Roles of Chairman and CEO being split to support firm’s ambitious growth strategy
KPMG Lower Gulf has announced the appointment of Nader Haffar as CEO of the firm in the UAE and Oman with effect from October 1 2018.
Vijay Malhotra who has led the growth of the firm across the UAE and Oman over many decades, will continue in the role of Chairman. Malhotra who has served as both Chairman and CEO of the firm in the past, personally played an active role in the selection of the CEO, following the firm’s decision to create two distinct roles back in 2017, to accelerate the firm’s ambitious growth strategy.
Both Malhotra and Haffar will work towards strengthening the firm’s three-fold approach that focuses on developing people, solutions and technology to meet the needs of KPMG’s expanding client base across the UAE and Oman. Malhotra commented “our business has recorded strong double digit growth in recent years and we expect this pace of growth to continue over the next 3-5 years. To support this future growth, we now consider it prudent to expand our senior leadership team and Nader’s appointment as CEO is an important element of our strategy.”
Nader has most recently served as Head of the firm’s Management Consultancy practice and has overseen considerable growth in that part of the firm’s business. His focus now will be to work closely with Chairman Vijay Malhotra and the firm’s 110-strong team of Partners and Directors to deliver innovative technology-based solutions to clients, while building and diversifying the firm’s expertise in the Lower Gulf.
Bringing more than 25 years of experience in management consulting, Nader has worked across a variety of industries in both the private and public sector, with a strong focus on government transformation programs and energy and natural resources. He has also worked across various geographies, having spent many years in the US and Saudi Arabia.
Nader, who has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, also holds postgraduate management qualifications from Colombia University and Harvard Business School. He has held leadership positions on many important global accounts, led the development of cutting-edge solutions and also managed sector and service businesses in both the private and the public sector. He has had a long and distinguished career with KPMG and considerable experience across the Middle East, having also worked with the firm in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking about Nader’s appointment, Vijay Malhotra, Chairman Lower Gulf, added: “KPMG is focused on developing an ever stronger team of knowledge leaders who are committed to growing the business in the region and providing clients with insightful and timely solutions to meet evolving market needs. Corporate governance, risk management and digital transformation are fundamental to this plan – and I am delighted to welcome Nader in his new leadership role, to help us accelerate our growth strategy. Nader brings immense experience in strategy development and implementation to the table in both the public and private sector, and will be a critical addition to KPMG’s leadership team.”
The firm continues to expand by hiring exceptional talent and KPMG now employs over 1,200 across the UAE and Oman. This strategy has helped the firm achieve strong growth, which it says is a direct reflection of the growth of the economy here.
Nader Haffar, incoming CEO KPMG Lower Gulf, said: “KPMG has established decades of expertise and trust in the region with a dynamic team of people across its audit, advisory and tax functions who are focused on delivering the best-in-class service to our clients. As a firm, we are constantly transforming ourselves and looking for new ways to adapt to evolving market needs.
We continue to invest in the best technology and also in hiring and training the best talent to support our clients’ needs. The market here is strong and the opportunities for growth are immense. We see tremendous opportunity both in the UAE and Oman to expand our business, bringing leading-edge-solutions to the public sector, Sovereign Wealth Funds and family business – and I look forward to working closely with Vijay and our exceptional team, to drive our growth.”
