Joe Ghanem

Joe Ghanem is a trusted advisor to public and private organizations across the Middle East and the Gulf Cooperation Council (“GCC”), leading strategic engagements in agrifood systems, food security and environmental sustainability.

Joe has led the development of national and sectoral strategies, as well as large-scale transformational programs for ministries, public authorities and private entities.

Joe has been at the forefront of national transformation agendas across the agriculture and environment sectors, driving sector-wide reforms to enhance food security resilience and environmental sustainability. His experience includes establishing government entities, redesigning institutional mandates and operating models, developing policies and strengthening implementation capabilities.

Relevant Experience:

• Advised on agriculture and food security sector transformation at a national level, including pricing strategies for agricultural services, strategic reserves design, development of national food markets and slaughterhouses networks, subsidy schemes for strategic commodities, crisis response frameworks and urban agriculture strategies to enhance local production and competitiveness
• Advised on the establishment and transformation of environmental institutions, defining mandates, operating models and regulatory frameworks to support large-scale sustainability agendas
• Led the development of a national food security strategy and implementation office, defining governance, strategic priorities and execution mechanisms to enhance food system resilience
• Led the establishment of a national food security authority, including mandate definition, organizational restructuring and operating model design
• Advised a GCC government on the privatization of the environmental sector, identifying priority opportunities for private sector participation and structuring service delivery models
• Spearheaded the design of a national 30x30 conservation roadmap, including prioritization of terrestrial and marine protected areas, financial sustainability strategy, governance models and socioeconomic impact assessment
• Advised public sector entities on capital allocation and financial performance optimization, including revamping capital planning for a global desalination leader and structuring funding frameworks for large-scale national programs
• Led strategic investment and transaction support for state-owned enterprises, including financial due diligence, consortium structuring with global partners and preparation of prequalification and bidding packages for major investments