Karim has an impressive professional background in telecom, media, and technology and will assume leadership of DarkMatter, reporting to the Managing Director

Abu Dhabi and Dubai – Faisal Al Bannai, Founder and Managing Director of DarkMatter, announces the appointment of Karim Sabbagh as Chief Executive Officer, effective April 2018. Al Bannai, will become Managing Director of the firm, and will continue to lead its strategic direction and oversight.

Faisal Al Bannai commented, “Our vision and goals are ambitious and exponential. As we have set our foothold in UAE, and begun to plan for regional and global expansion, the company will continue to evolve to support its vision, and build its competencies.  We have attracted exceptional talent from inception, and with every addition, we have strengthened our ability to achieve our goals.”

Al Bannai continued, “There are many things still to be achieved, and not enough time in the day, hence my decision to split the leadership role into that of CEO and of Managing Director. This separation enables me to focus on the strategic direction and oversight of the firm as the Managing Director, while the new CEO will take responsibility for the business. It has taken some time to find the right fit, and in Karim Sabbagh I believe we have found an outstanding professional who will make a great addition to DarkMatter and will bring an additional set of skills and experiences to support the firm’s vision. I welcome Karim into the DarkMatter family.”

Sabbagh joins DarkMatter with an impeccable track record as a technology thought leader and practitioner across the Middle East and globally. He most recently served as President and CEO of Luxembourg-based communications satellite owner and operator, SES, the world’s largest satellite operator.

Prior to joining SES, Sabbagh spent more than 15 years working in management consultancy with Booz & Co (Strategy&, Booz Allen Hamilton). At the time of his departure from Booz & Co in 2013, Sabbagh was a Senior Partner and a global practice leader for Communications, Media & Technology.

While at Booz & Co, Sabbagh shaped and served the strategic agenda of global players in the communications, media and technology sectors. He led end-to-end multinational teams in long-term, large-scale privatisations, international expansion, mergers and acquisitions, growth acceleration and strategy-based transformation programmes.

Karim Sabbagh commented, “DarkMatter is a remarkable organisation that is truly living its goal to disrupt the cyber security market by taking a new approach to the way in which nations, organisations and individuals are secured against cyber threats. It is exciting for me to return to the vibrant Middle East region having spent a number of years away, and to lead one of only a handful of full-service cyber security firms present in the world today. I look forward to contributing to building a global cyber security powerhouse in arguably the most significant industry of our time.”

Academically, Sabbagh holds an MS in Technology Management from Columbia University, a DBA (Doctorate) in International Business Management from the International School of Management (Paris), and an MBA and BBA from the American University of Beirut. He is a visiting professor in Technology and Innovation Management and member of the Academic Council of Écoles des Ponts Business School.

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About DarkMatter

DarkMatter is transforming the cyber security landscape. Headquartered in the UAE and operating globally, we’re the region’s first and only fully integrated digital defence and cyber security consultancy and implementation firm. Our elite team of global experts deliver advanced, next-generation solutions to governments and enterprises across the cyber security spectrum.

We help clients simplify the enormous complexity of today’s ever-evolving cyber threats. Our mission is to protect the future by securing our technologies. Innovation and Research are cornerstones to our development and the activities in these areas underpin our entire range of offerings, including Secure Communications, crypto and blockchain, Public Key Infrastructure and Big Data & Analytics products.

They also extend to our activities in Governance, Risk & Compliance, Cyber Network Defence, Managed Security Services, Infrastructure & System Integration, and Test & Validation Labs. For further details, visit www.darkmatter.ae

Media contacts

Tawanda Chihota, Corporate Communications, DarkMatter

Tel.: +971 55 401 4356

Email: Tawanda.Chihota@darkmatter.ae

John Greenway, Brunswick Group

Tel.: +971 56 994 0828

Email: jgreenway@brunswickgroup.com

© Press Release 2018