Prime Highlights
- Farouk stands alone as MENA’s only professional services leader on Top 50 list.
- Grant Thornton UAE ranks fastest growing member firm under Farouk’s leadership.
Key Facts
- Grant Thornton Advisors leads with 24000plus professionals across four continents.
- Farouk holds top credentials from Harvard, Oxford, Chicago Booth and INSEAD.
Background
Gulf Business named Hisham Farouk to its list of the region’s 50 most influential business leaders. The Chief Executive Officer of Grant Thornton UAE stands as the only professional services executive on the list this year.
Editors at Gulf Business built the list on their own. It features leaders who shape business across the Middle East and North Africa. Names on the list include Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Emirates. Amin Nasser, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aramco, also made the cut. So did Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chief Executive Officer of Mubadala Investment Company.
Farouk earned his position through his leadership in guiding the UAE practice of Grant Thornton toward sustained growth, positioning the firm as a future-focused professional services organization known for strong client relationships and sector expertise.
Under his direction, Grant Thornton UAE grew into one of the fastest expanding member firms across the global network and secured the international Go Beyond Award for performance and innovation.
Gulf Business editors described Farouk as a leader who looks beyond business cycles and drives continuous innovation while preparing the firm for future opportunities.
Farouk also led the strategic deal that established Grant Thornton Advisors, an investor backed multinational platform uniting Grant Thornton firms worldwide. The platform today employs more than 24000 professionals across the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Throughout his career, Farouk has advised leading regional organizations on corporate governance, restructuring, succession planning and long term value creation.
He holds registration as an auditor with the UAE Ministry of Economy and licensing as an insolvency practitioner with the Dubai International Financial Centre and Abu Dhabi Global Market.
Farouk actively supports the UAE entrepreneurial community through organizations including Endeavor and the GCC chapter of the 30% Club, while mentoring emerging business leaders and championing community initiatives.
