Leadership Team

The people behind ELBA

Our leadership team brings together experience in international trade, finance, retail, and commercial development. Each person contributes a different perspective to the way ELBA builds partnerships and approaches new markets.

Bahaa Mashaal — MD 

Based in Dubai, Bahaa brings more than 20 years of experience across FMCG, international trade, and commercial growth. He leads ELBA with a practical understanding of what it takes to move brands between markets: strong relationships, careful planning, and disciplined execution.

His approach places equal importance on commercial opportunity and the details behind it. From understanding a partner’s objectives to navigating the demands of international distribution, Bahaa focuses on building relationships that can develop with confidence over time.

Mohamed Heikal — Chief Financial Officer

Mohamed brings a strategic finance perspective to ELBA, with expertise in governance, financial planning, operational efficiency, and data-led decision-making across international markets.

His work supports a considered approach to growth: understanding the numbers behind decisions, maintaining sound processes, and helping the business respond to opportunities with clarity. That perspective is especially valuable in international trade, where commercial ambition needs to be matched by careful management and long-term thinking.

Sara Attiah — Advisor

Sara is a retail management professional with more than 15 years of experience across North Africa. Her background gives her a strong understanding of retail operations, commercial performance, and the practical realities of developing a presence in different markets.

As an advisor to ELBA, she brings a retail-focused perspective to discussions about market development and customer needs. Her experience helps keep attention on how commercial plans translate into effective execution in the channels that serve consumers every day.

 

Waleed Abu Raya — Advisor, Commercial Affairs

Waleed brings more than 25 years of experience in FMCG business management, market development, route-to-market strategy, and customer relationships. His commercial background spans the work required to connect opportunities with a practical path to market.

As an advisor on commercial affairs, he contributes a perspective shaped by long-term business relationships and an understanding of how markets develop. His input supports ELBA’s focus on thoughtful expansion, effective partnerships, and sustainable growth.