AlixPartners Enhances its Middle East Presence with Two Key Appointments

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AlixPartners, the global business-advisory firm, today announced the appointments of Hamed Kazim as senior advisor and Vinzenz Schwegmann as managing director for the Middle East region, both based in the United Arab Emirates. The firm also announced that Schwegmann is slated to eventually lead AlixPartners’ entire team in the Middle East.

Stefano Aversa, co-president of AlixPartners, said: “These two very significant appointments strengthen our on-the-ground team and position us better than ever to help clients in the region. Mr. Kazim, brings a deep understanding of the regional business environment and culture, and is highly respected for his contributions to the local economies. Dr. Schwegmann has been a pillar of AlixPartners’ development in Germany and throughout Europe for the past several years, and brings an invaluable wealth of industry and business knowledge to the region.”

Kazim’s career spans 25 years, initially with Arthur Anderson and later with Ernst & Young, following the merger of the two firms. He went on to spend a number of years with the Corporate Office of the Government of Dubai, now known as Dubai World, and after that he helped form the Investment Corporation of Dubai, the investment arm of the Dubai government. Kazim, a U.A.E. national, was on the board of the Emirates Securities & Commodities Authority, the governmental entity responsible for ensuring integrity and transparency in U.A.E. financial markets, and currently holds a number of non-executive positions, including with the Rasmala Dubai Bank.

Schwegmann joined AlixPartners in 2003. Most recently, he was European head of AlixPartners’ Automotive and Industrial Goods Practice. He has more than 20 years of experience in helping clients reach sustainable performance improvement and has extensive knowledge of infrastructure-related projects throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia. Prior to AlixPartners, he spent 12 years with McKinsey & Co., including a year in Saudi Arabia, where he co-led that firm’s European operations excellence and lean manufacturing team.

Commenting on the appointment of Schwegmann, Eric Benedict, managing director of AlixPartners and head of the firm’s Middle East team, said: “Many government-related entities and private companies across the region are reviewing the structure of their businesses as they consider future growth plans and the development of early-stage, ‘greenfield’ operations is an area more and more companies here should be, and are, thinking about. In Dr. Schwegmann, we have expert in the field, who also has professional expertise in the region. Additionally, he also has experience in growing regional practices for professional-service firms. I think our clients will be greatly impressed by what he can do for them here.”

About AlixPartners

AlixPartners LLP is a global business-advisory firm offering comprehensive services in four major areas: enterprise improvement, turnaround and restructuring, financial-advisory services and information-management services. The firm has more than 900 professionals and 15 offices around the world, and can be found on the Web at www.alixpartners.com.