The Executive Board provides strategic oversight and decision-making for Crescent Enterprises and its four platforms. This includes conducting strategic reviews, evaluating capital resources, and approving significant investments and operational decisions.
Badr Jafar is the CEO of Crescent Enterprises and the appointed Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy, United Arab Emirates. Badr is also the Managing Director of Crescent Group, the President of Crescent Petroleum, and the Chairman of Pearl Petroleum. Badr is active across various philanthropic, educational, and business-related initiatives. In 2010, Badr founded the Pearl Initiative in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships. Badr is a member of the United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing, the UNESCO International Commission on the Futures of Education, and the Board of Overseers of the International Rescue Committee. Badr is the Founding Patron of the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy at the University of Cambridge and the Strategic Philanthropy Initiative at NYU Abu Dhabi. Badr is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and served as Chair of the YPO Emirates Chapter. Badr has a longstanding engagement with the World Economic Forum, including being recognised as a Young Global Leader and serving as a Champion of the EDISON Alliance, Reskilling Revolution, and GAEA – Giving to Amplify Earth Action initiative.
Neeraj Agrawal oversees the operations and investments of Crescent Enterprises, playing a pivotal role in its growth and transformation over the years. As Chief Financial Officer and Board Member at Crescent Group and Crescent Petroleum, Neeraj manages finance and relationship-building functions within the investment and banking communities. In his role as Executive Director of Crescent Enterprises and Executive Board Member of Gulftainer, he provides management oversight on the company’s operations and investments. Neeraj’s strategic leadership has significantly contributed to Crescent Enterprises’ diverse ventures, including ports, logistics, healthcare, and power.
Ravi Kumar oversees the global office operations and shared business services at Crescent Enterprises, including accounting, business processes, systems, and human resources. He is responsible for shaping the strategic landscape of SAP ERP systems to ensure organisational agility and responsiveness to business challenges and market dynamics. Ravi provides strategic direction and oversight for Crescent Enterprises’ operations and investments and led the development of the framework for defining the company’s sustainability strategy and objectives. He also serves as a Board Member at Crescent Group and Chief Corporate Officer at Crescent Petroleum.
Tushar Singhvi leads corporate development and investment activities at Crescent Enterprises, managing strategy and corporate development for portfolio companies. With over 20 years of global experience in investment management, corporate strategy, and project management across sectors such as power, logistics, oil and gas, healthcare, and infrastructure, Tushar has been involved in diverse transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, divestitures, and debt restructuring. He serves on the Executive Board at Gulftainer, the Executive Committee at Momentum Logistics, and as a Board Member at FreshToHome, Kitopi, Northladder, Growthgate Capital, and other entities.
Cultivating an energetic work environment and an inspired team of talented individuals is central to our strategy for long-term expansion and sustainable growth.
Ahanum Khateeb specialises in bookkeeping, accounts management, and financial reporting. With a Master’s in Commerce, she is recognised for her attention to detail, strong analytical skills, and commitment to financial accuracy. With five years of experience at Crescent Enterprises, Ahanum oversees financial transactions, supports budgeting, and ensures regulatory compliance, contributing to the company’s financial integrity and efficiency.
Ananth Achanta leads the finance function and financial reporting at Crescent Enterprises. Since he joined Crescent Enterprises in 2009, Ananth has played a key role in establishing the company’s corporate governance framework. Ananth has more than two decades of international experience in investment analysis and reporting.
Bindu Sancheti is part of the investments team at CE-Ventures, where she focuses on early-stage investments across India and Southeast Asia. Prior to joining Crescent Enterprises, she spent nearly three years at a top Indian Venture Capital firm, specialising in consumer tech and business-to-business commerce. Earlier, Bindu was a management consultant, contributing to projects in agriculture, education, and climate change across India and Europe. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering, with a minor in Economics, from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.
Caroline Souchet has 15 years of experience in venture capital, e-commerce, financial consulting, and business development across emerging markets, including roles in France, Cameroon, Brazil, the Netherlands, and the UAE. As an Investment Manager at CE-Ventures, she oversees a portfolio of technology startups, with a focus on health technology and biotechnology, in the US, Europe, and the MENA region, and playing a key role in CE-Ventures’ microbiome investment platform in collaboration with a leading US research lab. Caroline was part of the founding team at an early-stage investor and held leadership roles in high-growth tech companies, where she focused on business development and customer relationship management strategies across Africa. She started her career in the energy space in France and Cameroon, followed by transaction services at a top consultancy firm. Caroline holds an MSc in Multi-Disciplinary Engineering from Ecole Centrale de Lille.
Charupriya Chahal is a seasoned professional in transportation infrastructure investment with over 20 years of experience in strategic portfolio management and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) across diverse geographies. Before joining Crescent Enterprises in April 2023, she held key roles at leading corporates in the shipping and logistics sector, successfully leading capital investments and M&A initiatives totaling billions of dollars. Currently, Charupriya is heading CE-Operates, where she manages a portfolio of assets aimed at driving growth and value creation for Gulftainer and Momentum Logistics, advocating for shareholder interests and ensuring robust governance practices while serving on the Investment Committee and Executive Committees of the portfolio companies. Charupriya holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics & Telecommunications from the University of Pune, India, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Damir Illich focuses on life science investment activities at CE-Ventures. With over a decade of experience, he focuses on investments in biopharmaceutical companies developing novel therapeutics and is supporting and providing strategic guidance to portfolio companies as a Board Director. Prior to CE-Ventures, Damir managed life science investments at a large family office in Zurich, overseeing a diverse biotechnology portfolio and providing board-level support. He has worked with leading private equity firms and pharmaceutical companies, as well as leading consultancy firms across the UK, Germany, and Switzerland. Damir holds a PhD in medicinal chemistry from the Max-Planck Institute and an MBA from Edinburgh Business School.
Emma Dickie serves as the Legal Director of Crescent Enterprises, advising on new investments and projects, portfolio management, and exits. With over 20 years of legal expertise across various industries, she has experience advising on investments, mergers & acquisitions, and complex business issues for both established and early-stage companies. Prior to joining Crescent Enterprises in January 2024, Emma worked at top-tier international law firms and in-house at multinationals and startups, advising investors and targets.
Emma Dickie serves as the Legal Director of Crescent Enterprises, advising on new investments and projects, portfolio management, and exits. With over 20 years of legal expertise across various industries, she has experience advising on investments, mergers & acquisitions, and complex business issues for both established and early-stage companies. Prior to joining Crescent Enterprises in January 2024, Emma worked at top-tier international law firms and in-house at multinationals and startups, advising investors and targets.
Ghada Abdelkader is currently leading CE-Invests expansion into India and Southeast Asia region. With over 20 years of investment experience and having worked previously in investment banking, corporate finance, and financial services consulting in the MENA region, she has managed transactions and investments worth billions of dollars, including private placements, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and greenfield projects. Since joining Crescent Enterprises in 2012, Ghada has led the evaluation, structuring, and execution of private equity and venture capital investments at Crescent Enterprises. She has managed a diverse portfolio of assets within Crescent Enterprises across ports, logistics, healthcare, private equity, and venture capital. Ghada holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Cairo University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society Emirates.
Justina Abraham is an Executive Office Administrator and Office Manager with over 15 years of experience across diverse industries. She possesses expertise in operations, confidentiality, and client relations, and is skilled in training, counselling, and strategic planning. Justina has worked across various sectors, including healthcare, logistics, automotive, aviation, and education.
Kareem Kaddoura has over 15 years of experience in management consulting and venture building across the US and the Middle East. He began his career at a top tier US investment bank and later moved into consulting, focusing on organisational development for GCC clients in both public and private sectors. In 2016, Kareem became a founding member of a food-tech startup and led product development for a US-based Internet of Things startup backed by Techstars, operating in the GCC and the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, he is part of CE-Creates’ team. Kareem holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Nicholas Joseph serves as the Director of U.S. Legal at Crescent Enterprises, responsible for all legal matters relating to the United States. He brings 20 years of experience in various aspects of legal work, including negotiation of a wide range of transactions and representation in multiple trials and appeals. Prior to joining Crescent Enterprises, Nicholas was a partner at a leading litigation boutique. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School, where he served as an editor for the Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Nicholas also clerked for the Honorable Timothy B. Dyk of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Ola Al Haj Hussin oversees Corporate Citizenship at Crescent Enterprises, with over 20 years of experience in sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and strategic partnership development. Ola’s extensive background spans non-profit organisations, regional agencies, the United Nations and the business sector, aligning business value chains with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ola excels in development project management, partnership building, fundraising, advancing corporate sustainability and philanthropic initiatives. Ola recently completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Business from the University of Cambridge in the UK. She also holds an Executive Leadership and Management qualification from Saïd Business School at Oxford University, an MSc in Applied Development Studies from the University of Reading, a diploma in French-Arabic Translation from l’Université de Lyon II in France, and a BA in Human Sciences from the University of Damascus in Syria.
Siddharth Havaldar has over 8 years of venture capital investing experience focusing on early and growth-stage companies across the US, MENA, and India regions. He has a track record of evaluating and investing in technology startups operating across the software, mobility, fintech, e-commerce, and consumer sectors. Prior to joining Crescent Enterprises, Siddharth was part of the early team at a leading startup in the MENA region. Siddharth holds a B.Sc. in Business with a Major in Finance from the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University.
Sudarshan Pareek heads CE-Ventures, overseeing investments across the MENA region, the USA, India, and Southeast Asia. With more than 15 years of global investing experience across various asset classes in private equity and venture capital, Sudarshan specialises in supporting category-leading companies at different growth stages. He leverages his extensive expertise to guide founders on strategic decisions, organisational enhancement, growth strategies, and effective navigation of capital markets. Sudarshan holds an MBA from INSEAD and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Studies from the University of Delhi.
Venkata Masala is a Senior Accountant at Crescent Enterprises, responsible for managing the company’s accounting, auditing, and financial reporting activities. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and a Cost and Management Accountant. Before joining Crescent Enterprises in 2022, Venkata worked at a multi-national technology company in the Financial Planning and Analysis division.
William Briggs is a seasoned professional with 14 years of experience providing advisory services to financial institutions and rapidly growing start-ups across various industries. Currently, he serves as a Senior Specialist in Human Resources (HR) & Talent Acquisition at Crescent Enterprises, where he leads recruitment processes and offers strategic HR and talent guidance to Crescent Enterprises and its portfolio companies. His responsibilities include building effective operational teams, leading workforce planning and HR analytics, setting diversity goals, and representing Crescent Enterprises on the United Nations Taskforce for Gender Balance. Previously, William held senior positions at top executive search firms in London, Frankfurt and the UAE, where he excelled in full-cycle recruitment, stakeholder management, and strategic business development.
Yash Bhambhwani has 10 years of professional expertise in leadership and managerial roles across diverse business domains and geographies. As Vice President of CE-Creates, he specialises in the ideation, modelling, and launch of new ventures across various sectors, including food technology, sustainable mobility, and agri-tech, leveraging his significant knowledge in building new businesses. Yash partners with various investors, corporate entities, and government bodies to develop new business initiatives. Previously, he held leadership roles at global and regional mobility companies, including at the first unicorn company in the UAE, contributing to business transformation projects that addressed key challenges faced globally. Yash has experience leading global organisations across select markets within the MENA region, Europe, and Asia.