IN FOCUS
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION TO BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION The digital transformation journey of Al Masah Capital resulted in not just centralizing IT across all its verticals but invest in IT to be a profit center sector. Ashith Piriyattiath, Group CIO of Al Masah Capital and CEO of Guardian One Technologies gives us an insight on the journey. — By Arya Devi
Al Masah Capital is one of the leading independent advisory and asset management firms in GCC. It provides an array of investment offerings and advisory solutions tailored to the needs of client. The company is an alternative asset management firm (Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Real Estate) incorporated in the Cayman Islands, headquartered in Dubai and focusing on investments in the MENASA region. Being a customer, Al Masah has seen the need for a special focus Vendor or an SI and has moved on to be a solution provider under the brand, Guardian One Technologies.
20 - CIO ONE | March /April 2020
Ashith Piriyattiath, joined Al Masah Capital as the group head of IT in January 2016 but is now the Group CIO of Al Masah Capital and CEO of Guardian One Technologies. During the time Mr Piriyattiath joined Al Masah, it had around four different revenue verticals, which were private equity, asset management, corporate advisory and real estate. Being venture capitalist, the investments were further invested in their own private equity companies. Under private equity there was healthcare (Avivo Healthcare), logistics (Gulf Pinnacle Logistics), education (Al Najah education), F&B division
(Diamond Lifestyle) and BFSI. The company had over 50 hospitals and clinics under Avivo healthcare and in and around 50 educational institutions under Al Najah education. The Johnny Rockets burger chain belonged to the F&B chain named Diamond Lifestyle. The Gulf Pinnacle Logistics comprises of 2 logistics company, 1 courier company and 1 school transport division. There were also multiple BFSI companies as well including Al Masah Capital, Al Masah Capital Management Limited, Future Capital, Allied Investments Private Limited etc. Even with so
