We adopt and adhere to the highest standards of corporate governance. Our corporate governance approach is led by a highly-accomplished and diverse Board of Directors, with experience of founding, managing, directing and growing organisations.
Our Board is supported by an internationally experienced senior management team, having led organizations both in the F&B sector and other industries.
We ensure regular reporting and independent auditing, coupled with strong internal policy, transparency, effective oversight and accountability at all levels of our business.
VICE CHAIRMAN
Dr. Abdulmalik Al Hogail is the Vice Chairman of the Company’s Board, a member of its Audit Committee and has been the Vice Chairman of the board of the Former Parent Company since June 2017. He is also a member of the Audit Committee of the Former Parent Company.
He is also the Chairman of the board, the Chairman of the Executive Committee, and a member of the Nomination & Compensation Committee at Al Inma Bank. In addition, he is the Vice Chairman of the board, the Chairman of the Audit Committee, and a member of the Strategy & Investment Committee at Bahri (The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia), as well as the Chairman of the Board of Bahri Chemicals (The National Chemical Carriers of Saudi Arabia).
Prior to his current roles, Dr. Abduhlmalik Al Hogail was a board member of the Public Pension Agency and chaired the Audit, Risk & Compliance, and Governance Committees. He was a board member at Saudi Electricity, where he chaired the Audit Committee, and was a member of the Risk & Compliance Committee. He was a board member at Al Inma Investment, where he chaired the Audit Committee, and was a member of the Nomination & Compensation Committee. He was also a board member at Accenture Saudi Arabia, Philips Healthcare Saudi Arabia, Arabian International Healthcare Holding (Tibbiyah), and Electronics & Systems Holding. He was a member of the Audit Committee at the Capital Market Authority and a member of the Accounting Standards Committee at the Saudi Organization for Certified Public Accountants.
In addition to his previous executive roles and committee memberships, Dr. Abdulmalik Al Hogail worked as the Vice President & CFO of Al Faisaliah Group, and he was a faculty member at the Institute of Public Education.
He holds a Ph.D. and a Master’s degree in Accountancy from Case Western Reserve University in the USA, and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from King Saud University. He also holds a Certified Public Accountant licence from the USA, a Certified Public Accountant licence from Saudi Arabia, a Certified Management Accountant licence from the USA, and a Certified in Financial Management licence from the USA.
DIRECTOR
Arif Albastaki is the Chief Executive Officer of Amlak Finance PJSC.
His leadership and expertise of more than 27 years within the banking and financial sector have played a vital role in strengthening and accelerating growth across several global organizations that he worked with in the region.
He is the driving force that has spearheaded the transformation in Amlak and championed its financial restructuring, which was successfully completed in November 2014.
In addition to his role at Amlak, Albastaki plays an integral part in leading positions across global institutions. Currently, he is the Chairman of the Board at Amlak Finance (Egypt), board member at Emaar the Economic City (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Aramex, National Health Insurance Company – Daman, and Al Salam Bank (Algeria) and Americana Restaurants PLC. In addition, he is a member of the Advisory Panel at Emaar Hospitality Group.
Over the last two decades, Albastaki has worked closely with top companies, CEOs, and Boards across diverse sectors in the MENA region. He has held key leadership roles across Private and Public sectors in various industries like Technology, Logistics, Banking & Finance, Private Equity, and Real Estate. He was the Chairman of the Board at Emaar Industries & Investments, the Vice-Chairman of the Board at TECOM Group, Board Member of AWQAF & Minors affair Foundation, Amlak International for Finance & Real Estate Development, Saudi Arabia, and Al Salam Bank, Algeria.
Before joining Amlak, Albastaki was at the helm of banking and finance for over 15 years, leading several senior managerial positions at renowned financial institutions, including HSBC Bank ME, Dubai Islamic Bank, ABN AMRO Bank, and National Bank of Fujairah. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance and a Master’s Degree in International Business.
DIRECTOR
Mr. Raid Abdullah Ismail is member of the Company’s Board, and a member of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee. He has also been a board member and a member of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee of the Former Parent Company since September 2020.
He is currently a Senior Director – Co-Head of MENA Direct Investments and Head of the Operational Value Creation Group at the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. He is the Chairman of the boards of GDC Middle East, Tahakom Investments, and The Helicopter Company. He is also a board member of The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (BAHRI), Elm Company, Cruise Saudi, The National Unified Procurement Company (NUPCO) and Aviation Services Company (ASC).
Prior to his current roles and his board and committee roles, Mr. Raid Abdullah Ismail was a Director at ACWA Power from 2018 to 2021, the General Manager of Mawarid Food Company from 2017 to 2018, the Founder and Managing Partner of House of Retail LLC from 2014 to 2017, the CEO of Saudi Tadawi Health Care Group from 2011 to 2013, the General Manager of Olayan Food Services Company from 2010 to 2011, the Director of Finance and Strategy at Olayan Food Services Company from 2009 to 2011, a Secondee of the Corporate Finance Department at the Saudi Capital Market Authority in 2006, and a Senior Manager at the Global Investment Banking Advisory of HSBC from 2003 to 2006.
He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from London Business School in the UK, and a Bachelor degree in Finance from George Mason University in the USA.
DIRECTOR
Mr. Graham Denis Allan is an independent member of the Company’s Board, and a member of its Nomination & Remuneration Committee. He was previously an independent board member of the Former Parent Company from May 2019 until June 2022.
He is a seasoned non-executive director with over 40 years of prior executive experience, including more than 25 years as a CEO and senior executive in major international companies.
Mr. Graham Denis Allan currently serves as the Chairman of Bata Footwear Company, Senior Independent Director at Intertek plc and IHG plc, and non-executive Director of Associated British Foods plc and Ikano Retail Pte Ltd.
Prior to his current roles, Mr. Graham Denis Allan was CEO of Dairy Farm International from 2012 to 2017 where he led the growth of a USD12 billion multi-format retailer with a presence in 12 Asian markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Mr. Graham Denis Allan previously served as CEO & President of Yum Restaurants International from 2003 to 2012 where he led the growth of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell across the world (outside of USA and China). Mr. Graham Denis Allan previously held other senior roles at Yum Restaurants International (formerly PepsiCo Restaurants) from 1992 to 2003.
His earlier career included roles as a consultant with McKinsey & Co Inc. from 1983 to 1989 in Australia and New York, a consultant at Elders IXL Ltd from 1989 to 1992, and a solicitor at Corrs Australia from 1978 to 1982.
Mr. Allan holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from Monash University in Australia, and a Master of Business Administration (Dux (i.e. the highest achieving student) of each year) from the University of Melbourne in Australia.
DIRECTOR
Mrs. Tracy Ann Gehlan is an independent member of the Company’s Board, a member of its Audit Committee. She was previously an independent board member of the Former Parent Company from September 2020 until June 2022.
She is currently the President International at Driven Brands which is the largest automotive services company in North America.
Prior to her current role, Mrs. Tracy Ann Gehlan served as the Senior Vice President EMEA & Chief Operating Officer International at Hertz from September 2018 to June 2020, a Managing Director & CEO of Smashburger UK from September 2016 to August 2018, the Group CEO & a board member of Jatomi Fitness (Pure Health and Fitness) from April 2015 to June 2016, and she was a board member of Scottish Retail Consortium from 2008 to 2011.
She first joined Burger King Corporation as a Market Manager from 2004 to 2007, before getting promoted to Director of Company Operations (UK, Netherlands, and Italy) in 2007, then to a Senior Director in Operations Excellence EMEA in 2010, and then she became the Vice President & COO of Burger King EMEA from 2011 to 2015. Early in her career, she was an Area Manager at The Restaurant Group and served there from 1995 to 2004.
She holds a degree in Law and Welfare (Family Law) from Newcastle University and an Advanced Food Hygiene Certification from Group Training Techniques GTT.
DIRECTOR
Mr. Kesri Singh is a member of the Company’s Board and has been the Group CEO of the Former Parent Company since July 2016.
He has over 23 years of experience in retail across the Middle East and Australasia, including Singapore, UAE, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, Brunei and India.
Prior to his current role in the Former Parent Company, Mr. Kesri Singh was the Head of Asia in Al Futtaim Group and the CEO of RSH and Robinsons, a multinational conglomerate specialising in the distribution, retailing and operation of department stores, fashion, sports and lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories. He began his career in sales and distribution management in India and joined RSH in Singapore back in 1995.
He holds a certificate in the General Management Program from Harvard Business School, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Rajasthan and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Bangalore University.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Amarpal Singh Sandhu has been heading the Restaurant Business of the Former Parent Company since 2019. He joined as the COO of KFC in 2017 to lead the transformation and turnaround of KFC brand, with close to a thousand restaurants across 12 countries. He has also been a director of Reef Technology Middle East Limited since 2021.
As the CEO of the Company, Mr. Amarpal Singh Sandhu leads multi-brand, multi-country restaurant portfolio across MENA and Kazakhstan.
Before joining the Restaurant Business of the Former Parent Company, Mr. Amarpal Singh Sandhu served as Vice President and Brand Head, Texas Chicken International for Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Europe. He was responsible for expansion of the brand in 10 international markets from 2011 to 2017.
During his 17-year career at Wendy’s from 1994 to 2011, Mr. Amarpal Singh Sandhu managed both equity and franchise business portfolios for the brand across USA and international markets. Mr. Amarpal Singh Sandhu holds a Master of Business Administration from the Richard Ivey Business School, University of Western Ontario, Canada.
Chief Financial Officer & Chief Growth Officer
Mr. Harsh Bansal has been the CFO & CGO of the Restaurant Business of the Former Parent Company since July 2018. He took on the additional responsibility of CGO (Chief Growth Officer) in September 2021. He has also been a director of Reef Technology Middle East Limited since 2021.
He began his career in the Former Parent Company as a Senior Director and led the Corporate Finance & Strategy function for the wider Group. He was part of the transformation team post-acquisition in 2016. He was promoted to CFO of the Restaurant Business of the Former Parent Company in July 2018, and in September 2021 he took on the additional responsibility of growth and was also appointed CGO.
Prior to his role in the Former Parent Company, he served as an Associate – Investments at Alabbar Enterprises (Family Office of H.E. Mohamed Alabbar – Investments) in UAE from August 2015 to July 2016 and spearheaded multiple investments, including of the Former Parent Company. He served in Standard Chartered Bank in Mumbai as Analyst – M&A (South Asia) from July 2013 to August 2014, then worked in Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore as Analyst and Associate – M&A (Southeast Asia) from September 2014 to July 2015. He was an Oracle Consultant in Infosys Technologies Ltd in India from June 2008 to June 2010.
Mr. Harsh Bansal holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, India, a CFA level-3 from the CFA Institute in the USA, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics & Communication from Jaypee Institute of Information Technology in India.
Chief Operating Officer (Yum Brands)
Mr. Vishal Bhatia has been COO of the Restaurant Business of the Former Parent Company and heading its KFC & Pizza Hut business across MENA since March 2022. Mr. Vishal Bhatia is also responsible for operations and its expansion plans in Iraq. He joined the Restaurant Business of the Former Parent Company as the COO of KFC in MENA in 2020.
Before joining the Restaurant Business of the Former Parent Company, Mr. Vishal Bhatia was the CEO for New Supply Business, driving Cloud Kitchens, Private Brands and Virtual Brands at Swiggy – India’s leading food delivery operator.
Prior to Swiggy, Mr. Vishal Bhatia held multiple marketing roles across India, Indonesia and the UK in consumer goods companies such as Reckitt, PepsiCo and Britannia.
Mr. Vishal Bhatia holds a Master of Business Administration from Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, India, in addition to holding a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, India.
Chief Information Officer
Mr. Ramandeep Singh Virdi joined the Restaurant Business of the Former Parent Company in 2018 as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Restaurants Business. His global career of more than 23 years spans business domains including retail, airlines, travel, R&D, hotels, business process outsourcing and products.
His last position was Senior Vice President IT with Jubilant Foodworks, the largest overseas franchisee for Dominos, USA. Prior to that he was the Vice President – Group IT for Interglobe Enterprises, a leader in aviation and hospitality.
Mr. Ramandeep Singh Virdi holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Surrey, UK, and also holds a Master of Technology in Computer Sciences from Georgian Technical University, Tbilisi, Georgia.
Chief Development Officer
Mr. Dusan Folta joined the Restaurant Business of the Former Parent Company in early 2021 as Chief Development Officer (CDO) and is responsible for the Development function, including Real Estate, Design, Construction, Maintenance, Sales and Catering, across 12 countries.
Prior to joining the Restaurant Business of the Former Parent Company, Mr. Dusan Folta worked with AmRest for 19 years, where he went from team member to Shift Supervisor, District Coach, Market President and then to Brand Operations President (Brand COO) of KFC in Europe and Russia. Mr. Dusan Folta is also a founder of EyErne LLc, a US-based social media and e-commerce marketplace which was founded in 2018.
Mr. Dusan Folta holds a Bachelor of Economics and Management from College of Economic Studies in Prague.
The Audit Committee assists the Board in discharging its responsibilities relating to financial reporting, external and internal audits and controls, including reviewing and monitoring the integrity of our financial statements, reviewing and monitoring the extent of the non-audit work undertaken by external auditors, advising on the appointment of external auditors, overseeing the relationship with our external auditors, reviewing the effectiveness of the external audit process, and reviewing the effectiveness of our internal control review function. The ultimate responsibility for reviewing and approving the annual report and accounts remains with the Board.
The Nomination and Remuneration Committee assists the Board in setting and overseeing the nomination and remuneration policies in respect of the Board, any committees of the Board and senior management. In such capacity, it is responsible for evaluating the hiring of Americana’s executive management, evaluating the balance of skills, knowledge and experience of the Board and committees of the Board and, in particular, monitoring the independent status of the independent Directors. It is also responsible for periodically reviewing the Board’s structure and identifying, where relevant, potential independent candidates to be appointed as Directors or committee members as the need may arise. In addition, and subject to the Articles, the Nomination and Remuneration Committee assists the Board in determining its responsibilities in relation to remuneration, including making recommendations to the Board on the Company’s policy on executive remuneration, setting the over-arching principles, parameters and governance framework of our remuneration policy and determining the individual remuneration and benefits package of our senior management.
