The Judging process and criteria
Each submission will be forwarded to the entire judging panel; the panel will consist of independent industry experts.
All categories are awarded based on the decision of an independent panel of judges. They determine their decision purely on the basis of the submission from the entrant or nominee.
If an instance occurs where a judge is also a representative of a nominated company or has a relationship with a nominated company which may affect their ability to be impartial, that particular judge will not submit scores for that category.
In the event of a tie for first place each company will be asked to submit a tie-breaker entry which will be assessed by the judges to identify the winner.
The judging process
- The judges will give each submission a score between 1 and 10 (10 being the highest).
- The average score will be calculated giving a winner and finalists, there will be one winner and up to six finalists in each category.
- In the event of a tie for first place each company will be asked to submit a tie-breaker entry which will be assessed by the judges to identify the winner
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Mark Smyth
Managing Director and Founding Partner
Failaka
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Mark Smyth is a founding partner of the group and has contributed to Failaka's development since the firm's inception in 1996. Mr. Smyth began his financial career in 1992 with the Bank of Montreal's Harris Trust and Savings Bank in Chicago, gaining experience in lending, mortgage banking, and sales management. Afterwards, he became a partner with The International Investor of Kuwait, managing one of the firm's direct investments in New York before becoming involved with the firm's acquisition strategy from their Kuwait City office. In 2004, Mr. Smyth joined a leading commodities brokerage becoming a respected broker and currency analyst whose market commentary was widely syndicated online and in print |
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Mark O’Hare
Founder and Managing Director
Preqin Ltd
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Mark O’Hare is Founder and Managing Director of Preqin Ltd, providers of research and information on the global private equity, real estate, hedge fund and infrastructure industries. Preqin provides information services to institutional investors, fund managers, advisors and others. These services include a) detailed information on fund returns, with transparent net-to-LP returns available for over 3,600 private equity and real estate funds globally; b) background information on over 5,000 private equity and real estate firms worldwide, with information on their assets and investment strategies; c) information on the institutions investing in real estate, private equity, infrastructure and hedge funds worldwide, with profiles for over 4,500 investors; and d) the terms and conditions applying to real estate and private equity funds of all types and sizes worldwide. This information is provided to customers as online databases, published hard copy reports and bespoke research, including our unique Fundraising Support service, targeting the best investor prospects for new funds. Preqin is an independent business with 52 staff and has over 2,500 customers spread across 62 countries worldwide. Prior to founding Preqin, Mark was a Manager with Boston Consulting Group, where he worked across a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, and financial services. In 1993 he founded another financial information business, Citywatch, which tracks the institutional ownership of listed equities. Citywatch was acquired by Reuters in 1998. |
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Pamela E. Chikhani
Vice President – Funds Investment
Zawya
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Pamela currently holds the position of Vice President - Funds Investment at Zawya. She developed, maintained, and now oversees Zawya’s Funds Monitor, an online opportunity platform for the Middle East funds management industry. Her mission is to enhance transparency in regional funds to better serve both Institutional Investors and Fund Managers focusing on the Middle East. She initiated Zawya Funds Ranking, the first independent Fund ranking system uniquely designed for regional Funds, with emphasis on funds compliance and disclosure. Given her expertise in identifying, assessing, and monitoring opportunities in the regional funds industry, she regularly attends, presents, and panels at investor conferences with specific emphasis on funds. Pamela has also been interviewed by major television networks such as CNBC Arabia and Al Arabiya, and business journals like Forbes Arabia and Gulf News Business. Pamela previously held the position of Investment Analyst at DAMAC Invest. She completed her Bachelor in Finance from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, and then gained her Masters Degree in Economics from Birkbeck College at the University of London, United Kingdom.
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