Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR) said Makram Azar will be joining the company as managing director and head of Middle East and North Africa (Mena).

Makram will develop the distribution of KKR products in the Mena region and source opportunities for private equity and infrastructure transactions in selected situations. He will also explore global co-investment opportunities with Mena institutions.

Azar will set up an office for KKR in the region and will begin to recruit professionals to support this new initiative.

Henry R Kravis and George R Roberts, co-founders of KKR, said: "Makram's extensive experience in the Middle East and North Africa, coupled with his deep knowledge of investors in the region, will allow us to enhance KKR’s presence there. This is a key region for KKR and will further extend our global reach and resources."

Makram Azar said: "Mena is a rapidly developing market and I look forward to building KKR's franchise in the region with a team of world-class professionals to identify investment opportunities."

Makram Azar spent 18 years at Lehman Brothers, latterly as managing director, Global Head of Sovereign Wealth Funds and chairman of Media Investment Banking for Europe & the Middle-East, based in Dubai.

Previously he led the Media, Consumer & Retail Investment Banking businesses of Lehman Brothers in Europe & the Middle-East. Makram holds a Master's Degree in Management and Finance from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) in Paris and a BA in Applied Economics from the University Paris-IX Dauphine.

Established in 1976, KKR is a leading global alternative asset manager. The core of the Firm’s franchise is sponsoring and managing funds that make private equity investments in North America, Europe, and Asia. - TradeArabia News Service