Board of Directors & Executive Members
Board Of Directors:
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Tarek Aggad is chairman and CEO of Arab Palestinian Investment Company – APIC, an investment holding company that he helped launch in 1994. APIC’s investments are diverse in the fields of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), the manufacture of meat, construction materials, pharmaceuticals, cars, and retail. APIC has a presence in Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Turkey through its group of subsidiaries that include Unipal General Trading Company; Siniora Food Industries Company; National Aluminum and Profiles Company (NAPCO); Palestine Automobile Company; Medical Supplies and Services Company; Sky Advertising, Public Relations, and Event Management Company; Arab Leasing Company and the Arab Palestinian Storage and Cooling Company. APIC is one of the largest employers in Palestine with around 3000 employees through its group of subsidiaries.
Aggad has been also responsible for supervising several businesses of the Aggad Investment Company (AICO) – a diversified Saudi Arabian holding firm.
He sits on the board of directors of several prominent investment, manufacturing, distribution and services companies in Palestine, Jordan and Saudi Arabia including Bank of Palestine, Palestine Electric Company and King Hussein Cancer Foundation, and was named a Global Leader of Tomorrow (GLT) by the World Economic Forum at Davos in 2001.
Aggad holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics with honors from Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors
Nashat Masri is the deputy chairman of the Siniora Food Industries Board of Directors and supports the oversight of the company´s overall activities and performance. In addition to his position on the board, Masri is also a board member of Fursan Capital Partners I, the Cairo Bank Amman, Aqaba Development Company, Al-Isra’ Education and Investment Company, the Insurance Commission and the Royal Flying Academy. He is a co-founder of Al-Fursan Group, a leading private sector investment company in the Middle East with offices in Jordan and the United Kingdom. Prior to co-founding Al-Fursan, Masri worked for J. P. Morgan and Company Inc. in mergers and acquisitions, as well as in various consultancy positions. Masri holds a Masters of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Economics from Harvard University in Cambridge, USA.
Member of the Board of Directors
Ali Aggad is currently Director of portfolio companies at Foursan group. He is also the chairperson of the board of the National Aluminum Profiles Company (NAPCO) and advisor to the board of the Arab Palestinian investment Company (APIC).
Before that, Ali was the Chief operating officer of the Arab Palestinian Investment company (APIC) (2007-2017), acting as oversight for the operations of subsidiaries and responsible for the strategy development and deployment process of the group.
During his work with APIC he represented the company in various boards such as holding the position of Chairman of Board of the Arab Palestinian Shopping Centers Company (2005 to 2017), Unipal Central, and West Africa (2010 to 2015). He is also the former CEO of Unipal-GTC (2001-2007) and General Manager of Siniora (Palestine) (1999-2001).
Ali started his career working for Procter and Gamble as Process Engineer and QA Manager. Ali received a BS in Chemical Engineering, 1st class rank from the Jordan University of Science & Technology and MBA with distinction from London Business School.
Member of the Board of Directors
Nasri Kassisieh is a member of the Siniora Food Industries Board of Directors and owner of an 80-year-old family business that has grown from a small local company into a regional enterprise serving the Jordanian, Syrian, Lebanese and Iraqi markets. Kassisieh’s business is one of the Levant´s leading companies for food industry services and technical expertise. Before joining the family business, Kassisieh worked at MMIS Management Consulting and was one of the founding partners. As an industrial consultant, he specialized in industrial management and has extensive experience in reorganizing the largest pharmaceutical factory in Jordan. Kassisieh was born in 1962 and holds a Masters of Administration Engineering and Bachelor of Industrial Engineering.
Member of the Board of Directors
Shahm Al-Wir is a member of the Siniora Food Industries Board of Directors and partner in the Fursan Group, specializing in capital and investments. Al-Wir is also a member of the board of directors for Fursan Capital Partners, Estarta Solutions and the Abraham Path Initiative. He is an honorary chairman and board member of the Harvard University Arab Alumni Association and a member of the consultative council of the Beirut Institution, Amman Baccalaureate School Board of Trustees and Dubai Islamic Bank Board of Directors. He is a registered lawyer in the New York Bar Association and prior to working at Fursan, Al-Wir worked at the leading law firm Debevoise & Plimpton in New York. Here, Al-Wir focused on mergers and acquisitions in the United States and the Middle East and consulted privately on one-off projects within investment markets. Al-Wir was born in 1973, holds a Doctorate in Law from University of Virginia in the USA and a Bachelor of Political Science with honors from Harvard University in Cambridge, USA.
Member of the Board of Directors
Lana Ghanem is the managing director of Hikma Ventures, which she helped establish in 2015. Ghanem began her career at Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC in 2012, as the assistant to the CEO and director of corporate strategy and development, where she worked on strategic projects across the company’s various functions including strategy, mergers and acquisitions, operations and finance. Prior to joining Hikma, she held the position of financial analyst in the Mergers and Acquisitions Department at Dresdner Kleinwort Investment Bank in London, where she worked on transactions for clients across multiple industries. Currently, Ghanem heads the Innovation and Leadership Advisory Board (ILAB) at Hikma, which consists of young Hikma employees who share a dedication to advancing the company and ensuring it is at the frontier of innovation. Ghanem holds an MBA from Harvard Business School (HBS) and a Bachelors of Commerce degree from McGill University.
Member of the Board of Directors
Mr. Al-Khatib is the Executive Director of Aswaq since the beginning of 2016, which leads Palestine Investment Fund (PIF)’s strategic investments in listed Palestinian companies. Mr. Al Khatib has more than 15 years of senior working experience in capital market investments which covers a wide range of economic sectors such as: commercial, Islamic banking, telecommunications, light and agro industries.
His current position includes among other responsibilities representing PIF in the Board of Directors of several leading Palestinian companies such as:
- Siniora Food Industries (Board Member).
- Arab Islamic Bank (Board Member).
- Arab specialized Medical Complex ASMCC (Board Member
- Sanad for Construction Resources (Board Member).
- Birzeit Pharmaceutical Company (Board Member).
Previously held:
- Ibn Sina Specialist Hospital (Chairman).
- The Arab Hotels Company (Chairman).
- Ooredoo (Board Member).
- National Aluminum and Profiles Company (Board Member).
- Jerusalem District electricity Jedco (Board Member).
- Palestine Industrial Investment Co. (Board Member).
- Grand Park Hotel (Chairman).
Prior to his current post; Mr. Al-Khatib served as a portfolio manager at PIF five years. His capacities included leading PIF major investment portfolios, thus supporting PIF in achieving one of its primary goals of empowering the investment infrastructure and investment climate in Palestine.
Mr. Al-Khatib was born in 1976, he holds a master’s degree in Finance and Investments from the University of Sydney, Australia, and a bachelor’s degree in Financial Management from the University of Arab academy of Science and Technology in Egypt, Cairo. he is married and father of three children.
Member of the Board of Directors
Suzanne Afanah is a former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, a communications professional and award-winning journalist, with well over 29 years of experience as a senior executive in media, television and mass communications. During her 12 years at television Afanah served as Managing Director of Jordan TV and later as Vice Chairman of the Jordan Radio and Television Corporation. Afanah also assumed different posts throughout her TV career, including producer, political correspondent, anchorwoman and Chief Editor at Jordan Television, and at major networks including Middle East Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and Cable News Network (CNN).
Appointed by Her Majesty Queen Rania to the executive committee of the Arab Women’s Summit, Afanah led efforts to create the Arab Media Network to empower Arab women across 21 countries in the region.
Moving to a corporate career, Afanah lead communications, branding, and social responsibility at Zain one of the leading telecommunication providers in the Middle East and Africa, helping make it one the top five brands in the region.
Afanah joined government in 2010 assuming the portfolio of Minister of Tourism and Antiquities. She is currently the managing partner at Advvise, one of the leading strategic communications and public relations agencies in Jordan.
Afanah also serves on the boards of Jordan River Foundation, the Center for Defending the Freedom of Journalists, Generations for Peace and The Children’s Museum.
Members Of Executive Management:
Group CEO
Majdi Al-Sharif is the chief executive officer of the Siniora Group for Food Industries. Al-Sharif began his professional career in 1980, assuming numerous positions and responsibilities in multiple companies for 35 years.
Prior to his work with APIC in 2005, Al-Sharif worked in Saudi Arabia with Procter & Gamble for more than 20 years, where he held a number of positions including manager and executive manager in operations and planning. In 2002, he moved to the UAE to establish a business center and become a factory manager in one of Procter & Gamble companies utilizing his vast experience and engineering background.
In October 2005, Al-Sharif joined APIC as a CEO for Siniora Food Industries in Jordan and Palestine, the leading company in processed meat manufacturing in the region. He oversees the general management of the company in addition to defining the annual and strategic goals. Al-Sharif is also the CEO of Al Masa Diamond Meat Processing Company in Dubai, a subsidiary of Siniora, and is a member in the Jordan Strategy Forum, the Jordan Europe Business Association, Jordan Exporters Association and the Jordanian Engineers Association.
Al-Sharif holds a Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering from Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
Group Chief Financial Officer
Hatem Al-Afifi is the chief financial officer of Siniora Food Industries and secretary of the board of directors is responsibility for all financial aspects of the company´s strategy and responsible for overall control. He also works closely with the CEO to implement recommendations aimed at continued profit optimization. Prior to being appointed the financial director in 2002, Al-Afifi worked at the Cairo Amman Bank in Palestine as a customer service manager. Al-Afifi was born in Jerusalem in 1971 and graduated from Yarmouk University in Jordan in 1995 with a specialization in finance and accounting.
General Manager Palestine Business Unit
Ismail Izhiman is the General Manager of Siniora Food Industries Palestine site and is responsible for executing the company´s strategy and business plan set by the board of directors to achieve sustainable and profitable businessIzhiman joined Siniora in 1999, starting as the sales supervisor, then sales manager and export manager, in which he developed Siniora´s operations in the Arab, in particular Gulf, markets. In 2009, he moved to Palestine to become Siniora ´s sales and marketing manager, resulting in an unprecedented large increase in sales. To achieve this success, Izhiman implemented a number of tough strategies and resourcing decisions that established a strong staff base with good experience to accommodate market fluctuations and changes. Prior to working at Siniora, Izhiman worked in his family’s auditing office. Izhiman was born in 1974 and graduated with a Bachelor of Marketing Science from Baghdad University, Iraq in 1997.
General Manager Jordan Business Unit
Khalid Qarout has served as Siniora Jordan’s general manager since 2020, bringing with him over 30 years of experience in manufacturing operations, commercial business development and management responsibilities with leading regional and international companies. Qarout began his career in 1989 with Juffali Group as a manufacturing engineer, then worked for almost 14 years with Procter & Gamble in Saudi Arabia, Belgium and North Africa on engineering, operational, planning and capability building managerial responsibilities. In 2006, he took over leadership responsibilities across the product supply, distribution and business development organizations of the Sunbulah Group, before serving as general manager of the Honey Business Unit with Al Shifa, the fifth largest global honey brand that is distributed in more than 40 countries around the globe.
Qarout was born in Ramallah in 1966. He is a member of the Jordanian Engineers Association and holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Jordan University of Science & Technology and a Sloan Masters of Science in Leadership and Strategy from London Business School, the United Kingdom.
General Manager Gulf Business unit
Ahmad Yahya is the general manager of Siniora’s Gulf Business Unit, responsible for the company’s operations in the Gulf region including Diamond Meat Processing (DMP), Siniora Gulf, and Saudi Siniora. Yahya joined Siniora’s team in 2002 as a cost accountant, shifting to become the finance manager for Palestine in 2009. In 2013, he moved to APSC, a Siniora affiliate, as the chief financial officer. After the DMP acquisition in 2016, he rejoined Siniora as finance manager for UAE. In 2020, he became the finance manager for the company’s Gulf section, working with the management team to improve the company’s operational performance in the Gulf region.
Yahya was born in 1978 and holds a Master’s degree in Accounting and Taxation from Al Quds University as well as an IACPA certificate.
Group General Manager Manufacturing and Engineering
Khaled Al-Muhtaseb is the General Manager for Manufacturing and Engineering for Siniora Food Industries group of companies, he is responsible for manufacturing operations including procuring, and distributing materials within the sites according to production plans and markets demands. Beside operations departments, he is responsible for the supporting technical departments like Quality Assurance and Research & Development. Al-Muhtaseb joined Siniora in 2012 as Chief Operating Officer for Palestine site, then after a year he was assigned as Products Supply Director for all manufacturing sites. Prior to this, Al-Muhtaseb worked at Proctor & Gamble in Saudi Arabia for seven years, during which he worked as Detergents Engineering group manager, then Dish Care and Fabric Enhancer group manager, beside leading Fabric and Home Care productivity improvement network for CEEMEA P&G sites. Al-Muhtaseb was born in 1978 and graduated from Birzeit University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering.
Group Human Resource Director
Nahed Sabri is the human resource director of Siniora Food Industries, responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring all the company’s human resources plans, policies and strategies. She joined the company in 2001 as an internal auditor in the Quality Control Department and later moved on to become the planning and quality manager, where she helped develop and build the ISO 22000 food safety system and update the ISO 9001 system. She then served in the Human Resources Department and simultaneously obtained her Professional Human Resources Certificate for business (HRBP) in 2015. Sabri previously served as a junior quality consultant at MMIS, where she participated in the development of quality systems projects and ISO 9001.
Sabri was born in Jerusalem in 1977, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Jordan, a diploma in business administration from the University of Bethlehem and an MBA in Human Resource Management from Stafford University, the United Kingdom.
Group Information Technology Director
Rafat Abu Khizaran is the information technology director of Siniora Food Industries Group, and is responsible for developing, implementing and supporting both short- and long-term information technology and information security strategies within the company. He has more than 20 years of experience in managing information technology and information security systems, in addition to his long experience in enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) and cybersecurity. Abu Khizaran joined Siniora in 2006 as the information technology manager, having previously served as the director of the computer department at the Continuing Education Company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Abu Khizaran was born in 1978 and has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science degree from Zarqa Private University.
Group Marketing Director
Elie Khalil is the group marketing director for Siniora Food Industries, working closely with the CEO to ensure the proper planning, development and implementation of the overall business marketing strategy. Khalil joined Siniora in February 2022 in his current position, bringing with him 15 years of broad-based experience in marketing management and strategies with leading multinational FMCG companies. Throughout his career, Khalil has managed and led marketing functions that include digital, trade marketing and category management with leading multinational companies in Saudi Arabia.
Khalil is a Lebanese national and holds Bachelor’s degrees in business and marketing from the Lebanese Canadian University.
Chief Executive Officer, Turkey Business Unit
Mehmet Yilmaz is the chief executive officer of Trakya Et ve Süt Ürünleri Sanayi ve Tiç Aş, a subsidiary of Siniora Food industries in Turkey. Trakya Et manufactures the consumer preferred brand Polonez and is a leader in the processed meat industry. Yılmaz joined Trakya Et in 2021, having previously worked at multinational companies including Lactalis, Eckes Granini, Unilever, Ulker and Aujan Industries, all recognized as leaders in the Middle East. Yılmaz leads Siniora Food investments in Turkey, working to develop the Polonez brand further in Turkey and the region.
Yılmaz has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from İstanbul University.