Leadership team

Shimmy Mathew is a Chartered Accountant with more than two decades of practical and theoretical experience across numerous commercial segments, specialising in financing and relevant strategic measures associated with business acquisitions and its administration.

Appointed in 2013 as Chief Financial Officer of KBW Investments, Mathew was additionally appointed Chief Financial Officer of Arada when the developer was founded in December 2016. He oversees multiple aspects of both Arada and the holding company in addition to the finance segment, including human resources, legal, compliance and IT.

Mathew’s functional expertise in fields including auditing, strategy development and execution, finance and corporate structuring and implementation, is utilised across Arada in addition to the development and implementation of all of the company’s financial systems, policies, procedures, mandates, and standards.

Mathew has also been instrumental in securing the support of leading UAE banks for several large-scale financing packages that are supporting the construction of Arada’s projects.
Prior to his current appointment, Mathew served as the Finance Manager for Raimondi Cranes, a 150-year-old Italian manufacturer and a pillar of the KBW Investments portfolio. Having transitioned to Raimondi Cranes in 2009, Mathew’s previous professional record includes extensive experience in the strategic planning, finance and accounting functions of several heavy machinery entities across the GCC countries.

Michelle Hancic heads up People Experience and is responsible for overseeing the development and execution of Arada’s people strategies and practices across all the Group’s businesses and verticals, both in the UAE and internationally.

Michelle has 25 years of extensive global HR and leadership experience, with previous roles at leading organisations including ANZ, LinkedIn/Glint, and most recently Microsoft, where she led the adoption and change management practice for Copilot partners.

As a psychologist Michelle is passionate about improving the lived experience for employees across the entire talent lifecycle and transforming the performance of organisations as a result. She has also led consulting teams supporting Fortune 500 companies to build effective culture and people transformation processes.

Michelle has a special interest in the intersection of evidence-based people practices and technology and has advised government bodies such as the Singapore Personal Data Protection Council (PDPC) and the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Michelle holds a Masters degree in Occupational Psychology from Monash University, Melbourne, specialising in the drivers of employee engagement and retention.

Elie Mrad is a qualified architect with more than 20 years of experience working in markets as diverse as Australia, the UAE and South Sudan.

He is responsible for Arada’s overall design philosophy and for developing new typologies that adhere to that philosophy. Elie focuses on an iterative and information-based design process to introduce new ideas, and is also responsible for ensuring the feasibility of designs, from concept to completion.
Elie’s current initiatives include fostering stronger team collaboration via the creation of a lively, sharing design studio environment and creating a mentorship network where senior staff can guide and help other employees grow and progress in their careers.

As Head of Architecture and Design, Elie has been instrumental in the creation of the masterplan and unit designs for all three of Arada’s record-breaking projects and worked closely with Zaha Hadid Architects on the delivery of Madar at Aljada, a new leisure and entertainment destination for the UAE.
He previously served as Head of Architecture at Arcadia Middle East, and as Senior Architect at Dewan Architects & Engineers. Elie’s other roles have included Managing Director of Venture International, and Senior Architect at Kann Finch.

The projects he has worked on include Reem Mall in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Festival City and the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Yas Island.
Elie holds a BSc in Architectural Engineering from Beirut Arab University and an MSc in Architecture and Urban Design from the University of Sydney.
Elie is married to an architect and has two children; in his spare time, he enjoys visiting vibrant cities around the world to observe and explore their urban context.

As Chief Operating Officer, Amit Arora oversees Arada’s Hospitality and Entertainment division, which incorporates a number of rapidly growing segments including wellness, hospitality, F&B and events. He is also responsible for all Arada’s new non-residential business.

Amit is a hospitality professional with nearly three decades of experience in the hospitality industry across the UAE, Germany and USA.

Prior to joining Arada, Amit was Chief Operating Officer at Erth Abu Dhabi, formerly known as the Armed Forces Officers Club & Hotel where he provided strategic direction and leadership to the group’s diverse portfolio, covering Hotels, Recreation Clubs, Catering, Hospitality and Restaurants division, and played a pivotal role in bringing École Ducasse, the world’s premier culinary institution, to Abu Dhabi.

He has also served as Chief Executive Officer, Hospitality at FIVE Holdings, where he was instrumental in establishing the hotel division for the group, and as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Emaar Hospitality Group where he spearheaded the development and launch of three distinctive brands: The Address Hotels and Resorts, Armani Hotels and Resorts, and Vida Hotels.

Amit’s 15-year journey with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company included senior executive roles in global locations, including Boston, Berlin, and Dubai. His final assignment involved serving as Multi Property General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton properties in Ras Al Khaimah.

Amit is a graduate of the International College of Hotel Management at Modul University in Austria. 

Edward Attwood heads up the public relations and corporate communications functions at Arada and has been with the company since its inception. He also serves as Director of Communications at KBW Investments, one of Arada’s parent companies.

A former journalist and editor, he joined Arada from ITP, the Middle East’s largest publishing house, where he ran the Executive division. In that role, he oversaw leading consumer publication Arabian Business, as well as having responsibility for the editorial output for three other magazines and ITP Executive’s sizeable annual roster of events and awards ceremonies. Before joining the Executive division of ITP, he edited and worked on a number of trade titles, including Construction Week and Aviation Business.

Prior to moving to the UAE in 2008, Edward worked as an editor on the Middle East desk for political and economic forecasting company Global Insight, which is now part of IHS Markit. He also served as a legal caseworker at a local regulatory authority in the UK. He holds an honours degree in English Literature from the University of Newcastle.

Sameer Kulkarni has managed mixed-use master developments in the UAE, Canada and Saudi Arabia. He previously worked at Amaala/The Red Sea Development Company in Riyadh, where he served as an Executive Director.

In the UAE, he has managed large diverse portfolios mainly during his 17-year tenure with Emaar Properties. In the past he strategically helped resolve challenges involving property handover, maintenance, service fee budgets, communications and homeowner relations for developments that included Downtown Dubai, Arabian Ranches, Emirates Living and The Greens.

Kulkarni holds an MBA in Hospitality from the Sydney Graduate School of Management, Australia and a Digital Marketing diploma from Cornell University, USA.

Mayank has over two decades of diverse technology experience across Financial Services, IT Services, Healthcare, Real Estate, Hospitality, and Entertainment industries. He has worked with prestigious brands such as Prudential (US), technology giant Cognizant, and global health care Fortis.

Prior to joining Arada, Mayank briefly served as Chief Information Officer at Emaar. He has held leadership roles in Technology, Corporate Strategy, and Business Intelligence and is recognized for his expertise in digital transformation, business growth, and customer experience enhancement.

Mayank holds a B.Tech from the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology, Delhi (2002) and an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (2004).

A qualified Civil Engineer, Quantity Surveyor and certified Arbitration professional, Farhan has two decades of experience in engineering and construction projects.

His particular area of specialisation is in the commercial management and delivery of complex projects and mega developments worth billions of dollars. He previously served as Senior Executive Manager – Contracts at Meraas, where he worked on projects such as Bluewaters Island, and was one of the first members of the leadership team to join Arada back in February 2018, when he took the role of Senior Director – Contracts & Commercial.

After a four-year stint working for a state-owned utilities firm in Canada, Farhan rejoined Arada

Melissa Bayik leads Arada’s corporate identity, focusing on human-centred design and purpose-driven strategies to deliver long-term brand value and Connected Life. She joined Arada in 2017 and has developed and integrated the company’s purpose and principles across its functions.

Her branding expertise spans global consultancies like Wolff Olins and The Brand Union, corporate roles at Meraas, brand advisory for Raimondi, and early career experience as designer in Alstom in France.

Melissa holds an LL.M. in International Business Law from Paris Panthéon-Assas University and a B.Sc. in Multimedia Design from the American University of Sharjah. She is a Chartered Marketer (MCIM), and serves on the judging panel at Transform MEA Brand Awards.

Apart from work, she has served in various educational, mentorship, and social initiatives in the region, and is passionate about the intersection of education, design, and sustainable urban development.

Rana Mattar is a seasoned legal professional with over 25 years of experience in both private practice and senior in-house legal roles. Her career spans prominent organizations such as Emaar Properties PJSC and Majid Al Futtaim Properties, where she played a key role in advising on complex corporate, commercial, and real estate transactions across multiple regions.

With expertise in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and contract management, Rana brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to our legal and government relations department.

Rana holds two Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees—one in U.S. Law from Washington University in St. Louis, and another in Business, Banking, and Finance Law from Université Saint-Joseph in Lebanon in partnership with Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, where she graduated with honors.

Rosa Piro’s wide portfolio of responsibilities includes the expansion of Arada’s interests via new projects, as well as evaluating investments in new business segments.

She also oversees and maintains commercial and institutional partnerships in hospitality, healthcare, education and entertainment, adjusting the anchor strategy for each based on the needs of Arada’s communities.

Rosa is also responsible for creating and implementing the retail leasing strategy across Arada’s assets, as well as their management and operations.

Recent initiatives include the proposal and execution of Arada’s CSR programme during the recent Covid-19 crisis, and she is currently working on establishing a research vertical to make data-driven decisions.

Rosa previously served as Country Head for emerging markets research and consultancy firm Oxford Business Group, working in the UAE, the Philippines and Indonesia. In that role, she oversaw the company’s first-ever production of The Report: Sharjah annual investment guide. Rosa holds a bachelor’s degree in International Economics from Bocconi University in Milan and a master’s in International Management from Instituto de Empresa in Madrid. She is passionate about travelling, the outdoors and sports.

Maher Metraji is the Development Director in charge of overseeing the development of Aljada, Sharjah’s largest ever megaproject, which is spread over a 24 million square foot site.

Maher has more than 20 years of experience working in a series of landmark developments and prestigious projects across the UAE. He previously served as Senior Manager at Emaar Development and Projects Manager at Mazaya Real Estate. Maher’s other roles have also included Construction Manager at Turner Construction International and Al Hamed Development, as well as Project Engineer at Al Hamad Contracting.

Key projects he has worked on include Emaar South, Liwan Development, The Dubai Mall Fashion Avenue Expansion, Al Saadiyat Beach Villas, Eastern Mangrove Development, Al Raha Beach Development, The Address Dubai Mall, The Dubai Mall, Jumeirah Lake Terrace Tower, The Burj Residence by Emaar, the Dubai TV studios and Dubai Marina Towers by Emaar.

Mohamad Moussalli is a qualified Engineer with 18 years of contracting experience in the UAE and Lebanon. He joined Arada from Damac Properties, where he was Senior Manager – Projects, and most recently had oversight of the Damac Hills villa programme. He has also served as Project Manager at Abu Dhabi-based Civil Power General Contracting, and as Construction Manager at Al Ghafly General Contracting. Among the projects he has worked on are New York University Abu Dhabi, and Frond L of the Palm Jumeirah, for Nakheel.

Mohit Menon has 21 years of experience in human resources, 13 of which have been spent in a leadership capacity. In his current role, he is responsible for creating and executing a progressive human capital approach focused on employee engagement, performance management and talent development and helping to make Arada a fully people-centric organisation with robust HR metrics.

During his time at Arada, Mohit has rolled out a comprehensive performance management system and introduced and executed KPIs for the entire organisation, while also executing an employee first model using engagement and communications initiatives to reduce attrition and improve employer branding. He is also working on a total rewards scheme for all staff and is working with Gallup to work on the awareness and effectiveness of the leadership team to drive collaboration.

Mohit’s previous experience spans a wide array of industry verticals from real estate to investment banking and his HR domain expertise encompasses Performance Management, Employee Engagement, Total Rewards, Talent Management, HR MIS, Budget & Cost Management, Restructuring, Localization and Hiring.

Mohit has a bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Madras Christian College and an MBA from International Management Institute.

In his spare time, Mohit loves to learn, travel, farm, enjoy food and play sports. He believes that his personal success is directly proportionate to the number of leaders or talents he has groomed or mentored.

Hisham Saeed Khattab has over 19 years’ experience in a range of roles related to the real estate industry with a range of companies in the UAE.

At Arada, he is responsible for leading a team that develops and maintains strong strategic relationships with a number of key government entities. Hisham is also responsible for working with different departments within Arada to ensure that all opportunities for collaboration with these government organisations are explored and concluded.

Hisham has previously worked in senior positions within the Zabeel Group of Companies, Deyaar and Mohamed Al Suwaidi Investment.

He holds a bachelor of science degree in Marketing from American International University and a degree in public administration from the University of Sharjah.

Feras Al Naimi is a qualified engineer with more than 22 years of experience working in the MEP and infrastructure in the UAE, working with clients as varied as Masdar, Aldar and ADNOC. Prior to joining Arada, Feras served as Director – MEP for Damac Properties, where he had responsibility for all MEP operations at a variety of major projects, including Damac Hills and Akoya Oxygen. He has also worked as an Area Manager at Thermo LLC and a Project Manager at Cofathec International.