Board Members

Visionary Leaders

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Mr. Shehab M. Gargash

Founder and chairman

Shehab Gargash is a member of Dubai’s Gargash family, one of the leading business families in the UAE. The family has been actively involved in various businesses since 1918 with multiple interests that include automobile, real estate and investments. In 2016, Mr. Gargash oversaw the closing of a 9-year project to consolidate the family business, thereby creating a launch platform for the business as it enters its second century. Mr. Gargash is the Managing Director & Group CEO of the Gargash Group. Mr. Gargash is also the Founding Chairman of Daman Investments, a non-banking financial services company based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates since 1998.

Prior to establishing Daman, Mr. Gargash enjoyed a successful 12-year banking career in the UAE, initially with Citibank and later with Emirates Bank International (now Emirates NBD).

Mr. Gargash serves as a Director on several regional boards. Mr. Gargash was a Board Member of the Commercial Bank of Dubai in the UAE (2011 – 2018) and also served as a Board member of Burj Bank in Pakistan (2006 – 2016). He currently also serves as a Board member of the Coutts & Co. Middle East Advisory Board, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the UAE-UK Business Council.

Mr. Gargash is a frequent public speaker and a commentator on regional socio-economic issues and trends. He wrote a popular daily column in the UAE’s Al Ittihad newspaper from 1997 to 2008. Mr. Gargash is also an enthusiastic art collector and has established the Daman Middle East Art Fund which invests in Middle Eastern contemporary art and supports regional artists.

Born in 1966, Mr. Gargash is married with four children. He holds an MBA and a BBA, both from the George Washington University in Washington, DC, USA.

H.E. Hamad R.AI Nuaimi

Board Member

HE Hamad has been a board director of Daman Investments since its establishment in 2003. He holds several executive positions at companies in the UAE, and serves as a board member at a number of prominent investment, finance, real estate and trading institutions across the region. These companies include Amanat, Reem Developers, Arab Investment Bank, Al Ramz Corporation, DBZ, Ward Holdings and other notable institutions. HE Hamad also serves as Chairman and Board Member of several government and private institutions including leading investment firms.

HE Hamad is currently the Managing Director of His Highness Sheikh Dheyab Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s Office and His Highness Sheikh Nayhan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s Office, positions he has held since 2000. He is also the Executive Director of Ministry of Presidential Affairs.

H.E. Humaid M.AI Qutami

Board Member

H.E. Humaid Mohamed Obaid Al Qutami is a government & corporate leader, with a comprehensive understanding of UAE business market and environment. He has been leading some major governmental projects and business in different sectors. He served at UAE national level as the former UAE Minister of Health & then Minister of Education, and served as the Chairman of the UAE Federal Authority for Government Human Resources. He is the Director General of Dubai Health Authority, and a member of the Executive Council of Government of Dubai. He serves as the chairman and member of many other Dubai Government’s institutions and corporations.

Mr. Humaid holds a Master Degree in Administration from Western Michigan University in U.S.A in 1985. He is having an extended experience in leading and serving the banking & financial industry in UAE. He served as the former General Manager of Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies. Throughout his career, Mr. Humaid has heavily been involving in managing and leading several national and commercial banks. Mr. Humaid is the Chairman of the Commercial Bank of Dubai. His knowledgeable engagement was mainly in the fields of human capital development, enhancing revenue diversification, boosting new areas of investment, and utilization of strategic planning for growth and sustainability.

The diversified experience, from banking, education, health, and training, qualifies Mr. Humaid to contribute a lot to the development of both public and private sectors in UAE. He has contributed a lot to the development of Higher Education institutions in UAE. He also played a significant role in the UAE voluntary movement, as a founder, Chairman and board member of many societies and associations.

H.E. Ahmad Al Darmaki

Board Member

HE Ahmed started his career at the Presidential Court in Abu Dhabi as the General Manager for the Finance and Administration Division, where he ultimately achieved the rank of Under Secretary. HE Ahmed played a vital role in the development of the water and power sector in Abu Dhabi, and was instrumental in the structure and planning of the newly established Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA). Since the establishment of ADWEA in January 1999 until he left in 2010, he was involved in managing and directing ADWEA’s business through his post as Chairman’s Office Managing Director. He served as Chairman of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Company (ADWEC), the Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Power Company (ADPC), and the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors for Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA).

HE Ahmed served as a board member in several local and international reputable companies such as the US-based electrical car manufacturing company TESLA, and is still an active Board Member / Chairman for several other well-known regional and national companies.

Samir M. Gargash

Board Member

Following his brilliant officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Great Britain. Mr Samir Gargash returned to the Gargash Family Business that had its humble beginnings on the Southern Shores of The Arabian Gulf – Dubai. After holding multiple positions at the Gargash Group, Mr Samir Gargash is currently the Chairman of Gargash Group. His vision and philosophy of customer centricity has placed The Gargash Group as a major player in the Automative Business in the GCC region.

Mr Samir Gargash is actively involved in a number of philanthropic endeavors in the UAE. He is also an investor in several industries in the Middle East and Europe.

Mohammad A. Aljallaf

Board Member

Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Jallaf has served on the board of directors at Daman Investments since 2017, where he is also Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee. After working 16 years for Emirates Bank, where he helped introduce many ‘firsts’ for the banking sector in the UAE and the region related to digital and internet banking, Mohammed now focuses his time diversifying and growing the private family business.

Mohammed has served on the boards of several notable companies in Dubai in finance, banking and real estate including Dubai Properties, Dubai Bank, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, National General Insurance, Commercial Bank of Dubai and Dubai Investments Park.

Majid Dalmook bin Dalmook

Board Member

Majid Bin Dalmook has had a diverse parallel career that began in 2002 mainly focusing on entrepreneurial activities and investment banking. Throughout his entrepreneurial career he has advised, managed and invested in various sectors including launching start-ups. Majid has regularly been an active member of company boards and strategic investment committees.

His banking career was mainly with two top tier global banks which led to the opportunity to work on several of the largest transactions in the region across various scopes of fund raising, M&A and public listings.

Abdulla A. Qassem

Board Member

Abdulla Qassem is one of the UAE’s most prominent and visionary business leaders. Abdulla is currently serving as Emirates NBD Group Chief Operating Officer. He was previously the Chairman of Network International; the UAE’s leading payments organization. He is currently the Chairman of Tanfeeth, a fully-owned subsidiary of the Emirates NBD Group, focusing on world-class shared services delivery. Abdulla’s other executive responsibilities include Chairman of Emirates NBD Properties, Vice-Chairman of the Emirates NBD EXCO and Board Member of Emirates NBD Egypt.

Outside the Emirates NBD Group, Abdulla is a Board member of D-Clear Europe Ltd, Smart Stream Technology Group PLC. He is also a Board Member of Numbrs, UAE Banks Federation, Global Tech, Advisory Board MasterCard and Daman Investments PSC.

Abdulla commenced his professional career at Emirates Bank in 1988. In just eight years, he rose to become General Manager, IT Operations and Administration. Since then, has become recognized both regionally and internationally for his business acumen, leadership skills and commitment to driving UAE innovation.