Our People
Board Members
Hussain J. AlNowais
A global industrialist and business strategist, Hussain AlNowais has over 35 years of experience in investing, developing and managing businesses in the Middle East, Africa and Asia across multiple sectors, including banking, finance, heavy industries, chemicals, energy, infrastructure, hospitality and real estate.
Hussain AlNowais is the Chairman of AlNowais Investments where he spearheads the firm’s strategy of global expansion, investment, and strategic project development across the target sectors. He is also the Chairman of AMEA Power, a developer, owner, and operator of renewable power projects in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, he is also the Vice Chairman of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), UAE’s leading domestic bank. In addition, Hussain AlNowais is a Board Member in Rotana Hotels & Real Estate Investments. He is also a member of the Family Business Council-Gulf, Asia Business Council, World Economic Forum in Davos.
Additionally, he is a member of Al Fanar philanthropy impact investment and acts as a board trustee. He was one of the founding members of Sandooq Al Watan, a national philanthropist and Investment organization that provides Emiratis with guidance and funding for social impact project, with focus on technology and health care.
Until recently, and for the last 14 years, he was the Chairman of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, a non-profit social impact fund. He spent over 12 years as the Chairman of Waha Capital, a publicly listed investment company on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, He also spent 10 years as a Chairman of SENAAT, an Industrial holding company. In addition, he was the Chairman of MENA Infrastructure Fund, the National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC), and National Petroleum Services (NPS).
He served as a Board Member of the Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development for three years; he was also on the board of Abu Dhabi Aviation, Abu Dhabi Ports Company, the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Al Dhafra Insurance Company and was an advisory board member of the Khalifa University for Science & Technology. A UAE national and born in Abu Dhabi, Hussain AlNowais holds a B.S. in Business finance from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon in June 1979, and has attended various Executive Management programs at INSEAD in France and at London Business School.
Dirk Beeuwsaert
He began his career in 1971 with the Belgian power company Intercom. From 1971 to 1991 he held various supervisory and managerial positions at the Baudour, Ruien and Zwevegem power stations.
Following the merger between Intercom, Unerg and EBES into Electrabel in 1990, he became Head of Electrabel’s conventional generation, and in 1994 of generation for the company as a whole, including the responsibility over 5000MW. He was also appointed to the Electrabel Management Committee, and as Chairman of the Board of Laborelec and Recybel, and director of several companies, including Synatom, Belgonucléaire, Twinerg (Luxembourg), Rosen and Alpenergie (Italy), and Electrabel Nederland.
In 2000, Dirk became CEO of Tractebel Electricity & Gas International and member of the Tractebel General Management Committee. He was appointed Executive Vice President of SUEZ in charge of the international energy business line in 2003. In March 2009, he became Executive Vice President of GDF SUEZ in charge of the Energy Europe & International Business Line. He was appointed Chairman of the International Power Board in 2011, following the combination of International Power and GDF SUEZ Energy International. In September 2013, he also became Advisor to Gérard Mestrallet, Chairman and CEO of GDF SUEZ. In November 2014 he became CEO of the European Energy business line. He retired from his operational activities in Engie early 2016.
Philip Southwell, FCA
Non executive Director
Philip brings decades of advisory and capital markets experience with more than $100 billion in deal value across AMEA Power’s target geography.
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Philip Southwell
He trained and qualified as an ACA with Touche Ross (now Deloitte LLP) in London in 1993 and has spent the next 20 years working in emerging and frontier markets with Deutsche Bank, EFG-Hermes and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Philip has executed numerous transactions in these markets across a wide range of sectors, including infrastructure, energy and financial services.
Between 2013 and 2015, Philip was also the CEO of Exotix, a frontier market focused merchant bank, where he led the strategic growth of its business with particular focus on equity and capital markets in Africa. He also serves as the Chairman of the Investment Committee for the Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund.
Yousef AlNowais
Non Executive Director
A well experienced businessman with over 30 years of experience in the Oil & Gas and Petrochemical sectors.
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Yousef AlNowais
Mr. Yousef AlNowais is the Chairman and Managing Director of Arab Development (ARDECO), a company he founded in his home city in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. ARDECO is large diversified business and a leading player in the oil & gas and petrochemical sectors, as well as power generation and distribution and other engineering and infrastructure project services. Its large repertoire of partners and principals include such names as GE Oil & Gas, Tecnimont SpA, Linde AG, Daewoo Engineering, and many others.
He is also the Co-Chairman of AlNowais Investments LLC, a leading investment company based in Abu Dhabi, with local and international holdings in a broad range of strategic investments and actively managed subsidiaries, including:
In the UAE and GCC:
- Emircom LLC (ICT and Telecom)
- Pharmatrade LLC (pharmaceuticals and health care)
- Danway Electrical and Mechanical Engineering LLC
International:
- Archirodon NV
- National Petroleum Services
- Carbon Holdings
- AMEA Power
Prior to setting up his own business, Mr. AlNowais had joined Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) after graduating from the University of Arizona in 1979 and held many senior positions in the ADNOC group including Finance Director and Managing Director of ADNOC’s subsidiary FERTIL .
He is also currently Chairman, Vice Chairman or Member of the Board of several private institutions including:
- Archirodon NV
- Carbon Holdings
- Rotana Hotel Management Corporation PJSC
- International Mechanical and Electrical Company (IMECO) LLC
- AlDhafra National Insurance Company PSC
- Technical Metal Industries LLC,
- AlAin Sports Club (Honorary Member)
Key previous appointments include Managing Director (2007-2013) of Al Maabar International, a leading UAE organization investing internationally in real estate projects in the MENA region, which was formed as a joint venture between Al Dar Properties, Mubadala, Al Qudra Holdings, Reem Investment and Reem International.
Mohamed AlNowais
Managing Director
Mohamed, an Emirati national, has a finance and investment background.
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Mohamed AlNowais
He has also completed multiple internships with international financial institutions including HSBC in Abu Dhabi, UAE and Citi Bank in London, UK.
AlNowais holds a Bachelor’s Degree with joint honours in Economics and Business Finance from the Brunel University in London, UK.
Andrew Alli
Advisory Board Member
Andrew is an accomplished business leader and institution builder.
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Andrew Alli
Andrew is an accomplished business leader and institution builder with 35 years experience, of which 25 years has been investing in, and managing businesses in Africa. He is a trained engineer, successful institutional banker and investor that has been involved in well over USD 10 billion worth of investments in Africa.
Andrew started his career in management consulting and investment banking in the UK. He joined the International Finance Corporation in 1996, where he worked for 11 years, gaining experience in energy and telecommunications investments at its headquarters in Washington D.C., USA. In 2002, Andrew was chosen to lead the IFC’s operations in Nigeria. Four years later, he was appointed to lead the institutions operations in Southern Africa.
In 2008, after a stint as the co-founder of a private equity fund, Andrew was appointed President and CEO of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), until 2018. Under his leadership, the AFC delivered over $4.5 billion in investments across 30 countries, becoming a leading African financier of infrastructure.
In 2019, Andrew joined SouthBridge Group, a pan-African investment bank, as Partner and Chief Executive Officer of the firm. Andrew also has an extensive directorship experience, serving on the board of a number of prestigious companies in various jurisdictions across two continents.
Since 2009, Andrew has been an angel investor, supporting many well-known startups in their earliest stages of growth.
Andrew holds a B.Eng in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from King’s College London and a MBA from INSEAD Business School. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Hussain J. AlNowais
A global industrialist and business strategist, Hussain AlNowais has over 35 years of experience in investing, developing and managing businesses in the Middle East, Africa and Asia across multiple sectors, including banking, finance, heavy industries, chemicals, energy, infrastructure, hospitality and real estate.
Hussain AlNowais is the Chairman of AlNowais Investments where he spearheads the firm’s strategy of global expansion, investment, and strategic project development across the target sectors. He is also the Chairman of AMEA Power, a developer, owner, and operator of renewable power projects in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, he is also the Vice Chairman of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), UAE’s leading domestic bank. In addition, Hussain AlNowais is a Board Member in Rotana Hotels & Real Estate Investments. He is also a member of the Family Business Council-Gulf, Asia Business Council, World Economic Forum in Davos.
Additionally, he is a member of Al Fanar philanthropy impact investment and acts as a board trustee. He was one of the founding members of Sandooq Al Watan, a national philanthropist and Investment organization that provides Emiratis with guidance and funding for social impact project, with focus on technology and health care.
Until recently, and for the last 14 years, he was the Chairman of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, a non-profit social impact fund. He spent over 12 years as the Chairman of Waha Capital, a publicly listed investment company on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, He also spent 10 years as a Chairman of SENAAT, an Industrial holding company. In addition, he was the Chairman of MENA Infrastructure Fund, the National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC), and National Petroleum Services (NPS).
He served as a Board Member of the Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development for three years; he was also on the board of Abu Dhabi Aviation, Abu Dhabi Ports Company, the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Al Dhafra Insurance Company and was an advisory board member of the Khalifa University for Science & Technology. A UAE national and born in Abu Dhabi, Hussain AlNowais holds a B.S. in Business finance from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon in June 1979, and has attended various Executive Management programs at INSEAD in France and at London Business School.
Dirk Beeuwsaert
Dirk was appointed as Vice Chairman for AMEA Power in June 2017 and brings with him a wealth of industry experience.
He began his career in 1971 with the Belgian power company Intercom. From 1971 to 1991 he held various supervisory and managerial positions at the Baudour, Ruien and Zwevegem power stations.
Following the merger between Intercom, Unerg and EBES into Electrabel in 1990, he became Head of Electrabel’s conventional generation, and in 1994 of generation for the company as a whole, including the responsibility over 5000MW. He was also appointed to the Electrabel Management Committee, and as Chairman of the Board of Laborelec and Recybel, and director of several companies, including Synatom, Belgonucléaire, Twinerg (Luxembourg), Rosen and Alpenergie (Italy), and Electrabel Nederland.
In 2000, Dirk became CEO of Tractebel Electricity & Gas International and member of the Tractebel General Management Committee. He was appointed Executive Vice President of SUEZ in charge of the international energy business line in 2003. In March 2009, he became Executive Vice President of GDF SUEZ in charge of the Energy Europe & International Business Line. He was appointed Chairman of the International Power Board in 2011, following the combination of International Power and GDF SUEZ Energy International. In September 2013, he also became Advisor to Gérard Mestrallet, Chairman and CEO of GDF SUEZ. In November 2014 he became CEO of the European Energy business line. He retired from his operational activities in Engie early 2016.
Philip Southwell, FCA
Non executive Director
Philip brings decades of advisory and capital markets experience with more than $100 billion in deal value across AMEA Power’s target geography.
READ MORE
Philip Southwell
Philip is the founder and CEO of Axius Capital. Since its founding in 2013, Philip has led Axius in developing a unique investment framework for infrastructure investments in emerging markets, focusing on channelling institutional capital into long-term projects.
He trained and qualified as an ACA with Touche Ross (now Deloitte LLP) in London in 1993 and has spent the next 20 years working in emerging and frontier markets with Deutsche Bank, EFG-Hermes and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Philip has executed numerous transactions in these markets across a wide range of sectors, including infrastructure, energy and financial services.
Between 2013 and 2015, Philip was also the CEO of Exotix, a frontier market focused merchant bank, where he led the strategic growth of its business with particular focus on equity and capital markets in Africa. He also serves as the Chairman of the Investment Committee for the Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund.
Yousef AlNowais
Non Executive Director
A well experienced businessman with over 30 years of experience in the Oil & Gas and Petrochemical sectors.
READ MORE
Yousef AlNowais
Mr. Yousef AlNowais is the Chairman and Managing Director of Arab Development (ARDECO), a company he founded in his home city in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. ARDECO is large diversified business and a leading player in the oil & gas and petrochemical sectors, as well as power generation and distribution and other engineering and infrastructure project services. Its large repertoire of partners and principals include such names as GE Oil & Gas, Tecnimont SpA, Linde AG, Daewoo Engineering, and many others.
He is also the Co-Chairman of AlNowais Investments LLC, a leading investment company based in Abu Dhabi, with local and international holdings in a broad range of strategic investments and actively managed subsidiaries, including:
In the UAE and GCC:
- Emircom LLC (ICT and Telecom)
- Pharmatrade LLC (pharmaceuticals and health care)
- Danway Electrical and Mechanical Engineering LLC
International:
- Archirodon NV
- National Petroleum Services
- Carbon Holdings
- AMEA Power
Prior to setting up his own business, Mr. AlNowais had joined Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) after graduating from the University of Arizona in 1979 and held many senior positions in the ADNOC group including Finance Director and Managing Director of ADNOC’s subsidiary FERTIL .
He is also currently Chairman, Vice Chairman or Member of the Board of several private institutions including:
- Archirodon NV
- Carbon Holdings
- Rotana Hotel Management Corporation PJSC
- International Mechanical and Electrical Company (IMECO) LLC
- AlDhafra National Insurance Company PSC
- Technical Metal Industries LLC,
- AlAin Sports Club (Honorary Member)
Key previous appointments include Managing Director (2007-2013) of Al Maabar International, a leading UAE organization investing internationally in real estate projects in the MENA region, which was formed as a joint venture between Al Dar Properties, Mubadala, Al Qudra Holdings, Reem Investment and Reem International.
Mohamed AlNowais
Managing Director
Mohamed, an Emirati national, has a finance and investment background.
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Mohamed AlNowais
Mohamed is a Managing Director at AMEA Power. He is also the Chairman and Managing Director of Tama Investment & Development LLC. Previously he was an Investment Associate at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). Also, AlNowais worked with J.P. Morgan in New York, USA, as an Investment Banking Analyst and worked with AlNowais Investment Company in Abu Dhabi as a Business Analyst.
He has also completed multiple internships with international financial institutions including HSBC in Abu Dhabi, UAE and Citi Bank in London, UK.
AlNowais holds a Bachelor’s Degree with joint honours in Economics and Business Finance from the Brunel University in London, UK.
Andrew Alli
Advisory Board Member
Andrew is an accomplished business leader and institution builder.
READ MORE
Andrew Alli
Andrew is an accomplished business leader and institution builder with 35 years experience, of which 25 years has been investing in, and managing businesses in Africa. He is a trained engineer, successful institutional banker and investor that has been involved in well over USD 10 billion worth of investments in Africa.
Andrew started his career in management consulting and investment banking in the UK. He joined the International Finance Corporation in 1996, where he worked for 11 years, gaining experience in energy and telecommunications investments at its headquarters in Washington D.C., USA. In 2002, Andrew was chosen to lead the IFC’s operations in Nigeria. Four years later, he was appointed to lead the institutions operations in Southern Africa.
In 2008, after a stint as the co-founder of a private equity fund, Andrew was appointed President and CEO of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), until 2018. Under his leadership, the AFC delivered over $4.5 billion in investments across 30 countries, becoming a leading African financier of infrastructure.
In 2019, Andrew joined SouthBridge Group, a pan-African investment bank, as Partner and Chief Executive Officer of the firm. Andrew also has an extensive directorship experience, serving on the board of a number of prestigious companies in various jurisdictions across two continents.
Since 2009, Andrew has been an angel investor, supporting many well-known startups in their earliest stages of growth.
Andrew holds a B.Eng in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from King’s College London and a MBA from INSEAD Business School. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Mahabir Sharma
Chief Technical Officer
Mahabir, a mechanical engineer from India, has over 40 years of experience within the power and water sector. Prior to joining AMEA Power, he worked at Sembcorp and TAQA, where he led the construction and commissioning of AES Barka IWPP in Oman.
David Falcon
David has over 20 years of experience in all advisory, lending and bond market activity with a proven track record in renewables, oil & gas, and infrastructure finance at Edmond de Rothschild, MUFG, Scotia Capital and Citi. Prior to joining AMEA Power, he was a Managing Director and Head of Energy for 7 years with Edmond de Rothschild.
Hussein Matar
Senior Director – Business Development
Hussein, a British National, has over 20 years of experience ranging from consulting, strategic planning, business development and project execution in the energy and infrastructure space. He previously worked for Deloitte, Hess, Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation and AlNowais Investments.
Aqueel Bohra
Senior Director – Project Development
Aqueel is a CFA Charter holder and a mechanical engineer from India, with over 24 years of experience in development and financing of infrastructure projects, fund raising, corporate investments and engineering, having previously worked with AlNowais Investments and KPMG Global Infrastructure Projects Group.
Basma Bentaher
Senior Director – Project Development
Basma, a Moroccan national, has 14 years of experience in project development and project finance, mostly built in the renewable energy sector. Prior to joining AMEA Power, Basma worked for Access Power as Business Development Director and, before that, for MASEN as Projects Leader.
Samir Nacef
Senior Director – Project Development
Samir is specialized in the development of large-scale power and water infrastructure projects in both conventional and renewable energy technologies. With 13 years experience, Samir has a proven track record in the development of IPP projects, working for International Power and Engie.
Mohammed Shaikley
Senior Director- Investments and Mergers & Acquisitions
Mohammed, an American national, has more than 18 years of experience in investment banking, M&A, private equity, fund management, and corporate finance; a significant portion of which has been in the infrastructure sector. He previously held senior roles at Investbridge Capital, Landmark Real Estate Investment Management and AlNowais investments.
Clare Back
Clare, a British national, has more than 18 years of experience in legal, with a focus on renewable energy in Africa. Prior to coming to Dubai, she worked in London for a developer on a variety of infrastructure projects in Sub–Saharan Africa, and has also worked on energy projects in Central and South–East Asia.
Nivaldo Pignot
Senior Director – Legal
Test Test Test
Nivaldo Pignot
Director, Project Finance
Test Test Test
Donato Sasso
Director, Delivery and Execution
Donato is an Italian national and civil engineer with more than 35 years of experience, with 21 years in the power sector. He previously worked at Alstom, Areva, Iberdrola and Alcazar Energy, and has gained experience in project’s construction management across several markets such as America, Europe, Middle East and West Africa.
Zhu Yinteng
Director – PD, EPC & Supply Chain
Zhu, a Chinese national, has 15 years of experience in the power generation sector. He was previously the Chief Representative of Shanghai Electric for the MENA region.