Nawaf al Sahhaf

Background

About Nawaf al Sahhaf

I have the honor to serve as Chief Executive Officer of BIAC company, a subsidiary of Saudi Technology Development and Investment Company (TAQNIA), which is, in turn, wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). We are a firm that has grown into a regional leader in enabling innovation environment and technology transfer in public, private sectors. As CEO of BIAC, I focused on increasing quality, building the company brand in the marketplace, and hiring and developing talent with an eye toward the future. Today, BIAC is trusted to manage and enable innovation locally and regionally, after it succeeded in delivering the best specialized local and world practices for establishment, operation and management of the innovation projects. My career began at the Saudi Industrial Development Fund holding numerous roles, including the senior consultant of the Fund and contributed in assistance of many industrial sectors in the Kingdom. In 2010, I joined King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and was appointed as a director of Finance Management and Investment Services in the Badir Technology Incubators and Accelerators, one of the leading initiatives of KACST and then I have been appointed as the CEO of the program. I currently sit on a number of boards, including Riyadh Fund Board of Directors (Taqnia), the Committee of Small and Medium Enterprises Sector at the Chamber of Commerce in Riyadh and founding member of Fund of Funds, created by Public Investment Fund (PIF), a US$1.07 billion fund to support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises. Moreover, I have chaired the Committee for Support of Saudi Inventors and established the Angel Investors Network (Sirb). I have graduated from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) majoring in Marketing Management and from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, majoring in International Marketing. I also obtained a specialized certificate in leadership, entrepreneurship and industrial marketing strategy from the INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, with other specialized certificates in the field of professional management incubators from National Business Incubator Association (NBIA), Project Management Professional certificates with several participations in the conferences of business incubators and entrepreneurship at the regional and the global levels.