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Meet Our Team
Late Chairman
MOHAMED S. AL GEZIRY
Late Chairman
Mohamed S. Al Geziry
Late Chairman
As founder of the consultancy, Mohamed Al Geziry brings over 40 years of experience in the hospitality and tourism industry in the Gulf, having held a number of senior management positions in sales, marketing, and hotel management.
In his formative years during the 70’s and 80’s, Mr. Al Geziry was responsible for the development and direction of sales and marketing strategies for both Inter-continental and Sheraton Hotels across the Gulf region.
He is one of the founders of the Dubai Commerce and Tourism Promotion Board, now known as Government of Dubai's 'Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing', and an active partner in a committee which was established for Dubai Hotel Classification.
Prior to setting up his own consultancy, he was the general manager of Dutco Hotels. One of his most important roles included responsibility for the strategic direction and full day-to-day operation of the world-famous Jebel Ali Hotel and Golf Resort. Among his management record were the highly prominent Hatta Fort and Oasis Beach hotels.
Mr. Al Geziry has extensive knowledge of all aspects of hotel and tourism development, operations, and management, both locally and internationally. Today, in his capacity as Chairman of the Consultancy, he is assisted by a team of young, highly knowledgeable professionals, with whom he collaborates to collectively deliver the highest level of success for clients.
In addition to his many commitments, Mr. Al Geziry is a member of Conseiller Culinaire of the Dubai Baillage “Chaine des Rotisseurs”, a member of the Skål Club in Dubai, and of SITE, MPI and the Institute of Hospitality.
Owner
ALIA ABOU ALWAN
Owner
Chairperson
NOOR AL GEZIRY
Chairperson
Financial Controller
HASSAN KIRA
Financial Controller
Alia Abou Alwan
Owner
Co-founder of the Consultancy, Alia Abou Alwan was an important part of her Husband's Hotel Life for over 30 years, involved in many aspects of being the perfect host including welcoming Royalty and Dignitaries from around the world.
Born in Kuwait and educated in Lebanon, Alia lived most of her life in Dubai, where she began her professional career at the Dubai Petroleum Company in 1968 to then move to the Commercial Bank of Dubai as the first and youngest Ladies' Bank Manageress in the world - a great experience filmed by the BBC's documentary "Women Behind the Veil".
From there, Alia moved to London to work as the Private Secretary for H.E. the UAE Ambassador for 4 Years. She then came back to manage a jewelry and silver exclusive outlet in Dubai that also sold top quality French China and Crystal at a time where no other outlet in the region offered such quality artifacts.
Prior to co-founding the consultancy, Alia also organized many antique exhibitions in Dubai for 10 years with the Vice Chairman of “Lapada” (London Antique Dealers Association) and the famous “Sotheby” Auction that took place at the Dubai World Trade Center.
She is a natural communicator and a perfect public relations personality that is capable of communicating with almost any one, she is your perfect host.
Noor Al Geziry
Chairperson
Noor Al Geziry: A constant quest for the new and unexplored!
An expert in project management from inception to implementation and knowledge transfer with over 10 years of field experience in the areas of hospitality, tourism, business development, event management, marketing & communication functions.
A great communicator and goal-oriented with top notch organizational skills, Noor has an innate ability to bring people and ideas together, to think strategically and to work specifically in details.
Her passion for challenge and her interest in exploration have earned her various work opportunities in different fields over the past years. These include Brand Management & Design, Marketing & Events, Real Estate & Development, and Government Leadership Development & Training.
Noor has also acquired extensive experience in strategy, technology, research, benchmarking and developing quality standard schemes, amongst others, while working on several major business transformation projects that would develop the hospitality and tourism industry further. The nature of work and her experiences over the years with the company has also developed her client relationship management skills as she also oversees the Consultancy’s entire operations while providing the team with the support that encourages self-development, sought after results and achieved targets.
Hassan Kira
Financial Controller
Qualified in Egypt, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Commerce - majoring in Accounting from Ain Shams University, Hassan has over 29 years' experience in the fields of Finance and Accounting holding several positions in different industries both in Cairo and Dubai.
Prior to joining Mohamed Al Geziry Consultancy as an Internal Auditor, Hassan worked as an Accountant for a Multinational Company in Cairo and continued his career working for the Food Industries Company for seven years as an Accountant before being promoted to Internal Auditor. He later joined a tourism company, a subsidiary of the Export Development Bank of Egypt Corporation where he served as Internal Auditor for eleven years before assuming the position of Chief Accountant.
Currently in his capacity as Financial Controller, Hassan oversees the financial activities, book-keeping and implements financial controls within the Consultancy in addition to preparing financial reports, budgets and financial forecasts on a regular basis.
His last position as the Financial Controller of Mohamed Al Geziry Consultancy which he held for seven years in addition to more than 26 years of diversified experience within the fields of Finance and Accounting, have equipped him with the knowledge and skills that enable him to provide expect advice and consultancy on the financial activities of the whole organization in his current capacity as Financial Consultant.
General Manager - Destination Marketing
AHMED FATHALLAH
General Manager - Destination Marketing
Support Services Manager
Support Services Manager
NAOMI MONTALBO
Data & Research Analyst
KRISTINE JEAN SALVIA
Data & Research Analyst
Kristine Jean Salvia
Data and Research Analyst
Kristine holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and is currently pursuing her master's degree in the field of Mathematics.
Prior to moving to Dubai, Kristine has gained 4 years of experience in the collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation of quantitative information in the academic sector.
Currently as the company's Data and Research Analyst, her role includes reporting and data processing tasks and is involved in the initial stages of survey design to analysis and interpretation of results on a range of research projects in the food & beverage, leisure, tourism and hospitality sectors. She plans and conducts research on businesses and markets and provides helpful analysis for decision-makers.
Some of the major projects she has been involved in were the 2012/13 Dubai International Visitor Survey, 2012 Community Survey (re-commissioned in 2015) both completed for Government of Dubai, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, 2015-2016 Research of Meraas Business Holding Units and Review, Advisory and Revision Accommodation Classifications Standards for government units such as Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, Department of Ajman Land & Real Estate Regulatory, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority and Umm Al Quwain Tourism Department.
Ahmed Fathallah
General Manager - Destination Marketing
Born and raised in the UAE, Ahmed holds a Bachelor Degree in Hotels Management. He has diverse sales and strategic planning portfolio with a focused approach through service standard management and innovative financial acumen.
Results driven, he has proven abilities in managing projects, improving efficiency of operations, and adapting proven strategies to varied international conditions in the hospitality industry that spans over 12 years in the region.
Ahmed is highly organized and analytical. His ability to turn challenges into solutions with his positive attitude and sound hotel sales experience allows him to offer his clients truly specialized services with great care.
Prior to joining the Consultancy he worked with Hilton Hotels Worldwide, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, Samaya Hotels and Resorts and was appointed as Regional Senior Manager for The Economist, The Guardian and The Observer in the region.
Ahmed has also the ability to identify strengths and weaknesses in the product and service process and implement policies and procedures in order to improve and drive financial and service results.
Senior Consultant
Senior Consultant
NIAMH HUNTER
Senior Consultant
KARMA EL-FADL
Senior Consultant
Senior Consultant
MANIA MERRIKHI
Senior Consultant
Karma El-Fadl
Senior Consultant
Karma El-Fadl is an experienced professional with over 15 years of experience in management consulting and research. She has focused on strategy, business planning, strategic HR and project management.
Over the last five years, Karma has been working as a Contract Consultant in Dubai with clients across multiple industries including healthcare, media, tourism and professional development. Projects have ranged from organizational transformation and performance improvement, to data analytics and strategic planning.
Prior to that, Karma worked as a Project Director a Houston Methodist Global Healthcare Services (HMG) in Dubai providing consulting services for the planning and development of healthcare facilities across Europe, Middle East and Africa.
She also previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for four years where she led the Health Industries Practice's largest and most complex projects, which included an engagement in Qatar for the Supreme Council of Health to design and structure their national health insurance scheme. She also managed a yearlong project in Abu Dhabi to develop an authority's strategy, organisational design, governance structures, as well as policies and procedures. Karma has led market research teams on an number of feasibility studies which included developing business plans for new business ventures in the wellness industry. She also contributed to several HR and change management assignments. During he time in PwC, Karma also served as regional trainer on soft consulting skills and analytical techniques.
Before relocating to Dubai, Karma worked with the Financial Times Stock Exchange Group in London on responsible investment, the United Nations Development Program in Beirut on developing strategic environmental assessment legislation for Lebanon, as well as with the American University of Beirut on water conflict resolution and corporate social responsibility.
Karma holds an MBA with Distinction from Cass Business School in London, as well as an MSc in Environmental Technology and BSc in Environmental Health from the American University of Beirut.
Mania Merrikhi
Senior Consultant
Mania Merrikhi is a career Communications professional who specializes in Marketing, Event Management, Business Development, and the development of Marketing Training Programmes.
A strategic thinker and planner, Mania firmly believes that content is the base of any marcomms project. Of late, she has worked on numerous projects for large and small corporations in the fields of branding, brand architecture, and marketing training programmes, all with the richness of content and cost-effectiveness at the forefront.
She is the former Head of Communications for Economic Zones World, a DP World company. In this role, Mania initiated several innovative and result-oriented communication strategies for Jebel Ali Free Zone, National Industries Park (formerly Technopark), and Dubai Auto Zone, the three principal subsidiaries of DP World. With her impressive career graph spanning over 19 years in communication projects for the Corporate Group.
Mania is a motivating leader and an enthusiastic team-player. She graduated in the year 2000 from Al Mawakeb School in with honours and went on to obtain Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Emirates Aviation College and a Masters in International Business from Wollongong University. She has recently completed Doctorate of Business Administration from Atlantic International University.
She loves swimming and keenly engages in CSR activities and initiatives all over Dubai. She continuously supports multiple charitable organisations and is a member of AMSI Voices Committee, an Al Mawakeb School platform designed to enable youth in the UAE to make the right career choices.
Niamh Hunter
Senior Consultant
With 25 years' experience in the industry, 15 of which in consultancy, Niamh has spent the previous 9 years focusing on developing and improving destination Guest Accommodation Frameworks and has extensive knowledge, experience and expertise of global practices, developments and trends within the tourism & hospitality industry. She is as well versed on destination guest accommodation frameworks and their associated classification and licensing standards, scoring principles and assessment processes; as she is on industry trends and the continuous product evolution of the market leaders such as the large international operators, who invest heavily in identifying and meeting ever changing market needs and expectations.
Having worked as project lead with many emerging, previously loosely regulated destinations, Niamh has experience in developing Classification and Licensing frameworks from the ground up. Her focus is towards achieving a "win-win" scenario, by developing frameworks that support the destination growth strategy, and which are viable both operationally and financially for the industry. Whilst clear definition of minimum acceptable standards is the basis of success, the need for operator individuality and profitability must also be embraced in order to attract new investors and subsequently expand the guest accommodation portfolio. Therefore, she fully supports a collaborative approach to implementing a successful framework that maximizes the in-country resources to satisfy the destination's target markets and their diverse needs, expectations and budgets.
With a love of interior design, Niamh also has an in-depth understanding of property fit-out, and the difficult task of differentiating and evaluating varying quality levels by classification rating, which can be a largely subjective area. Although budgets and price points may differ substantially, the expectation of clean and fit for purpose accommodation is always present, and is the lawful right of any paying guest. It is possible to develop accommodation products which offer modern clean facilities and technology at every price point.
During her hotel career, Niamh has held in-property and regional positions at Le Meridien Hotels, predominantly focusing on revenue development and inventory distribution. As a Consultant, in both the UK and the UAE, she has developed and implemented operating standards for existing properties and new openings, including hotels and multi-purpose activity centres. She also has experience in software and property management systems specification and selection.
Strategic Partner
KHALED GHALEB
Strategic Partner
Senior Consultant
Senior Consultant
SOLAIMAN AL-RIFAI
Senior Consultant
DR. UDAYA INDRARATHNA
Senior Consultant
Dr. Udaya Indrarathna
Senior Consultant
Dr. Udaya Indrarathna received his education from various esteemed institutions in the USA and UK including his Master’s Degree in Marketing from Birmingham City University, Birmingham Business School, UK and his Doctor’s Degree in Applied Management Decision Sciences from Central Pacific University, USA amongst many others.
He has over 20 years of professional experience in Travel Tourism, Policy and Strategy, Model Framework Development, Leadership Development for CEOs and Aspiring CEOs. With this wealth of experience, he has understood the true essence of people, processes and perspectives, and how to drive value by combining these.
He is currently the Chairman / CEO of London Executive Coaching UK LTD and at the same time the CEO / Sector Head - Leisure Sector of Softlogic Holdings PLC. Softlogic Holdings PLC, rated one of Sri Lanka’s most dynamic and reputed conglomerates, holds the leading position in domestic growth oriented sectors such as ICT, Healthcare, Retail, Financial Services, Automobiles and Leisure.
His prowess in his field was not only evident in his home country, Canada, but also in the UAE where he held senior positions both in government and private sectors. He served as the Executive Director for Policy/Strategy/Research/Tourism Affairs for Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) for 10 years. He also worked in Abu Dhabi as the Senior Advisor, Chairman’s Office in Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA).
He also worked as Group Financial & Operations Analyst for DUTCO Hotels & Leisure Group. One of his notable contributions for the company was the 5 Year Strategic Plan for the company and align as an MBA Dissertation - The Corporate Strategy Vision 2005, an Award-Winning Thesis at the University of Leicester, UK.
Khaled Ghaleb
Strategic Partner
Khaled was the COO of Meraas Hospitality Lifestyle Hotels. Prior to that he was Head of Hospitality at Al Qattara Investments, incorporated under the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, overseeing hospitality investment strategies, development, design and planning as well as asset management. He was also the General Manager of The Westin Dubai, Al Habtoor City (part of Marriott International). Hotel Manager at The Grosvenor House Dubai, and Shangri-La Hotels.
Khaled brings over 25 years of experience in the hospitality sector with wide ranging experiences across international hotel chains in Egypt, France and the UAE. Khaled has held Strategic, Operational and Commercial key senior Leadership roles in multi award-winning flagship properties, projects, launches and brand conceptualizations across industry staples; Marriott; Shangri-La and Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Khaled holds a Bachelor degree in hotel management from Helwan University and a Hotel real estate investments and asset management degree from Cornell University.
Solaiman Al-Rifai
Senior Consultant
A professional international sustainable development practitioner and senior advisor and has worked across the private and public sector managing projects globally. Solaiman also previously held senior management positions in the United Nations, Banks and currently leading the Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST) initiative. Passionate for the environment and this is illustrated by the several initiatives he spearheaded that resulted in a number of carbon reduction programs.
He also provided policy advisory services to the UAE Government and facilitated knowledge building and project development by leveraging the United Nation's global expertise and resources leading to "transformative" change in the country's development and the creation of strategic partnerships. He regularly conducts workshops on best environmental sustainable practices and has trained more than 500 government officials in the region, from different sectors on low carbon development.
Solaiman also regularly participates in thought leadership at conferences and an active member on many forums including the UAE Vision 2021 task force in charge of developing the roadmap and implementation strategy for the infrastructure and environment sector, the UAE Climate Change task force & negotiation team, the UAE Aviation negotiation team, the UAE Ecological Footprint Initiative Steering Committee.
Sales & Marketing Consultant
LANIE MANALO-MERTENS
Sales & Marketing Consultant
Training Consultant
Training Consultant
DAHLIA SIMMONS
Strategic Partner
Strategic Partner
RAZAN BADRI
Dahlia Simmons
Training Consultant
Dahlia Simmons is a training professional with over 20 years' experience designing and delivering both accredited and bespoke courses through the UK and UAE.
Clients have included large organisations in the UK such as Shepherd FM, Working Links, World Class Skills, Protocol Skills, EON, to name a few.
Dahlia has lived in Dubai since April 2011 and is very familiar with the Emirates and the training needs of the region. She has worked with Webology Dubai, Nakheel Dubai, RTA Dubai, TSSC Dubai, SENAAT Abu Dhabi, the Saudi Government, Sharjah Department of Tourism, Dubai Department of Tourism & Marketing, and the Tawteen Council in Abu Dhabi.
Having had first-hand experience in the sales, retail, management and welfare to work sectors, Dahlia is well equipped to provide accurate and relevant training at all levels.
Dhalia herself is a qualified Assessor and Internal Verifier allowing her the benefit of her knowledge and experience to quality check any accredited courses being delivered. These could be through City & Guilds or Ed Excel or similar awarding bodies across the globe.
Razan Badri
Razan Badri was born in the U.S. but has been raised in many different countries around the world from Dubai to Egypt to Saudi Arabia to Syria to China and Indonesia. She attended the American University in Dubai and received a BBA in Marketing and later on, also received her Master's Degree in Legal Studies from Northway University in New York.
She held several roles in Marketing and Advertising for companies such as Procter & Gamble, Beiersdorf-NIVEA and Bel Groupe. She also handled several multinational companies in her previous roles such as Nestle and Reckitt Benckiser. After spending seven years in these fields, she decided to move into Teaching. She worked with the International School of Chouiefat in Syria and Al Hussan International School in Saudi Arabia. She also became a certified TESOL and TEFL and started teaching English as a Freelance Instructor. Razan also became the Head of the Business Department at the American International School in Dubai responsible for developing Business Curriculums for the three grade levels and taking a significant part of the KHDA evaluation.
In 2014, she founded Leave a Mark Today and became a full-time Corporate Trainer and since trained junior, mid-level and senior managers coming from over 50 nationalities who work in the Hospitality, FMCG, Legal, Oil & Gas companies as well as Governmental sectors such ass Dubai Police.
She has developed and conducted existing as well as new training modules as a Corporate Trainer. She has maintained a high standard of execution through her training and has been asked to return for more training with the same clients. Her post-training feedback has always received a 95% success rate. Razan believes in inspiring, developing and empowering trainees.
Strategic Partner - Training & Development
Lanie Manalo-Mertens
Sales & Marketing Consultant
Having spent more than 10 years in the UAE, Milanie has acquired extensive experience in developing relationships with the Travel Trade and the Media. Her outgoing personality and operational efficiency allow her to maintain positive relations with all industry sectors.
Milanie specialises in Destination Marketing, Sales and Public Relations. She is a strategic thinker and very proficient in all areas of marketing up to the development of marketing plans and strategies.
She worked as a Senior Marketing Executive in the company and in no time was promoted as the Senior Account Manager due to her dedication and proven track record. During her tenure in the company, she was immensely involved in various accounts including international hotel chains and government tourism authorities such as the Seychelles Tourism Board, Gold Coast Tourism Corporation, and Jordan Tourism Board.
She has proven skills, knowledge and abilities and has undergone excellent training in the Sales & Marketing field. She also possesses good interpersonal and communication skills and is very passionate about her job; thus, enabling her to showcase her expertise as a Consultant by providing strategic and practical sales and marketing advice.
Accountant
PHOEBE MIRANDAY
Accountant
Senior Support Services Executive
MARY GRACE BUÑAG
Senior Support Services Executive
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