Our talent

Carl Phillips is a Certified Management Consultant with over 40 years’ experience identifying and placing the right CEOs and leaders to elevate organizations. He has created several assessment instruments and tests on leadership and effectively passed said learnings on throughout The Phillips Group, giving it today’s edge within the search market. Phillips is an active chairman across the group providing on-going expertise, market knowledge and relationships.

Phillips has been the Head of Global Organization Effec­tiveness for Watson Wyatt Worldwide, which is now called Willis Towers Wat­son, one of the largest management consulting companies in the world, with over 14,000 employees. He has been a keynote speaker in several international conferences on leadership and has written several articles on “The True Job Description of the CEO”, a unique insight into the critical force in an organisation. Phillips authored the book “Winners Are Not Lonely At The Top” and co-authored a book called “Global Literacies”.

Shane Phillips is the CEO of The Phillips Group and specialises in Board and CEO placement. With over 15 years’ experience, Phillips is an expert in working with Boards and CEOs to help them transform their business, realise their vision and achieve their organisational objectives. Phillips’ focus is on sound human capital management practices and strategic hiring. He is a board member at Ownmycareer.com, the online career management site, and is also a Board Member at Digital Analytica, the digital transformation company.

Phillips has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from the London Business School. He also authored the books “CEO Assessment & Selection” and “Get Your Dream Job”.

Richard is an exceptional business consultant, using his deep knowledge of people management to help organisations achieve high levels of effectiveness and sustainable competitive advantage. He typically works with Boards of Directors, Leadership Teams and Family Owners, developing business models and governance structures, as well as working with individual leaders as expert, guide and mentor helping them optimise personal and organisation performance.

With extensive experience in the Middle East, UK and Europe, Richard has led large cross-functional projects to transform leadership practice in major organisations. These have included organisation development, improving recruitment and retention systems and creating performance-based executive reward structures. Over the last 25 years, he has worked across GCC and other Middle Eastern countries in sectors including Financial and Professional Services, Oil and Gas, Automotive, Logistics and Retail, Government and Government-owned Institutions and Conglomerate Organisations.

Craig Marek is a healthcare specialist with extensive leadership experience in emergency medical care, crisis management, first responder teams and other healthcare-related fields. Marek’s expertise allows him to provide expert advice and insights on key projects within the healthcare field. Throughout his career, Marek has led teams that included the third largest emergency call coverage area in North America. He has been renowned for his work in Ambulance and Emergency Care work and has been involved in setting standards, auditing, and reviewing emergency response teams across the nation.

Marek has been recognized for his work to drive international legislation to allow for transnational collaboration and cross border emergency services to integrate effectively across Canada and the United States of America. Previously, Marek was the Chair of the Minnesota/Ontario Cross Border Interoperability Committee.

Ziad Makhzoumi is a leading strategy and restructuring expert who has helped many businesses and business leaders achieve their objectives in a structured, wholesome, inclusive approach that aligns all the stakeholders’ aims, and operates within the resources available to achieve long term positive measurable outcomes. His strategy, leadership coaching and restructuring approach is direct, practical and engaging, and ensures that critical changes needed in this dynamic business environment, happen effectively.

Ziad Makhzoumi is a known public speaker and author and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Business and Finance both from Manchester University, UK. He started his career with Booz Allen & Hamilton Inc, the global management consultants. He has held various executive senior positions over the years and started many successful businesses globally.

Because of his outstanding achievements over the last decade in various sectors, Ziad Makhzoumi was voted in 2009 as The Revolutionary CFO of the Year, and for Excellence in Finance in 2010, and as the Most Admired CFO in the Middle East in 2011. Wall Street Journal listed him in 2010 among the top 20 most influential non-royal decision makers in the UAE. Arabian Business listed him in 2012 among the top 500 most influential Arabs in the world and in 2013 and 2014 among the top 50 influential Brits in the UAE. He was awarded the Middle East CEO of the year in the Healthcare Sector 2014 by CEO Middle East magazine.

Ian Young is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Internal Auditors with 40 years of internal auditing experience. During his career, he has worked with global FMCG companies such as British American Tobacco in the USA and Africa and Del Monte Foods, financial services in the UK (Zurich Financial Services and Axa Sunlife) as well as Head of Global Assurance for Save the Children, a global charity and humanitarian organization operating in 100 countries.

More recently he has spent 10 years as the head of internal audit and risk for major family groups both in the UAE and Oman. These roles covered a wide range of commercial sectors including food manufacturing, education, construction, oil and gas, hotels, retail and mall management, electrical goods trading, estate management and automotive.

Ian recently took semi-retirement to focus on consultancy opportunities and start a business in the Philippines and run a small hobby farm. He studied Internal Auditing and Management at City University Business School, now called Bayes Business School.

After 25 years of working in the banking industry in the region, Amin left his position as CEO of Oman Arab Bank in 2018 and started his consultancy career. Amin is a serial angel investor in the EdTech and FinTech space and the Founder and CEO of Ennovate LLC, a financial and management advisory firm specializing in M&A, financial and organizational restructuring.

Amin was an international banker for 10 years working in the trade finance, treasury and capital markets space. He was also the General Manager of Arab Bank plc, Bahrain where his main focus was managing client relationships: family offices, high net-worth individuals, corporations and institutional investors.

Amin and has an undergraduate degree in Physics, an MBA and an MSc in Business Research from Fox Business School at Temple University, Philadelphia.

Majed has spent his 32-year career in banking, consulting, and technology. starting in the US in 1990 with State Farm Insurance as a systems analyst and then with Arthur Andersen Business Consulting as a global director of consulting. Majed worked and delivered projects in 20+ countries and served on boards for multiple banks and companies.

Majed’s experiences are in starting new businesses, divestures, IPO management, debt restructuring, international operations, M&A, as well as leadership coaching and mentoring. Since co-founding Ennovate, he has closed and delivered several restructuring mandates across the MENA region.

In 2001 he relocated to the Middle East, with stops in Kuwait, Dubai, Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia in C-Suite positions with leading banks like Arab Bank, Commercial Bank of Qatar, Housing Bank Jordan, and Kuwait Finance and Investment Company. Majed also spent several years managing the GCC family office portfolio companies and providing investment advisory services to HNWIs as an advisor and group CEO.

Majed holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Yarmouk University and an MBA from Illinois State University.

Peter Baker is the Group Chief Human Resources Officer at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). Peter has the responsibility for driving the Group’s people and culture journey to ensure the HR function delivers for our people today and prepares them for what is next at FAB.

Peter has 25 years of experience in Human Resources, Sales and Marketing roles at Procter & Gamble and Maersk Group. Before joining FAB, he served as the Chief Human Resources Officer for Damco, a world leader in logistics and supply chain management, with a presence in over 80 countries.

He has vast experience across Asia Pacific, USA and EMEA having lived in Singapore, Netherlands and Denmark.

Peter holds a bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Technology, Sydney

Lamees Al Bahrana provides guidance and expert insight to all Chief Risk Officer, Chief Credit Officer and Risk restructuring efforts through her wealth of experience. Formerly, Al Bahrana was the Chief Risk Officer for Oman Arab Bank, where she advised the Board of directors and led the Bank’s enterprise-wide risk strategy through digital transformation. Al Bahrana enhanced frameworks to cover emerging risks, implemented cybersecurity solutions and improved operational resilience while sustaining growth and customer-centricity. She also has experience working with global brands such as Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch.

During Al Baharna tenure as Head of Risk Management at Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company in the Kingdom of Bahrain, she formulated and implemented best-in-class Enterprise Risk Management and corporate governance frameworks for both its direct investments and liquid portfolios for the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain. Al Baharna is a CFA holder and completed her Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from McGill University in Canada.

Andrew Layton is the Careers Management Director with The Phillips Group. Graduate in History and Sociology from Oxford Brookes University and recently relocated from the UK, Andrew is skilled in Business Planning, Team Leadership, Customer Service and Finance. A strong business development professional with over 35 years experience. A strong work ethic with a wholly customer centric perspective looking to ensure the best possible candidate satisfaction. An ex professional rugby player who still follows the game avidly

Finding the right job isn’t easy. As a Certified Career Services Provider, I enjoy assisting clients through each step of the process, from career exploration and assessments, to the development of job search skills like networking, resume, and interviewing, and finally to managing multiple offers and negotiating salary.

I have over 20 years of experience in career coaching, recruitment, employability and career guidance. My goal is to assist you in your professional journey. As a certified professional resume writer (CPRW), a firework career coach and a member of the Professional Association for Resume Writers & Career Coaches (PARWCC) as well as the Careers Development Institute (CDI), I possess the credentials to support my passion. I am a professional who offers personalised support to individuals across various industries, with particular expertise in assisting tech professionals. My specialty is crafting bespoke resumes, CVs, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and personal branding statements that accurately represent your unique qualities, skills, and achievements. I provide coaching on interview skills, job search strategies, salary negotiations, and career planning to empower individuals to achieve their goals. I find it incredibly rewarding to support individuals in their career journeys and witness the regained confidence they experience. As a pragmatic and solution-focused coach, I have a deep understanding of the tools available for a successful job search and career change. I possess strong knowledge of using LinkedIn and networking as a strategy, and I also empathise with people when introducing new ways of working. My aim is to assist individuals in taking charge of their careers, allowing them to attain contentment and achievement on their own terms. I aid in recognising strengths, transferable skills, interests, and principles and facilitate comprehension of the steps required to obtain the desired position. I also offer support in adjusting to the initial change, evaluating possibilities, and sharing beneficial tools and knowledge during the entire process.

With a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management and a background in HR and recruitment for the NHS, a global telecoms company, investment banks, and law firms, I have seen thousands, and written hundreds, of CVs.

As the Founder and Chair of the British Association of CV Writers, I am passionate about helping individuals achieve their career goals. I specialise in creating compelling CVs and LinkedIn profiles that are tailored to reflect each client’s unique strengths, experiences, and personality. By focusing on clear, concise language and strategic storytelling, I help clients present their achievements in a way that resonates with hiring managers and recruiters.
I take pride in helping clients highlight their achievements, boosting their confidence, and guiding them through their career transitions. My clients often praise the personalised and supportive nature of my service, noting how valued and understood they feel throughout the process.
In addition to my professional work, I mentor other CV writers as well as undergraduates at Queen Mary, University of London.

As a distinguished Career and Leadership Coach, Barbara Stickland brings a wealth of experience in steering professionals through successful career transitions. With a track record of guiding over a hundred clients through successful career transitions, her approach combines more than 4 years of dedicated career coaching, supported by extensive experience in Human Resources. Her career coaching journey is deeply rooted in her HR expertise, where she has led comprehensive recruitment processes at all levels, showcasing her unparalleled ability to identify and nurture talent. This foundation has provided her with a unique perspective on career development, making her adept at preparing clients for behavioral competency interviews and giving them a competitive edge in the job market. Barbara has leveraged her HR and coaching expertise to deliver impactful career transition and leadership excellence programs across diverse industries, particularly for professionals in the dynamic IT and communications sectors. Embrace the opportunity to work with Barbara, where career coaching is not just about the next job but about a transformative journey built on a strong HR foundation and enriched by multicultural insights and strategic expertise.

Personal Branding is the key to confidence in advancing in your career. Your resume, your LinkedIn profile, and your vision make together with your brand.
Please don’t forget: If you don’t own your brand, you can’t own your career.
As a Certified Professional Coach and a Marketing Professional with 10+ years of multi-national experience, I empower ambitious professionals and leaders to fast track their career growth.
I’ve had over +500 hours of coaching with my clients to clarify their career goals, sharpen their vision, craft their resumes and take bold action steps!
I have proudly served clients from Avon, Shell, KPMG, Museum of the Future, HSBC, Allianz, Mondelez International, NatHealth, Chr. Hansen, and many more.

With over 25 years of banking experience, Akbar Kazmi brings the seasoned eye that only experience can foster. He was mentored in global best practices from brands such as Standard Chartered Bank. Having spent the majority of his career in the GCC, Kazmi has an intuitive understanding of the subtle yet powerful undercurrents in the region.

Throughout his career, Kazmi chartered numerous positions in the banking industry, including Corporate, Institutional and Private Banking. He was the former Deputy Head of Risk for the National Bank of Dubai where Kazmi developed Risk frameworks, processes and methodologies. More recently, Kazmi assisted in overhauling Credit Risk Assessment practices at Commercial Bank International, resulting in a significant reduction in NPA’s at the Bank. Kazmi is an active teacher and guest speaker at the Emirates Institute for Banks and Financial Studies where he regularly delivers training sessions to mid and senior-level bankers.

Iulian Gamurari is specialised in the Executive Search industry in Europe and the Middle East. He has successfully delivered numerous C and C-1 level talent to large conglomerates across the GCC within Private Equity, Banking, Healthcare, Hospitality, Real Estate, Automotive, FMCG and Education industries. Prior to joining The Phillips Group in Dubai, Gamurari worked with Pedersen & Partners, a leading multinational ES firm, where he gained broad exposure from search execution to sourcing team management.

Gamurari has placed multiple C-level positions across a litany of industries, recently including; the CEO of FMCG Distribution at a Large Family Office in Saudi Arabia, Group CFO for a Large Family Office in Lebanon and Chief Executive Officer of a Large Mall Operator in Saudi Arabia. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Bolyai University, Romania, and speaks fluent Romanian, English and Russian. Gamurari can also speak Spanish and Italian.

Touseef Manna has over ten years of talent acquisition and RPO experience from both working as an Executive Search Consultant as well as an in-house corporate recruiter.

Prior to joining The Phillips Group, Manna placed mid to senior level and C-suite roles in several industries, including; oil & gas, services sector, entertainment, real estate and the BPO industry across the UAE, India and Saudi Arabia. Manna holds a MBA in Human Resource Management from the University of Mysore, India, and a CHRP certification from the American Institute of Certification in Dubai.

Nasser Zagha has over 22 years of experience in corporate digital transformation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, ERP/CRM, EDMS implementation, software development, architecture and automation. Zagha is the Founder of Digital Analytica, a joint venture with The Phillips Group. He has completed over 100 Software/System development life cycles and is an expert in software performance process improvement, data management (Big Data) and data science.

He became a .com entrepreneur in 1998 when Zagha started BestURL based in Silicon Valley. The business serviced Fortune 100 companies across the United States of America. Zagha also held positions as Vice President of Technology at the Bank of America for five years, then Chief Information Officer with Bank of Jordan. Zagha holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Engineering from California State University and an MBA from Oxford Brookes University.

Adil Bilal is an expert-level executive search consultant with over 15 years of experience working for search firms in the UAE and Pakistan. He has successfully managed many recruitment projects for large MENAP and North American companies. He has a proven track record of placing senior-level candidates for clients in various industries including Financial Services, Retail, Distribution, Real Estate and IT. Over the period of fifteen years, he gained extensive experience placing CEOs for the groups based in the UAE, Saudi and Kuwait. Adil previously worked as a Senior Talent Acquisition Officer for a USAID project and has worked for a US-based recruitment firm in Pakistan. Adil holds a Masters’ Degree in Computer Science from the SZABIST University, Pakistan.

Angelo Mathews has over 14 years experience with a background in broadcasting and business journalism. Mathews is a talented creative director, video editor, producer and videographer. His exceptional work ethic, ambitious spirit, resourcefulness and passion for advocating his point of view makes him an invaluable member of the team. Mathews produces TPG’s invaluable online business tools and supports the effective sharing of said tools with relevant clients and candidates.

Mathews has a BA degree from St. Xavier’s College, India. Prior to joining TPG, he was running his own Media Production Company in Mumbai, India which he started after working at CNBC India as Executive Producer for over six years.

Cristina Avanu is an Associate Consultant with The Phillips Group. She has a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Banks from “Lucian Blaga” University in Romania, Sibiu. Started her career in Retail Banking in Romania working for top performing Banking Institutions in the country. Being always open to new learning opportunities she pursued an aviation career where she gained over a decade of experience in leadership and customer service. UAE is her home since 2011, which gives her an advantage and insight into the local market. In addition to her native Romanian, she speaks fluent English and has basic communication skills in French and Spanish.

Thariq Mudhasir is a skilled professional with extensive experience in healthcare and banking. He has spent a significant portion of his career working with clients across the United States to develop innovative solutions that heavily improve patient outcomes and reduce costs for practices in the healthcare industry.

Graduating from the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing, Thariq started his career in banking, gaining valuable skills in financial analysis, reporting, and providing excellent customer experience. His experience in banking provided him with a strong foundation, which he leveraged in his work in healthcare by streamlining operations, optimizing the use of technological resources, and managing the human resource models contributing heavily to the recruitment function.

Outside of work, Thariq enjoys expressing his creativity through drawing. He is also passionate about learning programme development, data management systems and understanding new technology.

Sandy Chahine is a Business Development Executive with The Phillips Group. Fluent in Arabic, English, and proficient in French, Sandy brings a unique international perspective to her role. With over five years of experience in quality control and marketing, she has developed a strong foundation in strategic planning and brand management. Recently relocated to Dubai, Sandy specializes in connecting C-suite executives with transformative opportunities, focusing on CEO and executive placements across the GCC region. Known for her relationship-building skills and passion for driving growth, Sandy is committed to delivering exceptional results for clients and candidates alike.

Julius Paceño is an experienced Business Development Specialist with a strong background in sales, customer service, and client relations. With nearly a decade of experience across call centers, retail, and immigration consulting, he brings a results-driven approach to business growth and client engagement.

Before joining The Phillips Group, Julius worked in customer service and telesales for U.S. and Australian accounts in the Philippines, where he developed strong communication and sales skills. He later transitioned to retail sales and merchandising in Dubai, handling inventory management and sales operations. His expertise further expanded into immigration consulting, where he guided clients through relocation processes and provided strategic sales support.

In his current role, Julius focuses on building partnerships, driving business growth, and enhancing client engagement, making him an integral part of The Phillips Group’s success.

Michelle Aguilar has over seven years of experience in sales and customer service across BPO and retail industries in the Philippines and the UAE. She is skilled in building strong relationships and delivering results.

Before joining The Phillips Group, Michelle worked with Acquire Asia Pacific, a leading BPO company in the Philippines, and Azadea Group in the UAE, where she contributed to driving sales success.

At The Phillips Group, Michelle focuses on business development, engaging with senior executives to build partnerships and support growth initiatives.

Michelle holds a Diploma in Tourism Management from World Citi College in the Philippines, highlighting her commitment to customer-centric roles.

Natália Inocêncio Yano is a specialist in beauty and skincare sectors and has a passion for consumer retail businesses. She is responsible for key research projects and works on CEO, C-Level, General Manager and key leadership mandates across Europe. In addition, she works across industries where she has been instrumental in securing key executive talent for her clients.

Enrico Columno is renowned for his ability to access hidden talent pools, globally. An experienced researcher who has worked on a litany of industries and executive-level searches, Columno has built up a powerful network over the past decade working on senior-level mandates.

Columno has exceptional administrative support capabilities working on data gathering, encoding, management and generating intricate reports for clients. Previously he worked for leading organizations like Logica (CGI,) Philippines, and SGS where he received numerous awards and recognitions for exceptional service delivery.

Peter Hughes brings a unique set of skills, experience and knowledge after serving over 24 years in military service, then later as Chief Operations Officer at Invictus. He specialises in risk management, crisis management, security policies, threat and risk assessment as well as physical and asset protection.

Through both the military and Invictus, Hughes’ experience has spanned multiple continents, including South East Asia, the Middle East and Afghanistan. His travels and assignments have given Hughes extensive knowledge and experience, including leadership, staff training, facility protection, site surveys, risk management, strategic planning and utilisation of information to identify potential threats and dangers. Hughes is an exceptional Senior Partner who focuses on improving individual and team productivity.