Shirish Saraf

Company: Samena Capital
Position: Vice-chairman and CEO

Biography: Shirish Saraf started his career with Australia’s ANZ Investment Bank, where he set up one of the first private equity funds dedicated to investing in India. Saraf then joined Bahrain’s Taib Bank, working on several significant deals in India and the GCC. In 2002, he became one of the co-founders and managing directors of Abraaj Capital.

After leaving Abraaj, Saraf established Bahrain-based Samena Capital in 2008 to focus on investing in the Indian subcontinent, Asia, Middle East and North Africa region.

The firm’s shareholders include the UAE’s Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al-Nahyan, Qatar’s Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser bin Khaled al-Thani and Bahrain’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa al-Khalifa, among other senior figures in the region. Saraf has a degree in economics with a specialisation in international trade and development from the London School of Economics.

Contact Tel: (+973) 1 711 2280
Website: www.samenacapital.com