Sreekumar Brahmanandan
With a career spanning over three decades, Sreekumar Brahmanandan brings unmatched expertise in corporate management, M&A, investment strategy, and P&L leadership. As Investments Director at Dubai Investments Industries and Board Member of several industrial and healthcare companies, he plays a crucial role in shaping economic diversification in the UAE and beyond. His insights reflect the complexity and rewards of building robust, sustainable businesses across multiple sectors.
Investment Philosophy and Growth Strategy
We started the interview by asking, “What has been your guiding philosophy in managing investments?”
Sreekumar Brahmanandan replied, “At the core of my investment philosophy is the idea of building long-term value through disciplined execution and strategic foresight. In my current role, we follow a dual-pronged approach enhancing the profitability of our existing businesses while actively scouting for high-potential Greenfield opportunities. I believe in balancing risk and return by focusing on sectors with strong fundamentals and aligned with the UAE government strategies, such as manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare. It’s not just about numbers, though. It’s about nurturing businesses that can stand the test of time and contribute meaningfully to the economy. We focus on partnerships, operational efficiency, and planned exits that align with our growth trajectory. I also place great importance on governance, transparency, and setting clear performance benchmarks for each business. This approach has helped us build a resilient and diversified portfolio that continues to evolve with market trends.”
Managing Risks in a Diverse Portfolio
The Arab Today: How do you approach risk management across such a broad and varied portfolio?
Sreekumar Brahmanandan replied, “Risk management for me is not just about avoiding failure, it’s about preparing for the unexpected while staying focused on the big picture. Given our portfolio spans multiple sectors—healthcare, aluminum, pharma, and more we apply a layered approach to risk assessment. We evaluate every investment against market volatility, regulatory shifts, supply chain dependencies, and even socio-political factors. Each business we work with is required to follow strict KPIs, which we monitor regularly. Our diversified portfolio itself serves as a buffer when one sector underperforms, others balance it out. What’s critical is agility. We continuously review market conditions, update our strategies, and ensure our teams are trained to respond quickly. I also believe in engaging deeply with our partners and boards to ensure that risks are flagged early and mitigated proactively. It’s a dynamic process, but one that keeps our operations stable and forward-focused.”
Healthcare Governance vs. Industrial Governance
The Arab Today: What’s unique about your role as a board member in a hospital compared to your industrial board roles?
Sreekumar Brahmanandan replied, “Serving on the board of Clemenceau Medical Center is a different experience altogether, it’s more human-centric and value-driven. Unlike industrial sectors, where the focus is on production, margins, and market share, healthcare governance is all about patient outcomes, service quality, and ethical oversight. The responsibility is not just financial, it’s also moral. Decisions must reflect empathy, compliance with global healthcare standards, and forward-looking strategies for medical innovation whilst meeting the shareholders objectives. I work closely with the hospital’s leadership to ensure that we maintain clinical excellence, optimize operations, and adopt new technologies without compromising patient care. There’s also a strong focus on governance, staff well-being, and crisis preparedness especially in a post-pandemic world. It’s been an enriching experience, allowing me to bring my strategic and operational insights into a space that directly impacts lives, while also learning a lot about managing complexity in high-stakes environments.”
Impact of P&L Management on Investments
The Arab Today: How has your experience in P&L management shaped your investment strategies?
Sreekumar Brahmanandan replied, “My experience in P&L management has deeply shaped how I assess investments and measure success. I’ve always believed that understanding the financial engine of a business, its cost structures, revenue drivers, understanding the competition and bench marking and profitability levers—is essential before making any investment decision. I approach each business not just as a shareholder, but as someone who’s accountable for its performance. We set clear financial targets, align leadership around those goals, and track performance rigorously. Having led full P&L responsibilities in past roles across geographies, I understand the real-world challenges companies face from market pressures to operational inefficiencies—and that allows me to ask the right questions and anticipate risks early. This hands-on financial grounding enables me to bring a practical lens to strategic planning and exit decisions. It’s this blend of analytics and experience that helps us ensures healthy returns across our diverse portfolio.”
Key Qualities in Potential Partnerships
The Arab Today: What do you look for in a company before considering it for acquisition or partnership?
Sreekumar Brahmanandan replied, “When evaluating a company for acquisition or partnership, I look far beyond the financials. Yes, balance sheets matter but what really excites me is leadership quality, operational discipline, and a company’s readiness to scale. I assess their market positioning, innovation potential, and whether they complement or enhance our existing portfolio. Cultural fit is also essential. We’re not just investing capital we’re building long-term partnerships. We want founders and teams who are open to collaboration, agile in mindset, and aligned with our vision of sustainable, responsible growth. Another key factor is the company’s readiness for transformation whether it’s in adopting new technologies, optimizing processes, or entering new markets. Due diligence isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about understanding the people, the business DNA, and how it can evolve within our ecosystem. That’s what truly drives successful integrations and long-term returns.”
Driving Innovation in Traditional Industries
The Arab Today: How do you encourage innovation within traditional sectors like aluminum?
Sreekumar Brahmanandan replied, “Innovation in traditional sectors isn’t always about radical disruption it’s often about incremental transformation. In industries like aluminum manufacturing, I focus on modernizing operations through automation, creating value differentiators through innovation, digitization, and data-driven decision-making. We invest in R&D, explore sustainable manufacturing techniques, and adopt technologies that improve quality and reduce waste. One of the ways we encourage innovation is by fostering cross-sector collaboration learning from trends in IT, pharma, or even healthcare, and applying those insights to industrial settings. I also ensure that leadership teams are empowered to challenge legacy systems and experiment with new processes. Training, digital tools, and performance incentives play a big role here. At the board level, we push for capex that supports modernization and keep a close eye on ROI. These steps ensure that even traditional sectors remain competitive, resilient, and future-ready in a rapidly changing industrial landscape.”
Advice for Future Leaders and Investors
Lastly we asked, “What advice would you give to aspiring professionals entering investment or corporate leadership roles?”
“My advice would be simple focus on becoming a well-rounded leader. Technical skills like finance, analytics, or operations are important, but what truly sets you apart is your ability to make sound decisions, lead teams, learn and un learn to adapt to the changing world and communicate with clarity. Always seek roles that stretch your thinking and give you exposure to different aspects of the business. Learn to manage not just numbers, but people. In the investment world, it’s essential to develop a long-term mindset quick wins are great, but sustainable value creation takes time, patience, and discipline. Surround yourself with mentors, stay curious, and never stop learning. Integrity and resilience will take you far, especially in high-stakes leadership roles. Also, don’t shy away from challenges they are often the best teachers. Your growth will depend on how willing you are to evolve with the business landscape.” Sreekumar Brahmanandan concluded
Connect with Sreekumar Brahmanandan on LinkedIn
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