Imperial has a well-constituted, diverse and active board, with experience and expertise relevant to the group’s strategy and operating context.

Our board provides rigorous oversight underpinned by best practice governance and control processes, and independent interrogation and strategic counsel through a frank and open relationship with executive management teams.

Imperial became a wholly owned business of DP World in March 2022 and is being integrated into DP World’s sub-Saharan Africa region, under Mohammed Akoojee’s leadership. A number of members of Imperial’s executive leadership team have been appointed to the executive leadership team for DP World’s sub-Saharan Africa region.

Board of
directors

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem

 

Chairman

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DP World and Chairman of Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation, is one of Dubai's leading businessmen.

Mr. Bin Sulayem’s expertise and visionary leadership spearheaded the rapid expansion of Dubai’s infrastructure, including ports and free zones, contributing significantly to the stellar growth trajectory of the United Arab Emirates. He was also a leader in developing the infrastructure supporting Dubai’s successful tourism industry, among various other sectors.

Highlights of his three-decade business career include:

  • Leading marine terminal operator DP World’s expansion internationally, including the purchase of the P&O group for US$6.8 billion in March 2006, which propelled it to one of the largest global port operators and trade enablers in the world with 78 marine and inland terminals in six continents
  • Overseeing the rapid development of the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) into an unrivalled business park of more than 7300 companies
  • Establishing and leading Nakheel, a real estate and tourism property development firm that has created many iconic Dubai projects including The Palm, the world’s largest man-made islands
  • Establishing and leading Istithmar World, a major investment house focusing on private equity with a portfolio of investments in diverse sectors across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East including retail, financial services, industry, tourism and hospitality, and healthcare
  • Pioneering the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), a market for gold and precious metals, diamonds and coloured stones, energy and other commodities

Mr. Bin Sulayem is a BS graduate in Economics from Temple University Philadelphia, USA. He is a Board Member of the "Dubai Executive Council", the "UAE Federal Tax Authority" and "Virgin Hyperloop One".

Phumzile Langeni

 

Deputy Chairman

Qualifications: BCom, BCom (Hons), MCom

Phumzile is a co-founder and executive chairman of Afropulse Group (Pty) Ltd, an unlisted investment and corporate advisory house.

She was appointed by President Ramaphosa as a Special Investment Envoy and serves as the Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council on Investments.


Other directorships: Metrofile Holdings, Primedia Holdings, Transaction Capital, Mineworker’s Investment Company

Yuvraj Narayan

 

Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Group Chief Financial Officer

Mr Narayan has an extensive Senior Executive career with more than 24 years of experience in ports and international banking sectors. Prior to joining DP World he held executive positions with ANZ Group, as Head of Corporate and Project Finance for South Asia and Salalah Port Services in Oman, as Chief Financial Officer. He has also served as Non-Executive Director of Istithmar World and IDFC Securities.As Deputy CEO & Group Chief Financial Officer of DP World he has been instrumental in ensuring the success of a number of Group’s strategic and transformational initiatives. He is qualified Chartered Accountant.

  • Served as Group Chief Financial Officer since 2005 and appointed to the Board as an Executive Director on 9 August 2006.
  • Appointed as Group Chief Financial, Strategy and Business Officer in February 2020.
  • Non-Executive Director of HDFC International Life and Re Company Limited, Director of Virgin Hyperloop One, Director of Through Transport Mutual Insurance Association Ltd, Audit Committee Chairman of International Cricket Council.

Mohammed Akoojee

 

CEO & MD: sub-Saharan Africa at DP World

Qualifications: BCom (Acc) (Hons), CA(SA), CFA

Mohammed Akoojee serves as the CEO & MD of DP World's sub-Saharan Africa region and is responsible for DP World's operations including ports and terminals, logistics, market access and marine services across 48 African markets, delivering annual revenue of over USD3.5 billion and employing over 27 000 people. 

Mohammed previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of DP World Global Logistics and as the Chief Executive Officer of Imperial Logistics (Imperial), an African and European provider of integrated market access and logistics solutions, which was acquired and now wholly owned by DP World. Mohammed also serves as a director of the Board of Imperial. 

Mohammed served as Group CEO of then listed, Imperial from 1 February 2019 and prior to that served as the acting CEO of Imperial Holdings in addition to his role as group CFO at the time. His other roles at Imperial included CEO of the Logistics African Regions division and executive director responsible for mergers and acquisitions, strategy and investor relations for the group. Prior to joining Imperial in 2009, Mohammed worked within the corporate finance and investment banking team at Investec Bank and as an equity analyst for Nedbank Securities.

Mohammed is a chartered accountant CA(SA) and also a certified financial analyst (CFA).

Suhail Al Banna

 

Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director: Middle East & Africa

Suhail Al Banna is the CEO and Managing Director - Middle East and Africa at DP World. Prior to this, he was a Senior Vice President, Government Relations and Global Corporate Responsibility.

Suhail has over 15 years’ worth of experience in the port industry, specializing in information technology and the opportunities the latest technology developments bring to the efficient management and control of ports and marine terminals.

He has extensive international experience and is a member of the Board of Asian Terminals Incorporated (Philippines), a member of the Board of DP World Dakar in Senegal, and Chairs the Board of Tejari Solutions, a company specializing in e-commerce procurement. Between 2009 - 2012 he acted as interim CEO at sister company Tejari Fze LLC, where he introduced two new business lines - Tejari Solutions, a web based eSourcing service for business procurement and Tejuri.com to support Dubai retailers selling their merchandise online to consumers globally.

Suhail is a graduate of San Diego State University in the USA, and has also participated in Executive Management Programmes at Harvard Business School and Kellogg Business School.


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