Our People

Education
MBA – RSM Rotterdam, The Netherlands
BA in International Economics and Business Administration – The European Business Program, Münster, Germany

Professional experience
After graduating, Patrick joined Oliver Wyman in Germany, where he worked with global names in banking, transportation, automotive and manufacturing. On completion of his MBA, he moved to Porsche Consulting, the Lean management division of Porsche AG, Germany, where he worked with Seif Shieshakly. At Porsche Consulting, Patrick developed his expertise in Lean and continuous improvement processes, becoming an expert in their implementation across a wide array of business sectors.

Equipped with this knowledge, he and Seif set up FP in 2010, leading successful Lean projects in a diverse range of industries and geographies, as well as establishing the business as one of today’s leading global specialists in Lean thinking and implementation.

Education
MBA – IMD Lausanne, Switzerland BA Quantitative Economics and InternationalRelations – Tufts University, MA, USA

Professional experience
Applying Lean principles to the implementation of a Continuous Improvement Process to the supply chain of Abdul Latif Jameel Co.Ltd., Saudi Arabia’s sole Toyota distributor, Seif developed his Toyota Way (トヨタウェイ) skills with the company that originated Lean as a modern business phenomenon. He then transferred to Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan, working for their Middle East division, managing Kaizen (改善) supply chain projects for the GCC region.

His next move was to Porsche Consulting, the Lean Management division of Porsche AG, Germany, where he specialised in transferring Lean Thinking from the automotive industry to other sectors. With a focus on establishing sustainable Continuous Improvement cultures, he successfully managed Lean Implementation in a diverse range of sectors, from FMCG to Logistics, Transportation and Automotive.

Setting up Four Principles with Patrick Wiebusch in 2010, Seif has overseen not only the successful delivery of Lean projects across a wide array of business sectors and territories, but also the growth of Four Principles to today’s status as one of the world’s leading exponents and pioneers of Lean Thinking and Implementation.

Education
MSc in Strategy and Marketing – HEC, Paris, France
Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering – INSA, Rouen, France

Professional experience
Joining CSC Peat Marwick’s consulting business unit in Paris after graduating, Mehdi acquired vast experience in cross-European strategy and management assignments for a variety of global names in banking, telecoms, utilities and manufacturing. Moving into Lean management with the same company, he gained Lean Six Sigma certification before embarking on a career in which he applied his skills across a diverse array of business sectors and countries.

Mehdi went on to undertake a wide range of projects for CSC Peat Marwick, including the Lean transformation of a global telecoms carrier to implement sustainable growth, profitability and competitiveness, as well as high profile Lean programs in sales, marketing, global procurement, IT and operations. He joined FP in 2015.

Education
MSc in Engineering Design – Loughborough University, UK
BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering – Coventry University, UK

Professional experience
James started his career as a technician in industry while studying towards his degree. After 10 years working in Europe and the US as a development engineer for the likes of Mercedes Benz, Chrysler and Smart, he joined Porsche Consulting, the Lean management division of Porsche AG in Germany. Specializing in automotive, aerospace, electronics, manufacturing and software, James spent several years honing his skills – and publishing articles – on Lean enterprise, Lean management and Lean development.

He joined FP in 2011, bringing his diverse skillset to Lean projects across a wide variety of clients and sectors, not only as a Lean specialist, but also as a Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

Education
Bachelors Degree in Business & Computer Science – Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Professional experience
Rauf began his career with PwC as a consultant in IT risk assurance, before joining the digital trust practice as a senior consultant. From here, he progressed to become a senior manager, contributing to the overall strategic direction for the practice, identifying target markets, priority clients and key propositions. During this time, Rauf helped to grow the practice revenue by 45%, introducing innovative propositions and delivery models, leading high impact technology consulting projects and providing services across IT governance, IT risk and compliance, cybersecurity and digital transformation.

Rauf left PwC to join Swvl, a tech start-up which became the first Middle East US$1.5bn unicorn to list on the NASDAQ, as Head of Enterprise IT. Here he led the global enterprise IT team across nine countries, developed and executed a comprehensive enterprise IT strategy, the IT governance framework, the IT SOX compliance program, and led end-to end digitalization initiatives.

Education
BA (Combined Honors) in Business and Geography – Newcastle University, UK

Professional experience
As an HR, recruitment and administration professional, Darcey brings a range of skills and services to her role with FP.

After graduating, Darcey joined a specialist financial recruitment consultancy in England, where she recruited for global financial companies such as Santander and Brewin Dolphin. She then moved to an international executive search company, HW Global Partner, as a Client Relationship Manager, specializing in the recruitment of C-Suite leaders across multiple industries including finance, financial services, manufacturing, FMCG and retail.

Darcey moved to Dubai in 2019 as an Operations Manager in an international property company. Here, she worked closely with the CEO to grow the business, build the company culture and ensure employee engagement across both the UK and Dubai offices, before joining FP in 2020.

Education
MSc in Business Analytics – Arizona State University, USA
BSc in Industrial Engineering – American University of Sharjah, UAE

Professional experience
Abdalla’s experience with Lean started when he was completing his graduation project with Aramex as part of an organization-wide lean transformation project, where he was required to assess the current state of warehousing processes and its physical layout to identify improvement opportunities by eliminating waste and non-value adding process steps. Following this, he worked with the Kaizen Institute on various consulting and training projects across the region which helped him develop his knowledge of Kaizen and Lean philosophies. He then joined the pharmaceuticals industry where he played a key role in the re-engineering and digitization of the supply chain processes as part of an organization-wide roll-out of Microsoft Dynamics ERP system.

Since joining the management consulting industry, Abdalla has worked with clients across a multitude of projects related to digital transformation, strategy development, and business process re-engineering projects. He was part of government-wide transformation agendas, where he supported his clients to re-design key public services (such as starting a business, obtaining building permits and moving-in) to improve customer experience and realize efficiency savings. Abdalla also played a key role in developing digital transformation strategies for leading government entities in the UAE, helping them reimagine the future of public services in the digital age, before joining FP in 2021.

Education
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor in the Art of Obstetrics – Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Bahrain

Professional Experience
Omar began his career as an orthopedic surgeon before transitioning into healthcare consulting, using his medical expertise to influence health systems across the MENA region. Starting at PwC in Health Industries, he rapidly established himself as a leader in the field, spearheading major health initiatives such as creating epidemiological intelligence units, developing contact tracing systems, and implementing performance improvement programs.

In 2023, Omar joined Four Principles as an Associate Director, where he oversees complex healthcare projects throughout the MENA region. His work focuses on medical service assessments, market analysis, and stakeholder engagement. Omar's career has been marked by his strategic planning, leadership, and ability to effect significant improvements in healthcare, blending his clinical background with consulting acumen to enhance healthcare systems and services.

Education
MSc in International Relations – IE University, Madrid, Spain
Master of Business Administration (MBA) – IE Business School, Madrid, Spain
BSc Industrial and Systems Engineering – KFUPM, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Professional Experience
Saad began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) where he worked with leading public and private sector clients across a wide range of industries including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, investments, aviation, utilities, sports and real estate. Saad then joined the Public Investment Fund (PIF) as an Advisor to work on the Fund’s Giga projects, namely NEOM, Red Sea and Qiddiyah, focusing primarily on projects’ strategy and institutionalization.

Subsequently, Saad, alongside his partners, launched a consulting business aimed at supporting Small and Medium Enterprises before joining the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority (LCGPA), where he worked on national strategic projects, further enhancing his expertise in public sector consulting. After completing his MBA and Master in International Relations, Saad provided strategic support to multiple clients before returning to PIF as VP of strategy.

With his extensive experience and diverse client base, Saad has developed a deep expertise in delivering value across several critical areas including strategy, operations, transformation, economic development and governance, delivering impactful solutions and driving organizational success.