After 15 years of recognizing executive excellence in Australia, The CEO Magazine is proud to announce the inaugural finalists for the 2026 Executive of the Year Awards – Middle East & Africa.
Delivered in partnership with Headline Sponsor Ardaas Holdings, the program marks a defining milestone – establishing a global benchmark for leadership recognition across one of the world’s most dynamic business regions.
A global standard of executive excellence
For more than a decade, the Executive of the Year Awards have celebrated CEOs and senior leaders who demonstrate:
Strategic vision
Sustained commercial performance
Innovation and transformation
Culture and people leadership
Industry and community impact
The expansion into the Middle East and Africa reflects the region’s increasing global influence and the caliber of leadership shaping its economic future.
Proudly delivered with Ardaas Holdings
The 2026 Executive of the Year Awards – Middle East & Africa program is delivered in partnership with Headline Sponsor Ardaas Holdings, an organization aligned with long-term value creation, strategic growth and leadership excellence across the region.
This partnership reinforces a shared commitment to recognizing leaders who drive sustainable impact and transformative progress.
Meet the 2026 Middle East & Africa Judging Panel
Finalists were selected through a comprehensive and independent judging process.
An esteemed panel of regional and international business leaders assessed each submission against strict criteria to ensure merit-based recognition. Find out more about the judges and their expertise here.
As the initial cohort of the Middle East and Africa program, the 2026 finalists represent the benchmark for executive excellence in the region.
To be named an inaugural finalist is not only an achievement – it is a distinction that places these leaders at the forefront of business transformation across the Middle East and Africa.
CEO OF THE YEAR
Mohamed Abdelbary
Group CEO, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
Nizar Kayali
President – Agri-Business, Agthia Group PJSC
Geoffrey Alphonso
CEO, Alef Education
Faisal Al Nassar
President & CEO, Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group
Ibrahim Al Shami
Managing Director, Jotun
Olatomiwa Williams
Chief Growth & AI Officer – Middle East and Africa, Microsoft
Sherif Foda
Chairman and CEO, National Energy Services Reunited
Mohammed Albuty
CEO, National Housing Company
Kalyana Sivagnanam
Group CEO, Petromin Corporation
Hakimuddin Ali
President – Middle East, Türkiye & Africa (META), RHI Magnesita – Middle East, Türkiye & Africa Region
COMMUNITY
Richard Roudeix
Senior Vice President Olefins & Polyolefins Europe, Asia, International, LyondellBassell
Keith Watson
Division Manager, Reza Hygiene
Mark Benzahia
Managing Director, S.A. TALKE
Mater Al Dhafeeri
Vice President, Commercial, Sahara International Petrochemical Company
CUSTOMER IMPACT
Rohit Lamba
Group Marketing Director, African Industries Group
Sanchita Singh
Director, BIDCO Africa
George Kunnappally
Managing Director – United Arab Emirates, Nando’s
Kevin Lakay
General Manager – South Africa, Unilever Food Solutions
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Martin Roe
Group CEO, CCI Global
Sherif Elkhouly
Co-Founder and CEO, DataScience Middle East
Nishant Saxena
Global CEO, Erba Mannheim
Helmy Abouleish
CEO, SEKEM
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
Lorraine Dyer
Country Manager, Bata South Africa
Mohamed Seghir
CEO, HAYAH Insurance
Darrell Edon
CFO, PJP Investments Group
Peter Karsten
CEO, STARTRADER
INNOVATION
Navneet Dalal
Former Middle East Regional General Manager, Logistica-EnKay Express
Vas Daichenko
Founder & CEO, LoyaltyPlant
Mohamed Shaheen
CEO Schneider Electric Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Yemen and Bahrain, Schneider Electric
Ramez Abou Zaid
CEO, Union Insurance
VISIONARY LEADERSHIP
Julius Fon
Country Director – Cameroon, CBM Cameroon
Deyaa Mukhtar
CEO, King Abdulaziz Hospital – Makkah Health Cluster
Kaushik Burman
CEO, Spiro
Yanal Alkhasoneh
Division Director and Advisor – Information Technology, The General Administration of Customs – Abu Dhabi
