Meet our Team

Discover the team of professionals driving ADSI forward, bringing their unique skills and perspectives to help you navigate the complex world of investments.

Karim Sehnaoui

Senior Executive Officer and Board Director

Karim is a seasoned entrepreneur and investment professional with over 23 years of experience in investments and management. Karim has been with the ADSS Group since 2016 and became ADSI’s SEO in October 2021. He also serves as the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of ADS Securities LLC since October 2018. In addition, Karim also serves on the boards of various publicly listed and privately held companies in the United States and the UAE.

Prior to joining ADSI, Karim has held various senior leadership positions in investment banking and private equity across the region, including with Abu Dhabi Investment House and lthmaar Bank, as well as in international development with the World Bank, IFC, KfW, and the World Economic Forum. Karim holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Civil / Environmental Engineering from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and was a Global Leadership Fellow at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland. He is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).

Abdallah Ahmad

Finance Director

Abdallah joined ADSS in 2011 and serves as the Financial Director for both the group and ADSI. With over 12 years of experience leading corporate finance, operational management and accounting, Abdallah plays a pivotal role working closely with the group’s executives and Board of Directors to drive effective operational strategies. Prior to that, he held senior audit positions at esteemed entities such as PwC and Ernst & Young.
Abdallah is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) accredited by the New Hampshire Board of Accountancy. He is also accredited by the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and a CFO programme candidate at London Business School – graduation date in January 2024. Abdallah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Jordan.

Alain Raad

Chief Investment Officer

Alain joined ADSI as Chief Investment Officer in March 2023. He has over 20 years of global and regional experience in the banking industry, in Bahrain, the United Kingdom and the UAE. His expertise includes complex fixed income, commodity, equity, asset management, transactions structuring, portfolio management, financial markets-oriented data science and quantitative analysis.

Prior to joining ADSI, Alain served as Executive Director – Head of Structuring for MENA region at VTB Capital, and Vice President – FICC Structuring / Global Head of Islamic Finance at Merrill Lynch, in addition to other leadership roles at BNP Paribas. He is also the founder of a successful asset management and wealth management advisory, IQ-Capital Advisory, and the co-founder of PARC Invest SAS, an investment vehicle focused on commercial real estate investments in Europe. Alain holds an MBA in Finance from ESCP Business School, Paris, France.

Luca Tidei

Head of Trading & Advisory

Luca has been part of the ADS Holding group of companies since 2015 and boasts over 20 years’ experience in financial markets. He originally joined the company as an Equity Trader for the Global Markets division before moving to the Wealth & Asset Management division in 2018. His desk takes care of execution for a variety of asset classes including cash equities, equity derivatives, fixed income and structured products.

Luca began his career as an Analyst at Prudential Bache Ltd in London, where he rotated among the trading desks of various divisions. He then worked for Paine Webber LLC in Providence, RI, as a Junior Stock Broker. Back in 2000, he joined Saad Financial Services SA in Geneva, the family office of a prominent Saudi family. Starting as a Deputy Equity Trader, he was later responsible for managing an in-house long/short US equities fund and was appointed a Member of the company’s Investment Committee.

Luca was born near Rome, Italy. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance (BSc) from Bryant University and a Master in Art Theory (MA) from the University of the Arts London.

Halim Abou Arraj

Head of Wealth Management

Halim brings two decades of wealth management experience, primarily in the GCC and MENA region, specialised in private banking, strategic management, fixed income, brokerage, personal finance and Islamic banking. Prior to joining ADSI, Halim served as Head of Private Banking at Credit Libanais in Lebanon, and has held similar leadership positions at prestigious entities such as Credit Suisse, Julius Baer, QIB, NCB Capital, and Société Générale.
Halim is accredited by the Lebanese and Saudi Capital Markets Authorities and a certified Wealth Manager (CWMA) by the Swiss Association for Quality (SAQ). He holds an MBA from HEC Paris School of Management, and an MS in Architecture from ALBA. Halim speaks fluently English, French and Arabic.

Mira Azouqa

Senior Project Manager

Mira leads ADSI’s Corporate Service Provider (CSP) and Asset Structuring business, including Platforms as a Service (PaaS). Leveraging ADSI’s CSP license, she caters to clients looking to establish Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), and can incorporate Limited Liability Companies (LLC’s), funds and foundations. Mira helps ADSI’s clients navigate the local regulatory landscape successfully and thrive within the ADGM ecosystem, further reinforcing ADSI’s one-stop-shop approach.
Prior to that, Mira had held various auditing, marketing, and business development roles at KPMG and the global brokerage ADSS – ADSI’s sister company.
Mira holds a BSc in Finance and Business Economics from Royal Holloway, University of London, UK.  She speaks fluently English and Arabic.

Bassam Abi Abdallah

Head of Operations

Bassam joined the group in 2015, bringing with him over a decade of experience in operational and client servicing roles within regional investment banks and financial institutions. His responsibilities at ADSI include overseeing daily transactions managed by our trading execution team and proactively identifying and mitigating operational risks.

Prior to joining ADSI, Bassam served as an Operations Manager at Blominvest Bank in Lebanon and as a Senior Associate at Shuaa Capital in Dubai. He holds a BA in Banking and Finance from the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics at the Lebanese University.

Fabrice Chaillet Giusti del Giardino

Senior Relationship Manager

Fabrice brings 25 years of expertise in the private banking sector across the Middle East and European markets. Prior to joining our team, he has served UHNW individual and institutional clients, as well as external asset managers, for a variety of renowned entities such as Mirabaud Group, Lemantrust, Bearbull Degroof Banque Privée, Syz Group, and Lombard Odier. His skills encompass relationship management, portfolio management, asset management, business & estate planning, and investment advisory.
Fabrice holds a BA and MSc in Business Administration and Economic History from the University Luigi Bocconi in Milan, Italy. He has dual Swiss and Italian citizenship and is fluent in English, French, and Italian.

Dany Aouad

Senior Relationship Manager

Dany brings a three-decade experience in investment banking and wealth management. Prior to joining ADSI he spent 28 years at UBS AG Switzerland, where he held various senior roles such as Executive Director and RM at UBS Wealth Management Geneva, Head of E-Commerce Sales, and Senior RM in the group’s investment bank division in Dubai. His expertise extends to FX & Money Markets Sales Management, Treasury Relationships in MENA, and Trading.
Dany is certified by the London Chamber of Commerce and holds a degree in Accounting and Finance from the Centre Supérieur d’Etudes Commerciales in Lebanon. He is fluent in Arabic, French, and English.

Mark Kahawati

Relationship Manager

Mark joined ADSI’s Wealth Management team in 2022, bringing with him over 11 years of experience in Private Banking, based primarily in Lebanon and in the UAE. Prior to joining ADSI, he worked for prestigious institutions such as Bank Audi Private Bank Lebanon and Banque Audi (Suisse) SA – Geneva, Switzerland, operating from the group’s UAE Representative Office. Throughout his career, Mark has specialised in serving ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI) and family offices, honing his expertise in investment strategies and products.
Mark is certified from the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI) in London, UK, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Saint-Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon. He is fluent in English, French and Arabic.

Jay Mathur

Portfolio Manager

Jay Mathur works as a Portfolio Manager within ADSI’s investment team. He joined ADSI in 2018 as an Investment Analyst, carrying out research and building financial models to assess prospective investment opportunities. Jay has ten years of experience in public markets, M&A, and private equity and his expertise includes global equities, financial modelling, and asset management.
Prior to ADSI, Jay worked with Ernst & Young (E&Y) in Abu Dhabi and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Houston, in roles related to deal making and corporate finance.
Jay holds an MS degree in Energy Finance from Tulane University and an MS in Business Administration and Economics from the University of Bath, UK.