Team

Bassam Yammine

Founder & CEO

Bassam Yammine previously worked for Credit Suisse, building the investment banking and asset management divisions of the firm in the Middle East and North Africa.Prior to founding Excelsa, he was Co-CEO of the Investment Bank the region. Bassam has been investing in residential real estate since the 1980s and set up Excelsa as a family office focused on real estate. He has a BA in Business from Loyola Marymount and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Fadi Majdalani

Managing Partner

Fadi joined Excelsa in 2018 and currently focuses on post-acquisition management of assets. Prior to joining Excelsa, Fadi was a Senior Partner and Board Member with Strategy& (formerly Booz & Company) where he led the Investment and Real Estate practice. He serves on several corporate boards and is currently the Chairman of Endeavor Lebanon. He has a B. Eng. from the American University of Beirut, an M.S. in Civil Engineering from MIT and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Mohamad Jaroudi

Director, Investor Relations

Mohamad joined Excelsa as a Director in our Investment Relations team. He plays a critical role in driving our fundraising efforts and maintaining strong relationships with our investor base. Mohamad has over 27 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Excelsa, Mohamad has worked with leading financial institutions and contributed to several mandates in formulating strategies and developing business models. He served as the Chief Operating Officer for Credit Suisse Saudi Arabia, where he led the transformation of the franchise. Prior to that, he played a key role in restructuring Arab Bank's operating model in eight countries, building a consolidated private banking business, and leading the growth of personal banking in Lebanon. After leaving Credit Suisse in 2019, Mohamad dedicated his efforts to advising several wealth management and FinTech firms on business scalability and market strategies. Mohamad holds a master’s degree in finance from the Lebanese American University.

Lilas Maghnie

Vice President, Investments

Lilas joined Excelsa in 2018 as an analyst focused on US acquisitions and deal analysis. She played a key role in developing Excelsa’s underwriting model. Lilas has underwritten 500+ deals and participated in the due diligence of all of Excelsa’s acquisitions, asset management and dispositions to date. Currently, she leads the acquisition and asset management team, while also managing fund and corporate finance for the Excelsa Group. Initially trained as an industrial engineer, Lilas holds a master’s degree in engineering management with a concentration in financial and industrial engineering from the American University of Beirut. Lilas successfully completed the Wall Street Prep Certification in Financial & Valuation Modeling, and passed the CFA Level 1 and 2 in the 90th percentile.

Vahan Kalayjian

Vice President, Investments

Vahan joined Excelsa in 2016 as an investment analyst. He played a key role during the launch of Excelsa's first real estate fund, supporting investment analysis and asset management, including building financial models and budgets, projecting cash flows, and contributing in investor and management reporting. Prior to joining Excelsa, Vahan served as the finance director of UWC Dilijan College in Armenia and as a banking risk analyst at BLOM Bank in Beirut. He holds a Finance degree from Haigazian University and has successfully passed the CFA Level 2 exam.

Razane Hakim

Vice President, Corporate Development

Razane joined Excelsa in 2019 as an analyst, supporting business development, investor relations and fund administration. She played a key role in completing five rounds of fundraising and fund closings, and successfully on boarded 100+ investors. Razane also supports the management of investment and tax structures, as well as all legal and regulatory requirements for the Excelsa group. Prior to joining Excelsa, she worked in private banking, with a focus on advisory and multi-family office strategies. Razane holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the American University of Beirut (AUB), with a concentration in finance. She also completed her master’s degree in finance at AUB.

Ziad Abou Ltaif

Associate, Investments

As an analyst, Ziad specializes in US acquisitions. He has underwritten 300+ deals and participated in multiple due diligence exercises, deal analysis, asset management, and dispositions at Excelsa. Ziad holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the American University of Beirut, with a double concentration in finance and business analytics, graduating with distinction and placing in the top 10% of his class. He also completed certifications in Financial Markets, Python and Statistics for Financial Analysis, and Private Equity & Venture Capital through Coursera.

Dana Yaman

Analyst, Corporate Development

Dana is an analyst within the Corporate Development team, supporting business development, investor relations and fund administration. Dana earned a bachelor’s degree in applied economics from the American University of Beirut, where she graduated with distinction and a full merit scholarship. She also holds certifications in Financial Analysis and Analyzing & Visualizing Data with Microsoft Excel through Udemy and Coursera, respectively.

Ali Ghandoura

Analyst, Investments

Ali is an Investments analyst supporting US acquisitions and deal analysis. He has underwritten over 150 deals and actively contributes to asset management. Before joining Excelsa, Ali served as a Banking Supervisor at the Central Bank of Lebanon. He graduated with high distinction and an honors scholarship from the Lebanese American University with a bachelor’s degree in banking and finance, and a minor in actuarial studies. Ali successfully passed the CFA Level 1 exam with a 90th percentile score.

Sami Mahmassani

Analyst, Investments

Sami is an analyst focusing on US real estate acquisitions and has successfully underwritten over 150 deals while also contributing to the management of Excelsa’s current portfolio. Sami's professional journey began as an audit associate at a big four accounting firm. Sami is a distinguished graduate in accounting from the Lebanese American University and completed a master’s degree in finance at the American University of Beirut, with a scholarship and a perfect GPA. Sami successfully passed the CFA Level 1 exam, where he achieved results in the 90th percentile.

Céline Saab

Analyst, Investments

Céline joined Excelsa in 2023 as part of the Investments team, with a focus on US acquisitions, transaction analysis, and asset management of Excelsa’s existing portfolio. Prior to her role at Excelsa, Céline served as an Investment Advisor in capital markets portfolio management, focusing on the US and Europe markets. Holding a bachelor's degree in Financial Engineering from Notre Dame University, she graduated with distinction and has successfully passed the CFA Level 1 exam.

Joelle Jawish

Analyst, Investments

Joelle became a member of the Investments team in 2023. Her role encompasses US acquisitions, deal analysis, and asset management. Prior to her current position, Joelle served as an Investment Analyst at a Saudi-based investment management firm, being directly involved in international real estate deals and private equity investments. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance from Notre Dame University, where she earned a highest distinction in academic recognition. Joelle has successfully passed the CFA Levels 1 and 2 exams, scoring in the 90th percentile.

Jonathan Woods

Chief Operating Officer of Excelsa Properties

Jonathan joined Excelsa in 2015 and manages most aspects of the firm's US real estate activities including transaction sourcing, financing, fund structuring and management. After a career on Wall Street with UBS, Jon started his career in real estate in 2003 by establishing one the of the first ground-up development funds in the Middle East. Jonathan earned his MBA at Columbia University in New York and has a BA in history and economics from Brown University.

David Fletcher

Managing Director, Head of Acquisitions

David has 17 years of experience as a principal investor in commercial real estate equity and real estate finance instruments, throughout his career with Prospect Capital Management, ORIX Capital Markets LLC, and NorthStar Realty Finance. He has underwritten and acquired approximately 8,000 units of multifamily and $3BN in debt and debt-linked instruments. David holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA from New York University. He graduated from both institutions with honors.

Curtis Holder

Director, Head of Asset Management

Prior to joining Excelsa in 2019, Curtis was Head of Asset Management for a $2 BN privately held REIT. He has over 15 year’s experience acquiring and managing commercial real estate across the USA. He has investment banking experience with Wachovia Securities and private equity experience with Peak Capital Partners, JDH Capital and Grubb Properties. Cutris has a BA in Finance from Brigham Young University.

Aziz Malek

Director of Construction Management

Aziz joined Excelsa in 2024 as a Director of Construction Management. He brings over 35 years of experience in project and construction management, as well as real estate development across the U.S. and the Middle East. A seasoned professional with a comprehensive understanding of the engineering, financial, and operational aspects of construction, Aziz has previously held senior roles in which he led multidisciplinary teams and oversaw complex residential and office development projects valued at over $700 million. Aziz holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Columbia University and a Master of Science and a Doctor of Science in Civil Engineering from MIT.

Tarek Aboudib

Managing Director, Head of Real Estate Development

Tarek presently oversees the company’s multiple projects in Algeria. He also manages the “Le Patio” mixed-use development currently under construction. With experience that spans Europe and the Middle East, Tarek’s previous experience includes Group Financial Director for Optimum Holding where he managed finances for companies and projects in Morocco, the UK, Lebanon, France, Switzerland, Ukraine, Egypt, Libya, Oman, and Poland. Tarek has a Master’s Degree in Financial Services Management from the University of Surrey in the UK and a Bachelor of Science in Business Studies from the Lebanese American University.

Loubna Alane

Manager, Sales Administration

Loubna is a Manager in the Sales division, where she oversees strategic planning, regulatory compliance, and collections. She has eleven years of experience in real estate development. Loubna holds a degree in International Business Engineer from the Algerian Chamber of Commerce, and also holds a degree in International Trade.

Mustafa Hadibel

Chief Accountant

Mustapha serves as Chief Accountant. He manages and coordinates compliance, accounting, and finance for Excelsa’s subsidiaries. Mustapha has twelve years of accounting experience and holds a Bachelor's degree in accounting management. He is also a certified auditor.

Ghassan Daher

Group Accounting Manager

Ghassan Daher joined Excelsa in May 2016 as Accounting Manager. His responsibilities extend to Excelsa’s projects in the US, Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Prior to joining Excelsa, Ghassan worked at a leading auditing firm. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Business and additional degrees in accounting an audit. He is a Certified Internal Auditor.

Hayfa Dagher

Executive Assistant

Hayfa Dagher joined Excelsa in April 2014 as a Personal Assistant to the CEO and Office Manager. She studied Business Administration at the Lebanese American University.

Tarek Ramadan

Group Accountant

Tarek joined Excelsa in 2022 as a group accountant. He has over five years of accounting experience in finance, retail and manufacturing. He holds a bachelor's degree in Banking and Finance and a master’s degree in Accounting, both from the Beirut Arab University.

Joseph Salem

Junior Accountant

Joseph joined Excelsa in 2023 as a 'Junior Accountant'. Prior to joining the firm, he worked in accounting at a healthcare firm where he handled bookkeeping, financial analysis, and reconciliations tasks. He holds a bachelor's degree in Banking and Finance from Antonine University.