Vice President
MASHREQBANK
Total years of experience :42 years, 3 Months
Company's representative for all required development management, project management, design management, cost management, procurement and construction of Bank’s SOM designed iconic tower:
• Liaison with district Master Developer and authorities
• Responsible for feasibility studies and leasing strategies to maximise rental income.
• Design critiques, rigorous cost planning and value engineering reduced construction cost of this complex building by 24%.
• Work studies for most synergistic stacking and adjacencies of the Bank’s business units and progressive interior design philosophy; happy workers more likely to innovate, to create diversity of working spaces and social spaces whilst enhancing the brand.
• Overseeing construction with assistance of senior engineering services manager: challenging proposed methodologies and suggesting alternative approaches to mitigate contractors’ delays.
• Enforcing Contractor’s adoption of Building Information Modelling; services clash detection, improved productivity and for future Tenant fit-outs.
• Change requests managed through validated process to ensure accurate forecast cost to completion below budget.
• Synergistic approach to problem solving, promoting teamwork and ensuring long term functionality not compromised by 3rd party decisions.
The role was to service the group’s Clients to achieve their property investment returns by overcoming development risk. Holding managers accountable, delivery plans are jointly formulated and adjusted to meet changing Client requirements quickly and elegantly. Portfolio management including reassessing highest and best use for each parcel of land, adherence of designs to budget, providing accurate delivery cost forecasts and cash-flow requirements. The portfolio of active and passive projects in various stages of development includes residential towers, luxury master-planned gated communities, resort and city hotels and mixed use developments in UAE and overseas.
The role was to manage the delivery of the portfolio of developments within the region and expand the department to meet the planned roll out programme. Established robust cost reporting and forecast cost-to-completion system across all projects that adopted by IFAHR in the African & Indian Ocean region. Developments included:
o Souq Residences Palm Jumeirah, Dubai - 10 buildings, 860 freehold apartments and commercial space final account under AED 1.2 Billion budget. Retail component expanded to maximise potential rental income. Resolved the Main Contractor’s claims arising from multiple Client changes, determining dominant relevant events and negotiated its acceptance.
o Fairmont Residences Palm Jumeirah, Dubai - 2 buildings 640 apartments completed under budget and to high quality standard; rezoned application that maximized development rights.
o Fairmont Hotel Palm Jumeirah, Dubai - 380 key 5 star hotel, space planning critique resulted in AED 42M saving by consolidating guestroom mix, removing the dedicated mechanical electrical floor and improved project feasibility.
o Kingdom of Sheba Balqis Residence and Heritage Place Palm Jumeirah, Dubai - negotiations held in succession with three contractors until the right partnering Main Contractor was found.
o Kingdom of Sheba Hotel and Vacation Club, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai; Hotel room configuration and mix re-planning studies to reduce capital cost.
o Laguna Tower Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai, 40 storey tower with 180 key Mövenpick condominium hotel and 307 freehold apartments.
o Al Abadiyah Hills lifestyle residential development, Beirut, Lebanon - structured approach brought to conclude Phase 1 and ensure lessons learnt are applied to Phase 2 hotel apartments.
03/ 2002 to 02/2006 Client’s Snr. Project Manager Ski Dubai & Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates
10/1998 to 02/2002 Development Manager Mall of the Emirates
09/1995 to 09/1998 Client’s Project Manager Deira City Centre
o Hatfield Square retail and office development - fast-track design and construction stages
o Nelson Mandela Square retail and office development - tenant fit-out manager
o Brookes Hill Suites hotel and timeshare resort - design and construction stages
o Greenacres Racquet, Health & Aquatic Club - design and construction stages
o Centurion Lake 4 star hotel extension - construction stage
o Port Elizabeth Technikon Student Village - construction stage
o Kruger Park Lodge timeshare resort golf course and club house - design and construction stages
o Sandton Twin Towers offices - construction stage and tenant fit-out management
Contracts Manager for Rosebank branch of First National Bank completed on time despite two periods of industrial unrest and late start of nominated marble cladding subcontractor.
01/1989 to 09/1989 Contracts Manager for completion of Virginia waste water treatment plant.
02/1988 to 12/1988 Senior Engineer for Grassmere toll road and plaza.
civil engineering graduate training program becoming a registered professional engineer with Engineering Council of South Africa in 1987 (Reg. No. 870577).