Draft:Michael Lahyani

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Michael Lahyani
Born
NationalitySwiss-Emirati
OccupationEntrepreneur
Known forProperty Finder

Michael Lahyani is a Swiss-Emirati entrepreneur, CEO, and business strategist renowned for founding Property Finder, the proptech portal in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.[1]

Early Life and education[edit]

Born and raised in Switzerland, Lahyani pursued a Bachelor’s degree and an MBA in Finance from HEC Lausanne.[2] His early career commenced at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Geneva, which laid the groundwork for his entrepreneurial journey.[3] After Identifying a gap in the property advertising market in Dubai as early as 2005, Lahyani made a pivotal move from Switzerland to Dubai. In recognition of his significant contributions and impact on the local economy, Lahyani was later granted Emirati citizenship.[4]

Career[edit]

In 2005, Michael Lahyani moved from Geneva to Dubai, founding Al Bab World, marking the UAE's entrance into printed real estate classifieds, which later evolved into Property Finder.[3][4][1]

In 2007, the venture underwent a digital transformation and rebranded as propertyfinder.ae, with an investment from REA Group LTD. During the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, Lahyani acquired complete ownership from REA Group.[1][5]

From 2012, under Lahyani's direction, Property Finder saw substantial growth, entering 5 new MENA markets, innovating different products, and securing a notable investment of 120M USD from General Atlantic in 2018, while leading strategic acquisitions and investments, such as in Zingat in Turkey.[3][6][7]

Awards and honors[edit]

  • 100 Inspiring Leaders in the Middle East[8]
  • Top CEOs MENA by Forbes 2023[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Mughal, Waqar. "Michael Lahyani - Top 100 CEOs 2023 in the Middle East". Forbes Lists.
  2. ^ "Property Finder's Strategy for Online Classifieds in the MENA Region - Case - Faculty & Research - Harvard Business School". www.hbs.edu.
  3. ^ a b c Thomas, Aby Sam (19 September 2016). "Breaking Ground: Propertyfinder Group Founder And CEO Michael Lahyani". Entrepreneur.
  4. ^ a b "Michael Lahyani | Gulf Business". Gulf Business. 6 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Michael Lahyani". Arabian Business.
  6. ^ "Property Finder closes $120 million in latest investment round led by General Atlantic". General Atlantic.
  7. ^ "Browsing for the Next Home". EgyptToday. 19 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Michael Lahyani". Arabian Business.