Driven to create unique home-grown food concepts that bring people together, the Independent Food Company is a UAE/KSA -based hospitality company with multiple concepts under its umbrella SALT, Parker's, Shalwa, Somewhere, Public, Soil and Kumo.
Role Purpose
The Investment Director leads the Group's growth agenda through strategic investments, acquisitions, partnerships, and portfolio optimization across hospitality and food & beverage businesses. The role focuses on scalable growth, EBITDA expansion, and long-term value creation aligned with the Group's strategic objectives.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and execute the Group's investment and M&A strategy across hospitality and F&B
- Identify and evaluate acquisition targets, minority and majority investments, joint ventures, and franchise opportunities
- Lead end-to-end transaction execution, including valuation, financial modeling, due diligence, deal structuring, and negotiations
- Prepare and present investment proposals and business cases to senior management and investment committees
- Oversee and support portfolio brands, working closely with operations to drive expansion, performance improvement, and scalability
- Collaborate cross-functionally with finance, operations, supply chain, real estate, and marketing teams
- Participate in boards or steering committees of portfolio companies
- Ensure strong investment governance, capital discipline, and post-investment performance monitoring
- Assisting in the business terms of the transaction, including negotiation tactics and impact on the company's financial risk profile
- Coordinating internal finance, legal, and operational teams (or external consultants) to identify hidden risks and opportunities before a deal closes.
Key Requirements
- 1015+ years of experience in corporate development, private equity, investment banking, or strategy
- Strong exposure to hospitality, F&B, retail, or consumer-focused businesses
- Proven track record in M&A and investment execution
- Solid understanding of F&B unit economics and operational value drivers
- Strong financial modeling, valuation, and commercial judgment
- Excellent stakeholder management, leadership, and communication skills
