Makram Azar

Career

Makram Azar founded Full Circle Capital, a private investment and advisory group partnered with some of the world's most prominent UHNW families, institutional and sovereign investors. The firm sources direct principal investments that offer attractive absolute returns on a risk-adjusted basis across the full spectrum of private equity - including venture and buy-outs - in the UK, continental Europe, North America and the Middle East, with an emphasis on cross-sector tech, media, telecom, consumer and impact & sustainability.

Makram was CEO of Golden Falcon Acquisition Corp, a SPAC listed on the NYSE focusing on the TMT and Fintech sectors in Europe, the Middle East or North America, until August 2023.

Makram was Chairman of Banking EMEA and Chairman of Barclays Bank PLC, MENA until January 2019 and a Senior Advisor to Barclays from January 2019 until January 2021.

Makram joined Barclays in September 2010 from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR) Where he was Managing Director and Head of MENA. Prior to joining KKR, Makram spent 18 years at Lehman Brothers, latterly as Global Head of Sovereign Wealth Funds and Chairman of Media Investment Banking EMEA. Previously he led the Media, Consumer & Retail Investment Banking businesses of Lehman Brothers in EMEA.

During his 34-year career in the banking and investment industries, Makram has worked on over 225 deals across a broad geographic and sector spectrum, including numerous multi-billion dollar deals in telecoms, media, consumer, retail, hospitality, real estate and natural resources, for a broad range of clients across multinational corporates, sovereign wealth funds and governments.

Makram holds a Master's degree in Management and Finance from École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) in Paris and a BA in Applied Economics from the University Paris-IX Dauphine. Makram supports numerous philanthropic initiatives across several causes and geographies in developed and developing countries.