Best Private Equity & Investment CEO 2023: Saeed Al-Marri

Specialising in providing bespoke solutions and strategic investment services to a wide range of clients, Ethra Invest is a distinguished investment and private equity firm that has redefined excellence within the Middle East. At the heart of this immense success is its CEO, Saeed Al-Marri. With growth marked by a series of strategic roles and progressive responsibilities across the market, Saeed Al-Marri has established a well-deserved synonymity with industry fineness. Let us take you through his journey, and how his vision for the sector’s future has helped to elevate Ethra Invest to all new heights.

Designed to bring new solutions to the shipping, real estate, and structured funds sector, Ethra Invest is a firm that continuously leverages its in-depth market knowledge to capitalise on lucrative investment opportunities. Delivered by a team of seasoned professionals, these solutions reflect the firm’s overwhelming commitment to meticulous, research-driven investment approaches – ones that unite diligence and forward-thinking to pave the way for a far more versatile method of operation. As a result, Ethra Invest holds the ability to navigate an ever-changing landscape to great effect, earning quite the track record throughout the industry.

Whether it’s delivering consistent returns or mitigating risks, the firm has long since earned itself a reputation as one of the Middle East’s most trusted investment and private equity firms. Among its client base is a variety of entities – from high-net-worth individuals and family offices, to institutional investors and corporations. Regardless, Ethra Invest priorities tailored solutions, the likes of which only made possible due to the guidance of CEO Saeed Al-Marri. Leveraging his wealth of experience in a multitude of fields – such as fund management, financial analysis, portfolio management, and deal structuring – Saeed’s role is by far the most prominent when it comes to Ethra Invest’s promises to its clients.

This promise is, of course, that each client will receive incomparable levels of empowerment from Ethra Invest during their collaboration. Saeed has constructed the foundations of a brilliant firm, and oversees all of its pursuits in order to ensure each client achieves their financial goals. This is often time realised through a myriad of innovative and sustainable investment strategies that have been built to last – ones that stand as a testament to the hard work and experience that Saeed has put into Ethra Invest. Thanks to his unique industry insight, it’s effortlessly found itself a place at the forefront of industry advancements, which has ultimately led to its clients benefitting from cutting-edge opportunities.

Ethra Invest is a firm that embodies Saeed’s vision: “To be recognised as the premier investment and private equity firm in the Middle East, synonymous with integrity, excellence, and value creation.”. And yet, to truly understand how Saeed was able to even begin this journey in the first place, we must first look at the previous roles that have helped to characterize the type of CEO he is today. Initially commencing his career in banking and investment, Saeed actively went above and beyond to refine his skills in an array of fields. Over those years, his roles continued to advance until, eventually, he had his first experience with higher responsibilities.

This manifested through the launch of the first ever private equity managed fund in the Middle East’s shipping sector. As CEO of an investment company in the Middle East, Saeed pursued this very venture in the hopes of delivering unique opportunities to investors. These opportunities primarily consisted of direct exposure to bulk dry cargo vessels – a domain that, up until that point, had been predominantly reserved for ship owners and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Having long since recognised the outcry for change within the shipping industry, Saeed quickly became the face of market evolution, with his initiative serving to bridge an age-old gap that had no longer had reason to exist.

Fundamentally, the concept focused on creating a private equity manage fund that allowed investors, regardless of investment amounts, to directly involve themselves in the inner workings of the shipping industry. Following its inception, this approach would come to embody the very definition of innovation, with its operations allowing investors to diversify their portfolios, whilst gaining access to areas in which they had never been permitted to have a part. As a culmination of the desire to inspire change, this venture bestowed an immense wealth of knowledge and industry capability upon Saeed, which he proceeded to take with him into his current role as CEO. With such a complex background in leadership and strategic planning, there truly is no man more equipped to navigate such a dynamic market.

Combining a deep understanding of the industry’s flow, risk management, and the nuances that partner cultivating success-driven investment strategies, Saeed has fashioned a leadership style that reflects each of his strengths in abundance. Ethra Invest is in the business of tailoring its solutions to meet even the most unique needs of its clients, but it must first gather plenty of information about just what a project requires in order to thrive. Saeed spearheads this process, guiding his team of exceptional professionals towards being able to offer a heightened level of service. Through analysing the proposed objectives, whilst taking into consideration both requirements and challenges, Ethra Invest demonstrates a prowess for understanding its clients inside out.

Ultimately, this involves engaging in in-depth consultations, all so Saeed’s team of specialists can identify the exact outline of a client’s vision, as well as their financial goals and unique circumstances. Once this thorough analysis has been completed, the team progresses to the solutions structuring stage. During this part of the process, Ethra Invest aligns its strategies with a client’s overarching goals, while maintaining an approach that’s specifically designed to achieve their desired outcome. Only possible through the confidence that Saeed has instilled into his team, in tandem with its exclusive talent, Ethra Invest promises a fully customised result via finely tuned strategies.

Acting as the cornerstone of the firm’s success, placing emphasis on achieving long-lasting, mutually respectful client relationships is essential. It’s what has granted both Saeed and his team the opportunity to continuously grow to further expand their reach. Tailored solutions are Ethra Invest’s priority, and yet there’s an unapologetic dedication to fostering timeless bonds that brightly shines throughout the company’s practises. Partnered with an immense drive to consistently exceed expectations, Saeed has elevated Ethra Invest to the point where it has come to represent the new standards of the industry.

However, in order for a collective to continuously thrive, it must frequently recognise every individual who has helped to uplift it. Saeed is a firm believer in this notion, and expresses how, despite his own expertise playing an integral role in Ethra Invest’s success, it wouldn’t have gained even half of the acclaim that it faces today if not for its team. We believe Saeed puts it best – “The success of Ethra Invest is a collective effort. I would like to highlight the exceptional contributions of our dedicated team. Their commitment, expertise, and collaborative spirit are instrumental in realizing our strategic vision and achieving the milestones that have led to the Middle East CEO of the Year Awards.”

Saeed isn’t only devoted to his team and clients, however. Quite the opposite – with enough room in his heart to consider the impact that his company has on surrounding communities, Saeed goes above and beyond to commit himself to corporate social responsibility. By ensuring that Ethra Invest actively engages in initiatives that are designed to uplift the wellbeing of the communities within which the company operates, Saeed displays an immense amount of empathy. Regardless of whether this manifests through the company’s environmental awareness, or through its dedication to social welfare and ethical business practises, keeping Ethra Invest aligned with the best interests of the local community is vital to Saeed.

Values are exceedingly important to Saeed, and it’s clear that he’s fully focused on ensuring that these values are reflected throughout every aspect of Ethra Invest. Not only has he frequently defied the expectations of a typical CEO through the perfectly tailored services that his collective offers; by remaining mindful of the world around him, Saeed has painted a comprehensive picture of exactly what the company stands for. Ethra Invest is a manifestation of Saeed’s passion for providing constant forward momentum for his clients, but his attitude truly shines through his steadfast principles. The result is a company that actively seeks out innovation and adaptation, all to be the best version of itself for the world surrounding it.

Having spent many years investing in his own personal growth, Saeed has placed himself in the ideal position to pursue endless innovation. In doing so, he has secured a wealth of benefits for Ethra Invest – ones that directly derive from having a leader who is thoroughly equipped with all of the necessary tools to navigate challenges and capitalise on opportunities within the industry. Upholding continuous development is key to this process; it’s what has assisted Saeed in renewing the excellence that Ethra Invest captures, assuring clients that they’re in the best possible hands when working alongside the firm’s team. In essence, Saeed’s commitment to career development, aligned with his love for learning, has helped to forge a timeless collective whose invaluable nature will never dwindle.

Nobody ever stops learning, and Saeed is the model example of this notion. He holds a brilliant passion for lifelong learning that translates through both Ethra Invest’s services and solutions, as well as though the team he surrounds himself with. Be it educating himself on the newest emerging technologies, or updating his industry insight to devise new strategies for clients, there isn’t anything that Saeed isn’t willing to do in order to invite success into both his and his customers’ collectives. In short, Saeed demonstrates an unparalleled love for his field, and he’s certain that it’s this very passion that has played a large part in Ethra Invest’s growth throughout the years. Partnered with the brilliance of his team, Saeed is constantly raising the bar in one of the world’s most dynamic industries.

In this vein, it’s important to mention Ethra Invest’s unshakable determination to set its sights on the future. Saeed has always been an expert of seeing the bigger picture, and places focus on, not only working on present successes, but also proactively leveraging his long-term vision for what Ethra Invest could become. Committed to building a legacy of excellence, integrity, and sustainable growth, Saeed is constantly moving Ethra Invest towards a future that’s simply filled with evolution, while delivering meaningful contributions towards the investment and private equity sector. After all, with the accomplishments that the company has seen over the years, it’s only natural to expect that the blueprint Saeed has created will continue to be followed for years to come.

It isn’t often that you come across a man who has the ability to reshape an entire industry’s idea of what excellence should be. However, Saeed Al-Marri, with Ethra Invest as a catalyst, has completely redefined what clients should expect from an investment and private equity company. Saeed has successfully created a new face for the market, and it’s this very achievement that has continuously justified his position as an award-winning CEO. Ethra Invest is such an ambitious collective, and we simply can’t wait to see where its eye for innovation and longevity takes it as CEO Saeed Al-Marri guides it into 2024.

For further information, please visit https://ethrainvest.com/