Mr. Maalouf is the founder of Capstone Investment Group S.A.L. Prior to founding Capstone, Mr. Maalouf was Partner and Senior Vice President at MENA Capital SAL, a regional real estate and private equity firm that he helped establish in 2004 to become one of the most recognized real estate developers in Lebanon. Mr. Maalouf has a proven track record in originating, structuring, capital raising and executing a diverse range of transactions, ranging from investments in start-ups and expansion capital, to high-end real estate developments. Mr. Maalouf served on the board of a number of portfolio companies where the firm had investments, and was until recently overseeing the execution of real estate developments worth over US$500 million. Prior to co-founding MENA Capital, Mr. Maalouf was Vice President, Corporate Finance & Merchant Banking at Middle East Capital Group (MECG) (1997-2004) in Beirut, where he directed the origination and execution of corporate finance & merchant banking activities. Mr. Maalouf led deal negotiations and completed execution across several product areas, including equity, debt and M&A, with significant exposure to numerous industries, including real estate, when he established the first real estate development fund in Lebanon in 2003. Prior to joining Middle East Capital Group, Mr. Maalouf was Market Analyst, Head of Europe, Middle East and North Africa at the Emerging Markets Group of the International Finance Corporation (IFC, World Bank Group) in Washington DC (1994-1997). At the IFC, he structured and managed funds and investment products (index-linked) for over US$500 million of assets under management for leading global asset management companies. During his tenure at the IFC, he developed in-depth knowledge of the Emerging Market’s investment, economic, political and regulatory environments.Mr. Maalouf holds a B.A. in International Business & Finance from Marymount University in Virginia, and a Master’s degree in Financial Economics from the American University in Washington DC, USA.