THE ESTEEMED 2019 PANEL OF JUDGES
James Adams FCT, Group Treasurer, Chalhoub Group
James Adams is the Group Treasurer at Chalhoub Group; a leading partner for luxury across the Middle East, an expert in retail, distribution and communication. He is responsible for all aspects of Treasury and has recently led several projects to establish the new function within the firm. Prior to joining Chalhoub in 2014, James was a Senior Manager in the Deloitte Treasury Advisory team based in London. He has worked with Group Treasurers and CFOs at a variety of companies in the UK, Europe, Middle East, North America, Russia and Asia. His particular areas of interest are Treasury Systems, Risk Management and Treasury Strategy. James is a Fellow of the Association of Corporate Treasurers and a Chartered Management Accountant. He studied at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he completed a BSc in Economics and MSc in Financial and Industrial Economics.
Laura Ford, Senior Treasury Manager, Majid Al Futtaim Holding
Laura Ford is Senior Treasury Manager at Majid Al Futtaim, one of the largest developers and operators of shopping malls and hypermarkets in the MENA region. She has led a number of financial system implementations and cash management initiatives and is currently responsible for funding. Prior to joining MAF in 2008, Laura was based in the UK, in the European Treasury Centre of Cargill Plc, a multinational producer of food and agricultural products. Laura has 14 years of Corporate Treasury experience. She holds a Certificate in International Treasury Management from the ACT.
Andrew McMichael FCT, Group Treasurer, Agility
Andrew is the Group Treasurer for Agility, a Kuwait based, global logistics company with a turnover of around USD 5bn, operating in over 100 countries. After obtaining a degree in Chemistry and Business Administration in 1990 from Kingston University, he joined Unilever in the Treasury department and obtained his ACMA in 1994. He joined Ocean Group plc (later renamed Exel plc) in the treasury department in late 1994, and became Group Treasurer in 1998. He left Exel in 2004 and worked with a start-up company specialising in trade receivable financing, but has now returned to mainstream Treasury and has moved to Kuwait.
Andrew obtained his FCT in 1995, and is a founder member of ACT Middle East.
Gary Slawther FCT, Treasury Director, Arabtec Holding
Gary has thirty years of finance experience, with twenty-two of those being in treasury. Originally qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Gary became a Member of the ACT in 1996 and was awarded Fellowship in 2007. He has held a number of senior treasury roles in a range of industries including manufacturing, engineering, logistics, FMCG and retail with companies such as Michelin, Matalan and Mitsubishi Corporation subsidiary Princes Group, as well as working extensively with private equity. The range, and very often challenging requirements, of the roles Gary has undertaken, has positioned him very much as a “special situations” treasurer. Gary has been in the GCC region since 2011, firstly with fast-growing, innovative PET manufacturer OCTAL in Oman and, since early 2017, with DFM listed Arabtec Holding PJSC in Abu Dhabi.