Our Board of Directors

Dr. Abdulmalik Abdullah Al-Hogail is the Vice Chairman of Americana Restaurants International PLC and a Member of its Audit Committee. He also serves as the Vice Chairman of the Board and a Member of the Audit Committee of Kuwait Food Company (Americana) KSCC.

Dr. Al-Hogail is an Independent Chairman of the Board, Chairman of the Executive Committee, and a Member of the Nomination and Compensation Committee at Alinma Bank. In addition, he serves as an Independent Board Member and Chairman of the Audit Committee at the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri).

Prior to his current roles, Dr. Al-Hogail held several senior executive and board positions. He previously served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Al Faisaliah Group and as a Faculty Member at the Institute of Public Administration. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Board and a Member of the Strategy and Investment Committee at Bahri, and as Independent Chairman of the Board of National Chemical Carriers of Saudi Arabia (Bahri Chemicals).

Dr. Al-Hogail was a Board Member of the Public Pension Agency, where he chaired the Audit, Risk, Compliance and Governance Committees. He also served as a Board Member at Saudi Electricity Company, where he chaired the Audit Committee and was a Member of the Risk and Compliance Committee. In addition, he was a Board Member at Alinma Investment, where he chaired the Audit Committee and was a Member of the Nomination and Compensation Committee.

He also served as a Member of the Audit Committee at the Capital Market Authority and as a Member of the Accounting Standards Committee at the Saudi Organization for Certified Public Accountants. His previous board and committee memberships include Accenture Saudi Arabia, Philips Healthcare Saudi Arabia, Arabian International Healthcare Holding (Tibbiyah), and Electronics and Systems Holding.

Dr. Al-Hogail holds a Doctorate (Ph.D.) and a Master’s degree in Accountancy from Case Western Reserve University, USA, and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from King Saud University, KSA. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA – USA), Certified Public Accountant (SOCPA - KSA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA – USA), and Certified in Financial Management (CFM - USA).

Mr. Arif Abdulla Albastaki is an Independent Board Member of Americana Restaurants International PLC and the Chairman of its Nomination and Remuneration Committee. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Amlak Finance PJSC.

Mr. Albastaki has extensive experience across the banking, real estate, and investment sectors. In addition to his role at Amlak, he serves as the Chairman of the Board at EII Capital PSC and as a Board Member and Chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee at Emaar, The Economic City in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Albastaki has held several senior board and committee positions across leading regional organizations. His previous roles include serving as a Member of the Executive Committee at Emaar, The Economic City in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was also a Board Member, Member of the Audit Committee, and Chairman of the Audit Committee at Al Salam Bank in Algeria. As well as the Chairman of the Executive Committee, Chairman of the Audit Committee, Member of the Investment Committee, and Member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee at Daman – National Health Insurance Company.

He also served as a Board Member, Member of the Strategy Committee, Member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, Vice Chairman of the Board, and Chairman of the Strategy Committee at Aramex PJSC. As well as the Chairman of the Board at Amlak Finance Egypt, and EFS Financial Services LLC. In addition, he has held board and committee memberships with TECOM Group PJSC, AWQAF and Minors Affairs Foundation, Amlak International for Real Estate Development and Finance Company, and Amlak Finance PJSC.

Mr. Albastaki holds a Higher Diploma in Banking and Finance from the Higher Colleges of Technology, UAE, and a Master’s degree in International Business from the University of Wollongong, UAE.

Mr. Majed Khalid Alassaf is a Board Member of Americana Restaurants International PLC and a Member of its Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

Mr. Alassaf is a seasoned investment and finance professional with extensive experience in consumer goods, retail, and strategic investments across the MENA region. He currently serves as a Senior Director and Head of the Consumer Goods & Retail Section at the Public Investment Fund (PIF) under the MENA Direct Investments division, where he oversees key investments and partnerships in the retail and consumer sectors.

Mr. Alassaf is also a Non-Executive Board Member in several leading Saudi and regional companies, including Tamimi Markets Company, Halal Products Development Company, SALIC – Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company, Al Madinah Heritage Company, Saudi Coffee Company, Noon Investment Company, Kayanee Company, Sawani Company, and AlWaha Duty Free Company. He is actively involved in multiple board committees, including Executive, Investment, and Nomination & Remuneration Committees, contributing to governance, strategy, and value creation across these organizations.

Prior to joining the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Mr. Alassaf served as Assistant Director at Ernst & Young (EY) in the Transaction Advisory Services practice from 2012 to 2017. Mr. Alassaf holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from York University, Canada.

Mr. Graham Denis Allan is an Independent Board Member of Americana Restaurants International PLC and a Member of its Audit Committee. He is a seasoned non-executive director with over 40 years of executive experience, including more than 25 years serving as a Chief Executive Officer and senior executive across major international organizations.

Mr. Allan currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Bata Footwear Company. He is also a Board Member and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee at Associated British Foods PLC, Senior Independent Director and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee at Intertek PLC, and Senior Independent Director and Chairman of the Responsible Business Committee at IHG PLC. In addition, he serves as a Board Member of Ikano Retail Pte Ltd.

Prior to his current roles, Mr. Allan served as Chief Executive Officer of Dairy Farm International from 2012 to 2017, where he led the growth of a multi-format retailer operating across 12 Asian markets. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Yum! Restaurants International from 2003 to 2012, overseeing the global expansion of brands including KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. From 1992 to 2003, he held various senior executive roles within PepsiCo and Yum! Brands in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Allan holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from Monash University, Australia, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Ms. Mariam Saeed Ghobash is an Independent Board Member of Americana Restaurants International PLC and a Member of its Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

Ms. Ghobash is a seasoned investment and finance professional with 15+ years of experience across global and regional institutions, spanning investment banking, private equity, project finance, and special situations.

From 2009–2021, she served as Director of Global Special Situations at Abu Dhabi Investment Council, leading strategic investments and restructurings. Prior to that, she held Associate roles at HSBC Bank Middle East in Private Equity, Global Investment Banking Advisory, and Project & Export Finance (2006–2009).

Ms. Ghobash has substantial corporate governance experience with both publicly listed and private companies and currently holds multiple independent board roles across leading UAE institutions such as Emirates Telecommunications Group Company PJSC (e&), Emirates Development Bank PJSC, the Emirates Growth Fund (EGF), and Mashreq Bank PJSC.

Previously, she has served as Vice Chairperson of the Board at Aldar Properties and at Invest AD. She has also served on the boards of National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Al Hilal Bank, Zayed University, National Takaful Co. (Watania), and Abu Dhabi National Distribution Company. Ms. Ghobash holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School - University of Pennsylvania, USA, and completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School, USA.

Mr. Kesri Singh is a Board Member of Americana Restaurants International PLC and a seasoned executive with over 33 years of experience across retail, manufacturing, and distribution in the Middle East and Asia, including Singapore, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, Brunei, and India.

Mr. Kesri has been serving as the Group Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Food Company (Americana) KSCC since July 2016 and is the Chair and a Board Member of multiple subsidiaries within the group.

Prior to his current roles, Mr. Singh served as Head of Asia at Al-Futtaim Group and as Chief Executive Officer of RSH and Robinsons Pte Ltd, 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 in 1992 and joined RSH in Singapore in 1995.

Mr. Singh holds a Certificate in the General Management Program from Harvard Business School, USA, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Rajasthan, India, and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Bangalore University, India.