Dr. Massaad’s career milestone in the middle east region started in early eighties when he commenced geophysical investigations for clay deposits, dams and water in the GCC and Levant countries. He was assigned the position of “Project Manager” for various underground water projects in the United Arab Emirates and in the Sultanate of Oman. His vision went beyond geophysical investigations and projects to touch the industrial sector of the UAE, where he initiated feasibility studies for various factories. Thereafter, he envisioned a major plan for a ceramic factory in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, and set up and managed R.A.K. Ceramics -a landmark in the Global Ceramic Industry.

Dr. Khater Massaad was conferred with the fDi PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR Award in August 2007 in recognition of his efforts in attracting foreign investment to Ras Al Khaimah and his role in the spectacular transformation of Ras Al Khaimah into a thriving business and investment destination in the region. In being named the 'fDi Personality of the Year', Dr. Massaad joined the ranks of such previous winners as, former Mexican President Vicente Fox (2003), Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva (2004), former Mayor of Seoul Lee Myung-bak (2005) and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty (2006).

Dr. Khater Massaad was appointed in August 2003 as the Advisor to The Crown Prince & Deputy Ruler of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah , His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi. He plays a key role in the rapid development of the Emirate as CEO of the RAK Investment Authority ( RAKIA ) a position which he was appointed to in the year 2005 . In the first 2 years itself - RAKIA has attracted more than US $ 1 billion in industrial investments into Ras Al Khaimah .

Dr. Khater Massaad is also the Executive Chairman of RAKEEN - the land master-planner and developer in real estate & township development in the Emirate & also overseas , which was created through a Royal Decree by His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.


Dr. Massaad holds a Master’s degree in Engineering and a Phd in Geophysics. A professional pilot as well, Dr. Massaad likes to use the little spare time available to him in flying his private jet.

A.J. Jaganathan
Board Member of RAKEEN

Mr. A.J. Jaganathan has significant amount of investment banking, early stage venture capital funding, and real estate development experience spanning India, the UK and the Middle East. He began his banking career with State Bank of India and later became Deputy Chief Executive for the South Asia operations of Standard Chartered's Group Investment Bank during 1985 and 1989.
After a few intervening years in commercial banking in Bahrain, and several years in industry and venture capital funding in North America, Mr. Jaganathan joined Emaar Properties PJSC, a master developer of mixed-use real estate projects and related businesses, and a public company listed on the Dubai Financial Market, in 1999. He served as Emaar’s Group Chief Executive Officer heading all operating entities and subsidiaries for over four years until 1st January 2006. During his tenure as Group CEO, Emaar grew to become the world’s largest real estate developer by market capitalization. By the time he left Emaar, its market capitalization stood at close to US$ 50 billion; and net profits had multiplied over forty times to over US$ 1.4 billion.
Mr. Jaganathan left a high profile listed company stewardship to set up his own businesses, and did so in partnership with a few former colleagues from Emaar, with the intention of focusing on India. The businesses, which are synergic in direction and content, relate to real estate and infrastructure. In Dubai, AJ is the founding Chairman of Konark Resources LLC, a real estate development advisory business that focuses on advising developers, investors and financing agencies who seek to develop high value real estate projects in a manner that maximizes design efficiencies along with work flow and processes, so that investment returns are fully maxed in the context of extant market conditions.
AJ is also founder Chairman of Konark Capital Partners Limited, a fund management company that manages private equity funds, that is based in Mauritius, with advisory offices in India. Konark Capital has raised two funds focused purely on real estate in India. Despite pressures, the funds have deliberately adopted a cautious approach to the Indian real estate markets because of perceived unsustainably high valuations, in its first two years of operations, investing barely 20% of committed capital. However, given capitulation in the markets that commenced earlier this year accelerating more recently, Konark Capital is seeking to take investment positions with highly reputed businesses who have a reputation for quality and execution to schedule.

Konark Capital Partners is working towards setting up an infrastructure investment fund focused on India, perhaps with some leeway for other regional territories. This is planned for early 2009 given present conditions in global markets. Konark Resources is actively expanding its advisory business relating to both real estate development and infrastructure development activities in India through a fully owned Indian subsidiary, Konark Real Infra Limited, based in Chennai. These include projects in four locations valued by cost at over US$ 5 billion.

In addition to Konark, Mr. Jaganathan, serves on the boards of several other companies in the sector in non-executive capacities.

Alex Thomas
Head of Marketing
Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority

Alex Thomas has been working with international companies in Middle East and Sub-continent in the area of sales and marketing over 14 years. Started the career in the Year 1994 in Dubai with Asteco, a leading property management company in the sales division to current position as Head of Marketing with RAK Investment Authority, has brought him wide experience in the region. Prior to joining RAKIA in the year 2004, Mr. Thomas was working for the international market research firm called GallUP as the Team Leader. Alex Thomas completed Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from University of Hull (United Kingdom) and also possesses Masters degree in Commerce (Mcom) from India.

His portfolio as Head of Marketing in RAKIA is to promote quality inward investments in manufacturing, trade and commerce. His job includes conducting market opportunity studies, assessing feasibility studies, create advertisement and promotional strategies, stream line marketing process and procedures, create strategic partnership with associations abroad, advice investors on free trade zone/investment formalities, identify and market RAK to the prospective investors, and maintain Investor relationship.

During the Year 2005, he worked closely with WORLD BANK to identify Investment opportunities in RAK. Represented RAKIA in forums, events, exhibitions and made briefings to visiting delegates to RAK which includes presidents, ministers, and trade organization heads.

Peter- Michael Schuster
General Manager
Ras Al Khaimah Offshore

Peter-Michael Schuster, born 1949 in Hamburg/Germany, married with three children, earned aMBA from the University of Hamburg with majors in Banking, Auditing and Business Law.
In 1977 he started his professional career as an auditor in Deutsche-Suedamerikanische Bank AG. In 1981 he joined Dresdner Bank AG, nowadays part of the Allianz Insurance Group, and was part of the team that establishes foreign entities worldwide.
Therefore he worked in Panama, Milan, Prague (in a joint venture with BNP, Paris), Shenzhen, Bangkok and Moscow and S1. Petersburg in GM and COO positions.
After his banking career he set up his own Business Consultancy firm in Thailand, mainly for Swiss and German private customers.

One year ago he joined the Government of Ras AI Khaimah in order to establish a Financial City within the RAK Investment Authority, establishing non financial activities like IBC's, a maritime registry for private boats and yachts and Outsourcing; financial products will follow after federal approval.

N V Sivakumar
Executive Director,
PricewaterhouseCoopers

Sivakumar (‘Shiv’) aged 45 years is a Chartered Accountant by profession and has over two decades of experience in PwC assuming varied roles within the Assurance and Advisory Services practice disciplines. Based in Bangalore, he has been the lead partner for several of the firms key clients. Shiv also has an international experience having worked in PwC Offices in the Middle East and London for over 3 years.

Shiv has been lead Partner for several of the firm’s key accounts, including, Britannia Industries Limited (Danone Group), Birla 3M Limited (3M Inc.,), Volvo India Private Limited, ITC Filtrona Limited, Parry Monsanto Seeds Private Limited, to name a few. Shiv has also audited/advised large MNCs in the Retail and Consumer Industry sectors including Metro Cash and Carry, Landmark Group, Britannia Industries, UB Group, etc.

Shiv currently leads the CIPS (Consumer and Industry Products and Services) practice in India. He has significant experience in carrying out financial due diligence, transaction advisory service, target search/evaluation, business plan reviews, advice on accounting/structuring issues and cross border transactions. He has advised many corporate and private equity players on transactions in the technology, fast moving consumer goods and manufacturing sectors.

He has been a guest speaker at various industry forums in India and abroad.

V.H. Thatte
Deputy General Manager
Bank of Baroda, Dubai

Mr. V. H. Thatte is a Chartered Accountant by qualification. He joined Bank of Baroda in the year 1978 and during the span of more than 30 years he has worked practically in all the areas of banking like, General Banking, Corporate Credit, FOREX, International Operations etc. He was also at Bank of Baroda’s New York office for the period of -5- years, during which he worked in Credit Department and Money Market Operations.

Presently Mr. Thatte is working as a Deputy General Manager, looking after the International Credit at the Corporate Office of Bank of Baroda at Mumbai.