Ian Ohan

Founder and chief executive who has built, scaled and exited platforms across food-tech, last-mile logistics and real estate investment advisory in the GCC. Scaled a multi-brand technology and operations business to $10M+ revenue, 250+ employees and 400K+ users before a successful sale, and co-founded a real estate advisory group grown to $20M revenue and 45 professionals before its acquisition by JLL. Governed both ventures through the full investment lifecycle — thesis to build, build to exit — with direct accountability for capital allocation, P&L, board reporting and M&A execution.

Engages at Director-General and Ministerial level with government ministries, sovereign and institutional investors, and digital-economy regulators across the UAE, KSA and the wider MENA region.

Founder & CEO - Freely - UAE

(2025-01)

• Defined an OEM-agnostic operating architecture that integrates vehicles, hubs, charging, driver operations, fleet financing and investor reporting into a single, cohesive platform — an integrated technology layer governing the entire Freely ecosystem and establishing clear separation between platform governance and operational execution.
• Developed the capital-formation strategy, investor materials and financial narrative for a planned UAE–US dual-market launch — full accountability for investment thesis articulation and board-ready reporting.
• Designed the phased launch plan for the UAE and United States, with an initial Tesla-based fleet underpinning a vehicle-agnostic technology platform — translating a long-term investment thesis into a sequenced, capital-efficient market-entry strategy.

Advisor - AI Platform Studio

(2025-01)

Confidential Startup

• Building a portfolio of AI-powered technology platforms across institutional foodservice, healthcare, personal fitness, productivity, mobility and marketing — each designed to unlock new competitive scope, not merely optimise existing operations.
• Engineered platform architectures that convert each organisation's proprietary data and core strengths into durable, AI-driven market differentiation — positioning first-party assets as the primary source of competitive advantage.
• Executing end-to-end platform delivery across strategy, technology architecture and operational deployment — drawing on 30 years of operational, investment and administrative expertise to bridge real-world business complexity and applied AI capability.
• Established a practitioner-level position in real-world AI application, translating emerging technology into commercially grounded, operationally deployable platforms across multiple industries simultaneously.

Founder & CEO / CTO - KRUSH Brands / Locale - UAE

(2010-01 - 2025-01)

• Scaled KRUSH Brands from inception to $10M+ revenue, 250+ employees and 400K+ users.
• Founded and steered the full lifecycle of KRUSH Brands / Locale, from concept and launch through growth, rebranding and a successful exit.
• Governed a portfolio of wholly owned brands through a holding-company model — setting group strategy and investment thesis while empowering individual brand teams with full operational autonomy — culminating in a successful sale to an investor.
• Grew the brand portfolio through organic expansion, strategic acquisitions and joint-venture partnerships, positioning the company as a category leader in food-tech and last-mile delivery.
• Established and led a technology development team in Budapest, delivering an integrated e-commerce, operations and last-mile delivery platform end to end — direct accountability for digital product architecture across an emerging technology stack.
• Secured recognition as the first company admitted to the UAE government's national NEXTGen FDI programme — engagement at ministerial level and formal endorsement of the platform's digital-economy and foreign direct investment credentials.
• Directed the legal, operational and brand exit from a hostile franchise agreement, then led a full rebrand delivering increased post-transition sales and full brand ownership.

Regional Director – Investment Transactions - Jones Lang LaSalle - MENA

(2006-01 - 2009-01)

• Drove the integration of RSP Group into JLL, shaping the governance framework and operating model behind one of the firm's most successful regional platforms, now employing hundreds of professionals across MENA.
• Originated, secured and led high-impact engagements with senior public and private sector stakeholders at Director-General and Ministerial level, advising on complex investment and development mandates across the region.
• Built trusted relationships with institutional investors, government stakeholders and strategic partners, elevating positioning across the regional investment landscape.
• Assembled and mentored the Investment Transactions Group at JLL from the ground up, having earlier grown RSP Group from three founding partners to 45 professionals.
• Delivered advisory mandates on large-scale destination projects across Saudi Arabia, with close engagement in Vision 2030 real estate and tourism initiatives.

Partner / Founder - RSP Group - MENA

(2004-01 - 2006-01)

• Co-founded and grew an international real estate hospitality investment advisory group to $20M revenue and 45 professionals, exiting to JLL.
• Designed and executed the strategic exit of RSP Group — defining divestment strategy, managing private placement negotiations and delivering the acquisition by Jones Lang LaSalle.
• Originated and executed complex investment and advisory mandates spanning feasibility, valuations, highest and best use, development strategy, financial modelling, M&A, fund placements and structured transactions.
• Drove significant portfolio value creation in high-revenue verticals, particularly through fund placements and large-scale investment transactions, monitoring performance against financial and KPI-driven targets.
• Led regional expansion through engagements with high-profile clients on master-planned developments across hospitality, residential, commercial, entertainment and mixed-use sectors.
• Served as trusted senior advisor to several of the region's most influential real estate leaders.

Various Senior Roles - Arthur Andersen / KPMG / Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts - Toronto, Middle East

(1991-01 - 2002-01)

• Recruited into KPMG's Real Estate & Hospitality Services Group in Toronto, moving into strategic advisory before relocating to the Middle East with KPMG and Arthur Andersen.
• Conducted investment due diligence across M&A and structured transaction mandates at Arthur Andersen.
• Began career at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts in Toronto, completing a self-directed management training programme across all major operational departments.

B.A. - Hospitality & Tourism Management - Ryerson University (1994-01)