Shams Dabbagh

General Manager for Lootah BCGas LLC and subsidiary companies fully responsible for the strategic direction, global expansion and daily operations of Lootah BCGas, LIGOFET, QEnergy and GMCS in the UAE and internationally.

Background

CCC took the strategic decision to offer operation and maintenance services to clients in the oil, gas and petrochemical sector complementing CCC’s current services. CCC established a separate division for such activity and subsequently entered into a 50/50 JV arrangements with Wood Group to offer the services for GCC countries and Yemen.

Achievements

• Successfully acquiring business in excess of US 800.0 Million.

• Developed a 5 year comprehensive Business Plan that included:
o Market analysis
o Market penetration strategies
o Budgets, plans, figures and graphs.
o Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis (SWOT).
o Stakeholders analysis (clients, partners, competitors, suppliers, sub-contractors, etc.)

• Negotiated and completed a partnership agreement with the UK Wood Group a FTSE 100 company, forming.

• Recruitment of qualified staff covering all business units.

• Establishing business procedures and practices to ensure efficient, effective, safe and quality delivery of services.

• Developing and carrying out effective business development strategies so the company is in position to pre-qualify, bid, win and execute work in the business sector.

• Establishing direct contact with all business sector stakeholders (clients, partners, competitors, suppliers, sub-contractors, etc.).

Leading the business acquisition process from initial potential identification through, qualification, submission, negotiations, and implementation.

Background

ACWA Services took the strategic decision to expand its business in the Middle East and established ACWA Emirates as a regional hub for the region.
Achievements
• Expanding the business and managing annual revenue of US$ 60.0 Million and 250 workforce.
• Lead, direct and manage the Middle East region operation in order to ensure that the business objectives in the region are met or exceeded.
• Developed & carried out effective business development strategies within the region so that the company is in a position to bid for, win & secure the maximum amount of new business, increase market share and open new markets. The key tasks are to strengthen company presence in the region with all stakeholders of the business.
• Identified business and operation risks & provide mitigation strategies and actions such as:
o Contractual risks through contract negotiations and identifying strategies and approach to contractual matters.

o Commercial and legal risks working with internal legal advisors and external legal firms where necessary.

o Cash requirements through establishing payment terms with clients, suppliers and subcontractors to minimize cash exposure and working with banks such as HSBC, NBAD, ANB to provide the company with necessary banking facilities.

o Resources availability and costs by ensuring adequate availability of resources expertise.

o Internal operations and internal systems through establishing levels of authority; HR system; quality assurance and quality Control procedures; Health and Safety procedures; staff training;

• Identified potential business opportunities in the Middle East and in some other selected territories such as Africa and the Caribbean and contribute to business development through prequalification, registration, cooperation agreements etc.

• Reviewed/analysed/prepared feasibility studies for investments.

• Reviewed and made necessary recommendations to the management particularly in relation to liquidity, assets/liabilities and efficiency of accounting systems of the company. Recommended and implemented the change of the company capital structure to include preference shares and subordinated loan.

• Developed a cost control system that integrated purchasing accounting and project related data all in one reporting structure through leading a team of accountants and computer programmers.

• Identified financial means to improve ACWa’s profitability and to reduce financial and commercial risks.

• Developed the company first retail business through creating and starting the Gaza Water Treatment operations. The operations included selling water to about 50 thousands person daily through water coin vending machines.

(A UK Based Company Specialises in Air, Water and Wastewater Treatment) a wholly owned subsidiary of Consolidated Contractors Group of Companies (CCC)

In 1991 CCC acquired ACWA. I was transferred from CCC Kuwait to the UK before the acquisition. Participated with Arthur Andersen who were advisors in the negotiations that lead to the acquisition.

• Business development role through identifying clients, recognize their requirements and securing contract in the Middle East region such as for the:

• Negotiated, designed, proposed solutions and secured contracts and work for ACWA

• I performed process designs, mass flow calculations, equipment specification. Surge analysis of water pumping stations and networks and process description for:

• Responsible for commercial aspects of projects. I designed and implemented project reporting and monitoring systems including the utilization of CPM programming and monitoring

SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS:
o Muscat Water Supply project.
o OGDII sewage treatment plant at Abu Dhabi
o Massila sewage treatment plant at Yemen
o Mafraq sewage treatment plant and pumping station in Abu Dhabi

• Responsibility applicable for all Kuwait country projects. Project sizes ranged from US$ 1.0 million to US$120.0 million.

• Provided technical input and assistance as necessary at the tendering stage to ensure that all activities and issues are properly assessed and accounted for and that costs and lead times are realistic and achievable, based on previous experience.

• Reviewed and assessed existing relevant documentation at the project outset i.e. tender documentation, specifications, contract particulars, and co-ordinate the development and creation of detailed plans, schedules and costing.

• Advised and agreed with project management proposed weight-factoring calculations to be used in the progress monitoring.

• Integrated planning, budgeting and cost analysis reports to develop a comprehensive overview of performance to date and to determine future approach

• Provided training and guidance to subordinates and colleagues in the use of project monitoring and planning systems and the interpretation of data and information generated

• Managed 90 persons workforce with fleet of plant and machinery.

• Designed a pipeline wrapping machine that was subsequently used across the group.

• Planned/scheduled own work priorities and activities in line with the section plans and construction schedule referring unresolved conflicts to section engineer

• Monitored the supervision of the work being undertaken by subordinates engineers and site production supervisors, taking any necessary remedial action to ensure full compliance with all relevant standards e.g. contract documents, specifications, method statements, ccc policy and procedures.

• Ensured that own work practices and those of colleagues, are compliant with QA/QC and health and safety policies and procedures i.e. ISO 9000., local labour laws and safety procedures taking appropriate corrective action and/or reporting where non-compliance is identified.

• Handled engineering drawings and isometrics, as well as supervising steel and pipe fabrication at the companies fabrication yard