Dear Fusion Community,

The FUSION Foundation is excited to announce the latest addition to our Foundation Intelligence team — Ziad Makkawi joins us as an FFI member, bringing with him over 30 years of experience and leadership in the financial services Industry.

Ziad is the Founder and CEO of Equiam an asset management firm focused on late-stage Private Tech companies. He is a highly experienced CEO; Entrepreneur; and Board Member. He has pioneered the Investment Banking and Asset Management industries in the MENA region, and has been an active participant and investor in the Private Equity space globally for more than a decade.

Ziad served as Chairman, Board member, and Committee member in more than a dozen institutions on four continents in sectors ranging from Financial Services (Banking; PE; Asset Management; Insurance); Hospitality; Retail; Real Estate; Health Care; Luxury; Marine Solutions; Entertainment; and Arts.

Ziad started his career with JP Morgan on Wall Street as a currencies and derivatives trader. Subsequently he occupied positions of increased leadership as, Senior Trader (Oil & Gas) at Elf Aquitaine; Head of Capital Markets at Lebanon Invest; Co-founder and Managing Director of Middle East Capital Group (MECG); Executive Managing Director of SHUAA Capital in Dubai; CEO of Dubai Bank; Founder Chairman and CEO of Algebra Capital asset management in Dubai; Founder and Chairman of Blue Gate Capital Partners; CEO of Istithmar World, a global PE investment firm with a Multi-billion dollar global portfolio across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa; CEO of Qatar Bank; and is currently CEO of Equiam LLC an investment management firm headquartered in San Francisco.

Ziad speaks five languages (English; French; Arabic; German and Italian).

His interests are in Disruption, Art Collecting, Travel, Hiking, Sailing, Philosophy and Empowering Youth and Women through Entrepreneurship.

He served as the global head of YPO-WPO’s Art Network. He served as a member of the Tate Modern Middle East Art Acquisition Committee.

Please join us in wishing Ziad all the best in his new role on the FUSION Foundation Intelligence team!