Most influential fund mangers in MENA named

The annual list of the top 50 most influential people in the financial industry’s fund sector in the Middle East and North Africa have been named by a leading magazine in the region.

Mena FM’s second annual Power 50 list has ranked individuals according to their commitment to innovation, leadership, resilience and transparency throughout the difficult market conditions of the past year.

The top ten include Naser Habulsi, founder and executive chairman, Al Mal Capital, Karim Nehma and Kashif Siddiqui, co-heads of asset management, EFG Hermes, and Deon Vernooy, head of asset management, Emirates NBD.

‘The Mena FM Power 50 reflects the wealth of talent which is steering the region’s fund sector through a particularly difficult period,’ said Kathryn Gaw, editor of Mena FM.

‘The list comes at a time when strong leadership is crucial, as political unrest across the region impacts fund performance and stalls new investment opportunities. The combined experience and success of these 50 individuals bodes well for the future of the region’s fund market,’ she explained.

According to Nick Morgan, publishing director of the Emerging Markets Fund Management (EMFM) Group collating the list is becoming increasingly difficult, as the region’s constant growth and development means there are more people vying for the top slots.

‘The attention this issue receives is an indication that despite the recent troubles the fund industry within the Mena region is as buoyant as ever, and I wish all those on the list and those who narrowly missed out this year the greatest of success in 2011,’ he said.

Mena FM is a member of Pageant Media’s EMFM Group of magazines. It is the only magazine dedicated to providing a cutting-edge insight to the Mena fund management space. Each issue includes the latest news, performance data, profiles, strategy, industry comment and relevant articles, read by fund managers, investors and service providers across the world.

Other on the list include Maha Al-Ghunaim, managing director, Global Investment House, Osamah Shaker, managing director and head of investments, HSBC Saudi Arabia, Farah Foustok, CEO of ING Investment Management (Middle East), Fadi Tabbara, CIO and head of asset management, Jadwa Investment, Abdul Kadir Hussain, chief executive officer,  Mashreq Capital, Jawdat Al-Halabi, chief executive officer of NCB Capital, and Anthony Mallis, chief executive officer of SICO Bahrain.