Featured Profiles

Media Crowd UAE Crowd is an independent global creative agency with offices in London, Dubai and San Francisco. The company prides itself on its knowledge of SEO, PPC, branding and web building. Crowd’s Dubai office recently created Connect, a service designed to provide passengers travelling via Dubai Airports with news and information while they wait for their flights. Crowd has also produced videos, annual reports and interactive displays for Dubai Airports. More recently, the company has worked with Dubai FDI, a government initiative that aims to showcase the advantages of investing and doing business in Dubai.

Pharmaceuticals Boehringer Ingelheim
Germany Family-owned Boehringer Ingelheim was established in 1885 and is now one of the most impressive pharmaceutical companies in the world. It boasts a team of 50,000 employees, working across human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceuticals. The firm’s chairman, Hubertus von Baumbach, believes the promotion of animal health can greatly enhance human treatments, which is why the company is committed to making significant progress in both areas. As a result, it has become one of the largest veterinary pharmaceutical companies in the UK. Boehringer’s advanced therapies principally tackle chronic diseases and pain relief.

Financial Services Byron Capital Partners Cyprus Byron Capital Partners is a privately owned, non-affiliated, Cyprus-based alternative investment fund manager and UCITS management company, authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is an award-winning asset manager with an established track record of managing both liquid and illiquid alternative investment funds in multiple domiciles. Byron also manages and advises public and private institutional capital, cooperating with Tier 1 fund service providers. For its efforts, Byron was named the best investment management company in Cyprus in 2016 by World Finance.

Technology Baidu
China Chinese technology company Baidu is on a mission to constantly innovate. In recent times, it became the first Chinese company to join the Partnership on AI, a US consortium focused on artificial intelligence development. Baidu has recently built three new products: Apollo, an autonomous driving platform; Baidu ABC, a smart cloud for businesses; and DuerOS, a voice-enabled digital assistant. Speaking about the organisation’s progress, the company’s president, Ya-Qin Zhang, said: “The impact of transformative technology like AI goes beyond our borders, so we are looking forward to both sharing our own insights and learning from our international peers.”

Energy Sonangol Angola Formed as a public company in 1976, Sonangol has gone on to become the sole concessionaire for the exploration of oil and gas on the subsoil and continental shelf of Angola. The firm principally focuses on the exploration, production, development, refining, transportation and marketing of oil and gas. Sonangol has done much to promote the advancement of Angola, helping to develop local content and infrastructure such as schools, housing and hospitals. It also supports projects relating to art, education, sports, science and the environment, implementing a range of social initiatives as part of its Together with the Community programme.

Law Afschrift Law Firm Belgium Afschrift Law Firm is renowned for its expertise in tax matters, guiding individuals and businesses through succession planning and contract negotiations, as well as structuring their assets. In recent years, taxation has become an increasingly tricky area to navigate, thanks to tightening legislation across the globe. As a result, many organisations have turned to Afschrift, knowing that its team has the utmost experience. Employees at the firm pride themselves on their global vision, confidentiality, speed and efficiency. The firm has offices in Brussels, Geneva, Fribourg, Antwerp, Luxembourg, Madrid, Hong Kong and Tel Aviv.

Technology Spotify Sweden Conceived to bridge the gap between innovative – but illegal – file-sharing companies and an ailing record industry, Spotify has revolutionised the way we consume music on a daily basis. Since it was founded by CEO Daniel Ek in 2006, the Swedish music-streaming platform has grown remarkably, using a ‘freemium’ business model to attract some 191 million users to date – 87 million of whom pay for its premium service. Despite failing to turn a profit, Spotify successfully listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange in April last year, achieving a market valuation of around $26.6bn.

Real Estate Dana Holdings Russia Dana Holdings has built a stellar reputation on the back of its work in real estate investment and construction. The property developer has seven million square metres currently in operation, with a total project value of $13bn. Dana’s executives believe its employees are key to the company’s pioneering developments. As such, Dana Holdings invests heavily in its employee training and education, promoting values such as professionalism, flexibility and transparency at every level. For its excellent work, Dana has won a series of awards from World Finance, Golden Jaguar, Realt Golden Key and European Property, among many others.

Manufacturing & Commodities Gunvor Switzerland With a presence across Africa, the US, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, Gunvor has cemented its reputation as a premier merchant of crude oil and oil products. The company prides itself on its strong innovative streak and market knowledge – it has a wealth of experience acquiring, marketing and transporting energy commodities from region to region. The organisation currently employs 1,600 people and credits its growing success to the professionalism and knowledge of its workforce. Gunvor is committed to sound corporate governance and frequently offers opportunities for professional and personal development to its staff.

Financial services Sheikh Mohammed Jarrah Al-Sabah, Chairman, Kuwait International Bank Kuwait As Chairman of Kuwait International Bank (KIB), Sheikh Mohammed Jarrah Al-Sabah has constantly impressed the international community with his strategic ability and strong leadership. He has become a highly influential figure in the Arab banking industry and, as a result, serves as a member of the Kuwait Banking Association. Al-Jarrah has ensured KIB remains Sharia- compliant at all times and has cemented its position in the Kuwaiti market. For his efforts, Al-Jarrah has won a number of high-profile awards, including being named Islamic banking chairman of the year in 2019 by World Finance.

Retail AEON Japan Retail group AEON was established in 1926 and has gone on to become the largest retailer in Asia. According to its website, AEON currently earns the highest operating revenue in Japan’s retail industry and has 584 general merchandise stores, 2,185 supermarket stores, 311 malls and 550,000 employees to its name. In addition to its main activities, the brand has done much to promote socially responsible initiatives. In 2016, AEON celebrated its 25th year of planting trees to cultivate forestry in China, Japan, Laos, Thailand and Kenya, among other destinations. AEON also uses products that promote the health of the environment.

Energy Trina Solar China Established in 1997, Trina Solar has become a world leader in smart solar solutions. The organisation creates products, applications and services that enhance global sustainable development. Trina Solar has been recognised by bodies such as the World Economic Forum, Bloomberg and Deloitte for its innovative methods. Having formed in China, it is now present across the globe, selling products in Madrid, Shanghai and Singapore. Since 2015, Trina Solar has shipped at least one gigawatt per quarter, displacing more than 32 million tons of CO2 in the process – the equivalent of planting 5.8 million acres of trees.