Eng. Nasser Matar AlKawari has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Katara Hospitality in January 2023.

AlKawari comes with more than 25 years of experience in various leadership positions across different countries. He worked in world leading Energy companies such as Qatargas and ExxonMobil, he played an integral role during his time at Qatar Development Bank, his last appointment was the Chief Executive Officer of Msheireb Properties and prior to that he was the Chief Executive Officer of Astad Engineering Consultancy and Project Management.

AlKawari earned a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder in USA, followed by an Executive MBA from the London Business School in UK. He successfully completed prestigious leadership programs from the IESE Business School in Spain and the Thunderbird School of Global Management in USA.

Ahmed Al Boainin currently holds the position as Chief Corporate Services Officer (Head of Qatari Affairs).  

Ahmed is talented and value-driven professional, offering more than 25 years of management experience, gained by working in Qatar Petroleum and other reputed national organizations, in the fields of Hospitality Operations, Human Resources, General Services & Administration and he was also an integral part in the establishment and management of newly created subsidiaries.

Ahmed received his Bachelors in Hotel Administration & Post Graduate Diploma in Leadership from UK Exeter University.

As Chief Asset Management Officer, Irfan Sharief is responsible for the overall asset management function which includes driving superior operating hotels performance, diversifying, and increasing Katara Hospitality footprint and development.

Irfan Sharief is a seasoned hotelier with over 20 years of experience in the areas of operations and finance at both field and corporate level with global hospitality brands like Marriott International, Starwood Hotel & Resorts and Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

Prior to joining Katara Hospitality in April 2019, Irfan Sharief was the Area Director of Finance for the Gulf, Levant and Pakistan Region with Marriott International. Prior to his time with Marriott, he held Regional Director of Finance position with Starwood for the Africa continent and multiple Director roles in both field and corporate with Starwood and Hyatt Hotels both in the Middle East and the USA.

Irfan Sharief earned his B.S. in Business Administration from the Robert Morris University in USA and M.B.A in Revenue and Asset Management from the Glion University in Switzerland.

Juan Aguilar is the Chief Development Officer, he is responsible for the development of new projects and major renovations, as well as all technical aspects within Katara Hospitality portfolio including Capex expenditures, from planning to delivery.

Juan joined Katara Hospitality in October 2013 as Corporate Director, Project Management, where the successfully completed and ongoing projects include The Peninsula Paris, Excelsior Hotel Gallia Milan, Raffles Hotel Singapore, InterContinental Carlton Cannes, InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam, The Ritz Carlton Doha, Sealine Beach Resort Qatar, Lusail Katara Twin Towers Doha, Marriott Hotel Doha, Somerset West Bay Doha, Renaissance Sharm El Sheikh Egypt, Tazi Palace Hotel Tangier and Westin Excelsior Rome.

Prior to this, Juan was the Assistant Site Manager, Development Associate and Director of OHL Construction, Director Investor Relations, Strategic Planning and then CEO of Mayakoba Development. His extensive experience in luxury hospitality real estate includes developing hotels, resorts and golf courses for luxury brands such as Fairmont, Rosewood, Banyan Tree, Viceroy, Four Seasons and the PGA TOUR. Juan has also served as Chairman and/or Board Member of several companies.

Juan Aguilar is Civil Engineer by the Polytechnical University of Madrid graduate, with 20 years of experience in developing hospitality projects.

Lourie Kruger is a globally experienced investment professional executive with more than 20 years’ international experience in banking, real assets and hospitality, gained in over 35 countries, and throughout the investment lifecycle: from origination and underwriting, through active management, to disposal/exit.

Prior to joining Katara Hospitality, he headed up the M&A and Finance functions across Africa and Middle East for Westmont Hospitality Group (WHG), one of the world’s largest private owner/operators of hotels.

Lourie has been based in the GCC since 2009, initially spending 10 years with Kingdom Hotel Investments (KHI), a major investment company focused primarily on mixed-use real estate and hospitality with investments in 37 operating companies across 24 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and North America.

During his time at KHI, he was CFO of the company, responsible for overseeing the corporate finance activities of the company, treasury, and M&A initiatives, including leading the disposal drive that saw the company dispose of 32 portfolio companies over an 8-year period.

Before moving to the Middle East, he was working for a South African investment bank where he was a founding member of the African Real Estate team. Lourie holds degrees in Computer Sciences, Financial Economics, and an MBA from London Business School.

Kushagra Priyadarshi holds the position of General Counsel and oversees the integrated legal function across our portfolio and jurisdictions. He has been instrumental in leading and driving key projects for the organization. Kushagra has handled, on behalf of the company, some of the key acquisitions/ disposals, critical financing/ restructuring, and other high-stake governance matters related to the company. His ability to handle highly complex matters with a solution-oriented strategic focus has been crucial determinant on several headline projects of the company.

Kushagra has considerable experience with both the Government and private sector, having worked for the Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India as well as projects/ firms in the US and India. Kushagra holds Master of Laws from Harvard Law School, Harvard University and Bachelor of Laws from National University of Juridical Sciences, India (amongst the top three law schools in the country) where he was a gold medalist.