SOUTHLAKE, Texas — The strategic communications advisory firm TrailRunner International today announced the appointment of Marwan Abedin, founder and CEO of the Dubai-based financial consultancy Flatrace, as a senior advisor. Abedin will support TrailRunner’s growth in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region while advising TrailRunner clients on inbound and outbound matters.
For the past two decades, Abedin has advised governments, businesses, multinational corporations, private equity funds, and family offices across the region on issues related to capital allocation, debt and equity fundraising, crisis management, and business growth. He has been involved in over $40 billion worth of transactions, including the $26 billion restructuring of Dubai World. He has been a lead actor in developing debt capital markets across Gulf Cooperation Council nations, work that has significantly increased the range of funding sources in the region.
Abedin is the former CEO of a private investment fund in Dubai and previously served as a board director for Noor Bank, the Dubai Health Care City Authority, and Emaar Properties, where he chaired the investment committee. Abedin also served as the Director of Debt Management for Dubai’s Department of Finance and as CEO of the Dubai Financial Support Fund, responsible for the restructuring of Dubai’s government-related entities during the 2009 financial crisis.
“We are thrilled to welcome Marwan to TrailRunner International as we continue to grow and expand our global reach as a firm,” said TrailRunner Chief Executive Officer Jim Hughes. “We are proud to support the diversification, privatization, and digitalization priorities of the regional economy as management teams pursue their global ambitions and as multinationals invest in the MENA region, all in the context of rising stakeholder expectations for value creation, social and environmental impact, and good governance. We are excited about the opportunity to grow in this incredibly dynamic region and by the opportunity to bring Marwan’s expertise, leadership, and counsel to bear for our clients.”
“I am honored to join this team of communications professionals that has made TrailRunner International the go-to communications partner for global organizations preparing for key inflection points in their businesses and building for sustainable long-term growth and value creation,” said Abedin. “TrailRunner’s ability to drive successful outcomes for public listings, M&A transactions, restructurings, litigation, and other high-stakes special situations is complemented by its strong record of positive impact on the long-term reputations of some of the world’s most important and respected organizations. I am delighted to join the firm and contribute to the next phase of TrailRunner’s international growth.”
Abedin is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Global Partners Property Fund I in Dubai and an advisory council member of the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Management’s Global Executive Leadership program and received his B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Wake Forest University.
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