mobile network operator).

Emad started his career as a civil engineer in New York, spending six years with Parsons Brinckerhoff and Imbsen & Associates.

Emad holds an MBA from INSEAD, a PhD in Engineering Mechanics from Columbia University, and a BSc in Civil Engineering from Cairo University.

Amir Mishriky

Co-Founder

With more than 20 years of experience in private equity and operations, Amir spearheads Ezdehar’s investment activities, actively shaping the firm’s investment philosophy and developing its investment professionals. Amir is a member of Ezdehar’s investment committee and has a significant role in its investments in AluNile, DSquares, Family Group, and Al Tayseer HealthCare Group and has also supported the other transactions of the firm.

Amir is also a non-executive Director at AluNile and Rich Food, where he supports their management teams in enhancing their finance and control functions and exploring inorganic growth initiatives through M&A, JVs, and other strategic expansion initiatives.

Before co-founding Ezdehar, Amir was an Associate Director at The Carlyle Group in the Middle East during 2007-2014 and was actively involved in transactions in Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Malaysia, Iraq, and the UAE. Amir was involved in Carlyle’s exit of its investment in the General Lighting Company (GLC), where he also originated and executed an add-on acquisition of a company in Southeast Asia on behalf of GLC.

Before his time at The Carlyle Group, Amir was an Associate with HC Securities and Investment, where he worked on advisory assignments in the financial services, packaging, logistics, telecoms, and heavy industries.

Amir started his career as an operations engineer at Al-Ezz Steel Rebars Company where he led several plant upgrades that increased productivity and stabilized manufacturing operations.

Amr El-Salanekly

Co-Founder

With more than 10 years of experience in investing and operations. Amr focuses on leading new investments and co-leads Ezdehar’s portfolio management and ESG efforts. Amr is a member of the firm’s portfolio committee and often takes a hands-on leadership role in the implementation of transformation initiatives at its portfolio companies. Amr has supported Ezdehar’s investments in AluNile, Global Corp, Family Group, and Al Tayseer HealthCare Group, and has led the screening and due diligence of several investment opportunities across the TMT, business and financial services, logistics, and industrial manufacturing sectors.

Before co-founding Ezdehar, Amr was a Senior Associate with Vodafone Ventures, where he invested in frontier technologies to extend Vodafone’s reach beyond voice and data propositions. He led the company’s investments in Damlag, Kngine, Eventtus, and Swipe’n’Tap.

Before this, Amr was an investment professional at Delta Financial Investments and Swiss private equity group ACE & Company. Amr is also a co-founder and trustee of Educate Me, a leading Egyptian social enterprise that focuses on community schooling and the professional development of public school teachers. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers community and a contributor to the forum’s impact investment agenda.

Amr has completed the Executive Development Program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and holds a BSc in Business Informatics from the German University in Cairo.

Yasmina El-Maghraby

Investment Professional

With more than 10 years of experience in corporate finance, business planning, and project management, Yasmina initially joined Ezdehar in 2018 as an investment professional, where she worked on numerous investment opportunities across various sectors, including education, healthcare, FMCGs, Agriculture, F&B, Retail, Packing, financial services, and business services. During her years as an investment professional, she led the value creation plan in Dsquares and supported the fund’s investment in Rich Food. She then left to lead the institutionalization, expansion plans, and digital transformation of a family business, where she supported the group in securing around EGP 400 million in debt, project managed the implementation of a full scope SAP S/4Hana ERP system across three companies, and led several financial and non-financial initiatives, including formulating a policy for collections and enhancing the collection process, improving communication across teams, and aligning operations with strategic objectives. She recently rejoined to lead Ezdehar’s finance function, investor relations, and support the transformation of the finance function in portfolio companies as part of the fund’s post-investment plan. Early in her career, Yasmina co-founded one of the largest aluminum manufacturing companies in Egypt, where she led the business planning, debt financing, and project management.

Yasmina is a Certified Private Equity Specialist (CPES) from LEORON Institute and holds a Master of Science degree in Banking and Finance and a BBA in Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management from Nile University.

Amina Khalil

ESG Team

Amina is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience, specializing in the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors in diverse organizations. Currently, she oversees Ezdehar’s ESG performance and ensures the seamless integration of sustainable practices across the firm’s investment portfolio.

In her previous roles at the Bank of Alexandria, Amina dedicated over three years to crafting and implementing ESG and sustainable finance frameworks. She successfully managed the bank’s direct and indirect environmental and social risks, aligning strategies with its Italian parent company, Intesa Sanpaolo Group. Amina’s commitment extended beyond risk management, as she led sustainable finance projects that advanced financial literacy and inclusion, aligning with the ambitious goals of Egypt’s Vision 2030.

Before her tenure at the bank, Amina contributed to sustainability as the CSR & Sustainability Assistant Manager at Orascom Development. Here, she initiated environmental sustainability projects, formed strategic partnerships, and fostered cross-functional synergies contributing to El Gouna, the company’s flagship project, advances towards carbon neutrality.

A trained economist, Amina holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the American University in Cairo and a Master of Science degree in Environment & Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom. Committed to continuous learning, she earned her ESG Certification from the CFA institute, participated in the Thrive Leadership Program by the THNK School of Leadership, and earned a Banking Credit Course Certificate from the American University in Cairo in 2023, 2022, and 2019 respectively.

Mahmoud El Baroudi

Investment Professional

Mahmoud joined Ezdehar in 2022 with over 17 years experience in corporate finance, investment banking and operations management , at Ezdehar he focuses on leading Ezdehar’s up and coming SME fund, spearheads portfolio management efforts for Alunile and Rich food and offers significant support in deal origination and execution.

Prior to Ezdehar Mahmoud was the COO for Muriya an Orascom affiliate company and Oman’s largest real estate tourism developer where he was responsible for all operational matters across various lines of business, managing different business units within Muriya’s developed Destinations, and representing the owner in Muriya-owned hotels.

Before Muriya Mahmoud spent 5 years as Gouna’s general manager heading the Town Management business. This encompassed 12 companies covering a comprehensive range of services provided by Gouna, including but not limited to education, healthcare, retail and entertainment. In this capacity, Mahmoud successfully restructured underperforming businesses, executed strategic plans for new projects, and played a key role in organizing global events such as the El Gouna Film Festival.

Mahmoud has completed the Executive Development Program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and holds a B.A. in Economics from the American University in Cairo.

Youssef Tantawy

Investment Professional

Youssef joined Ezdehar in 2020 with 3 prior years of investment analysis and advisory experience. At Ezdehar, Youssef focuses on supporting the execution and portfolio management of new investments including leading the development of financial models and conducting financial analysis and market research as part of screening new investments.

Prior to Ezdehar, Youssef spent almost three years as an Investment Banking Analyst at CI Capital (2017-2020), a leading publicly traded investment bank where he worked on several M&A and equity capital market transactions across different industries including food & beverage, financial services, distribution, pharmaceuticals, and TMT.

During his time at CI Capital, Youssef’s experience included advising (i) Rameda Pharmaceuticals, a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer on its USD 109 million initial public offering on the Egyptian Stock Exchange, (ii) Pyramid Poultry, a food manufacturer, on the sale of a strategic stake in Cairo 3A, and (iii) Dr. Oetker on its 100% acquisition of Tag El Melouk for Food Industries, a food manufacturer.

Youssef holds an MSc in Finance from Lancaster University and a BSc in Accounting from the American University in Cairo.

Diyar Hozaien

Investment Professional

Diyar joined Ezdehar in 2020 with 4 prior years of investment research and analysis experience. At Ezdehar, Diyar focuses on supporting the execution and portfolio management of new investments including leading the development of financial models and conducting financial analysis and market research as part of screening new investments.

Prior to Ezdehar, Diyar spent a year as an Equity Analyst at a leading mid-market bank, Pharos Holding (2019-2020), where she was responsible for creating and maintaining various financial models for more than 10 publicly traded stocks on the Egyptian Stock Exchange. Earlier, Diyar spent a year as an Investment Banking Analyst at Beltone Financial (2018-2019) where she performed market screening, research, and financial modelling for various transactions. Diyar started her career as a Corporate Finance Analyst at EFG-Hermes (2017-2018) where she reported directly to the Chief Financial Officer of the brokerage line of business.

Diyar holds a double degree with highest honors in Accounting and in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo. She is also a CFA Charterholder.

Mariam Helmy

Investment Professional

Mariam joined Ezdehar in 2021 with 2 prior years of investment analysis and research experience. At Ezdehar, Mariam focuses on supporting the execution and portfolio management of new investments including leading the development of financial models and conducting financial analysis and market research as part of screening new investments.

Before joining Ezdehar, Mariam spent two years as a Private Equity Analyst at BPE Partners (2019-2021), a leading private equity firm in Egypt, where she assessed investment opportunities across several sectors including the education, pharmaceuticals, consumer, healthcare, and real estate sectors.

During her time at BPE Partners, Mariam had an active role in the screening and assessment of potential investment opportunities including market research, deal sourcing, valuation exercises, and financial modeling for various transactions.

Mariam holds a BBA in Finance and a minor in Economics from the American University in Cairo.

Fady Takla

Investment Professional

Fady Joined Ezdehar in May 2022 with 2 prior years of experience in investment analysis and research. In his role at Ezdehar, Fady focuses on new investments, taking the lead in developing financial models and conducting financial analysis and market research, while also providing hands-on support in portfolio management.

Before joining Ezdehar, Fady served as a Private Equity Junior Analyst at EFG-Hermes Private Equity from 2021 to 2022. In this role, Fady assessed investment opportunities across various sectors, including Renewable Energy, Education, and Healthcare. Responsibilities included market research, deal sourcing, valuation exercises, and financial modeling for diverse transactions.

Fady graduated with High Honors in Business Administration, specializing in Finance, from The American University in Cairo in 2021.

Moushira El-Gayar

Admin Team

Moushira joined Ezdehar in 2018 with over 10 years of executive suite office management experience. Moushira leads Ezdehar’s procurement, secretarial, and other back-office efforts. She supports the team in their day-to-day activities and also supports HR in maintaining office policies as well as providing general support for office visitors.

Before Ezdehar, Moushira held multiple executive assistant positions. Most recently, she was the assistant manager to the Deputy CEO at Sarwa Capital Group. Previously, she was an executive assistant at Symrise Egypt and an executive administrative assistant at The Oasis Hotel.

Moushira holds a BA in Mass Communications from Cairo University.

Ehab Anwar

Finance Team

Ehab has more than 30 years of finance and administration experience and leads the company’s finance function, taking overall responsibility for accounting, auditing, and financial reporting of the fund and all related legal entities. Ehab’s experience across tax, corporate finance, and treasury management is crucial in supporting Ezdehar’s portfolio companies and helping them build robust reporting and control environments.

Before joining Ezdehar, Ehab was a Group Tax Manager at Mobiserve Holding, overseeing the group’s tax and accounting across multiple countries and regions. Previously Ehab held several accounting and finance roles within the Orascom Telecom group, and before this, he was an accountant with Seti First. Ehab started his career at Deloitte.

Ehab holds a BA in Commerce and Accounting from Ain Shams University

Maha Shamaa

Finance Team

Maha recently joined Ezdehar in 2023 as a Finance & Compliance associate, contributing to the company’s finance function including accounting, auditing, and financial reporting of the fund. In addition, she handles the fund’s compliance and manages the finance and compliance aspects of the portfolio companies.

Before Ezdehar, Maha spent six years in Group Corporate Treasury department at Orascom Construction where she worked on handling the group’s cash and debt and conducting a full analysis of the group’s performance. In addition, she contributed to expanding the group’s portfolio by setting up new facilities and increasing the total bank facilities’ limits. Maha also played a key role in increasing the group’s exposure growth in the MENA region and the US.

Before that, she spent four years working in the Credit & Marketing department at Incolease where she worked on conducting financial analysis and market research for potential clients and she managed to close several deals across different industries including education, food & beverage, real estate, and pharmaceuticals.

Maha holds a BBA in Economics and a minor in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo. She also received her Banking Credit & Risk Management Course Certificate from the American University in Cairo.

Mohammed AbdelRaouf

Admin Team

Mohamed is a seasoned corporate counsel and litigation expert with experience in managing restructuring situations with more than 40 years of experience in the field. He has worked with Ezdehar for the past five years where he supports the management of all legal matters and provides expertise on legal issues related to deal execution, as they arise.

Before Ezdehar, Mohamed’s experience entails working as a Legal Counsel at Mobiserve Holding and before that as a Partner at AlKamel Law Office.

Mohamed holds a BA in Law from Alexandria University in Egypt.

Erik Bosman

Independent IC Member

With over 25 years of financial services experience spanning principal investing, banking, and international development, Erik supports Ezdehar’s investment team in making investment decisions by providing insights and guidance on global best practices while driving the team to critically appraise all investment opportunities.

Most recently, Erik was a Director with the Netherlands Development Finance Institution “FMO” where he was responsible for managing the institution’s EUR 1.5 billion private equity program in addition to making new commitments of EUR 300 million annually.

Before his time at FMO, Erik spent more than a decade with AlpInvest Partners, a leading private equity fund of funds with over EUR 40 billion in AUM. During his time at AlpInvest, he was Managing Partner of the co-investment team and Head of the company’s London office, as well as being a founding member of the mezzanine investing franchise.

Before this, Erik spent two years with the merchant bank De Nationale Investeringsbank in The Hague and London, where he focused on project finance, leveraged finance, and high-yield transactions. Erik started his career with the Volvo Truck Corporation, where he provided commercial finance and credit to Dutch companies.

Erik holds an MA in Business Economics with a specialization in Finance and Strategy from the University of Groningen.

Walid Musallam

Independent IC Member

Walid has more than 35 years of experience in managing funds, investment companies, and financial institutions. Walid supports Ezdehar’s investment team in making investment decisions through challenging investment theses and driving the team to build holistic views of businesses through rigorous analyses. Walid also supports the team by sharing his vast knowledge of global investing best practices, which he has accumulated through years of working with global private equity players.

Most recently, Walid was Global Partner and Fund Head at The Carlyle Group’s operations in the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey where he led the establishment of a USD 500 million fund. During his time at Carlyle, he completed investments in transportation, healthcare, education, manufacturing, and the F&B sectors.

Earlier in his career, Walid was CEO and Chairman of the Investment Committee at Abu Dhabi Investment Company, and CEO of Middle East Capital Group, a Beirut-based investment bank. Before that, Walid was the Founder and Managing Partner of Washington-based Infrastructure Finance Group, a boutique financial advisory firm providing services to developers of energy and power projects in emerging markets. Walid started his career at IFC, where he completed USD 2.5 billion of infrastructure investments.

Walid holds an MBA from Columbia University, an MSc in Construction and Engineering Management from Stanford University and a BSc in Civil and Urban Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania