Principal Executive Advisor | De-risking $200M+ Capital Mega-Projects | IT/OT Cybersecurity & Digital Transformation Expert | Former CIO/CISO (Shell & Rio Tinto)
Executive Summary:
For nearly three decades, I have operated at the intersection of enterprise governance and complex digital execution. As an IT Executive and trusted advisor to C-suites and Boards, I specialize in bridging the gap between strategic corporate discipline and operational frontline reality for the world's most capital-intensive industries. My career is built on directing mission-critical technology programs of immense scale. At Rio Tinto, I directed the $200M+ foundational Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) program for the Simandou project, Africa’s largest mining and infrastructure venture. At Shell, I orchestrated the IT strategy for a $17 billion joint venture in Iraq and architected the NAUTILUS cloud transformation, delivering $30 million in structural cost savings.
The Harsh Environment Premium:
My expertise is not confined to corporate headquarters. I have lived and executed complex IT/OT programs on the ground in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Guinea, Gabon, and Egypt. I intimately understand the metallurgical, logistical, and environmental realities of deploying critical digital infrastructure in austere, high-risk environments.
Current Vehicle: Inventem
Today, I channel this enterprise expertise as the Principal and Founder of Inventem, a premier technology advisory firm serving the Middle East and Africa (MEA). We operate as the Enterprise Risk Integrator for the energy, mining, and national infrastructure sectors.
Our mandate is simple: De-risking Critical Projects | Delivering Operational Certainty.
My team and I solve the industry's most expensive problem: the IT/OT "Commissioning Chasm".
We provide capital project commissioning assurance, design defense-in-depth industrial cybersecurity architectures (Purdue Model, IEC 62443), and establish converged executive governance to ensure that digital transformation never compromises process safety or the project's critical path.
Credentials & Governance Expertise:
Certifications: PMP, CISSP, CISM, ITIL, CCNA, MCSE.
Education: Master of Science in Information Technology (University of Liverpool) | Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Physics (Ain Shams University).
Core Competencies: IT/OT Cybersecurity, Digital Transformation, Board-Level Technology Governance, Capital Project Readiness, Vendor & Commercial Negotiation.
Available For: Advising, Consulting, Speaking
Travels From: Dubai, UAE
Speaking Topics: IT/OT Convergence, IT/OT Megaproject Risk Management, Industrial Cybersecurity, Digital Transformation, Project & Program Management
