Navin Valrani

Navin M. Valrani
Navin M. Valrani
Citizenship	Indian
Alma mater	University of Pennsylvania (The Wharton School) London Business School (MBA)
Occupation	CEO, Engineering Services Cluster of the Al Shirawi Group

Navin M. Valrani is the current CEO of the Engineering Services Cluster of the Al Shirawi Group, a private family-owned industrial conglomerate based in Dubai, UAE. The Engineering Services Cluster comprises 10 organizations that cater to various verticals within the construction services sector.^[1]

He is also the current CEO of Al Shirawi's education initiative, The Arcadia Preparatory School, a private English National Curriculum school in Dubai. ^[2]

Education and Personal Life

Navin Valrani is one of three sons of Mohan G. Valrani, a prominent Indian businessman and philanthropist and one of two original co-founders of the Al Shirawi Group.^[3]

Valrani grew up in Dubai, UAE and attended Dubai College.^[4] He graduated in 1993 from The Wharton School, the undergraduate business school of the University of Pennsylvania.^[5] He also holds an MBA from the London Business School, where he sits on the International Alumni Council.^[6]

Valrani is a current member of the Wharton Executive Board for Europe, Middle East and Africa,^[7] and sat on the Board of Directors of the Wharton Alumni Association^[8] from 1997 to 2003. He is also the former chairperson of the Emirates Chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization, a global network of young chief executives.

Valrani was ranked as Facilities Management CEO of the Year in the 2014 Arabian Business Indian CEO Awards ^[9] and currently sits at number 3 on Facilities Management Middle East's ranking of the Facilities Management Power 40 in 2015.^[10]

Navin Valrani is married to Monica Valrani,^[11] CEO of Ladybird Nurseries in Dubai. Monica Valrani is targeting to build Dubai's first dedicated LEED Gold certified early years learning facility in Dubai.^[12]

Career

Among the Al Shirawi Group companies currently headed by Navin Valrani are:

• The Arcadia Preparatory School: English Primary School in Dubai ^[13][14]
• The Leminar Group: Air conditioning and oil field supply services in the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait ^{[15][16][17][18]}
• Al Shirawi Facilities Management (FM) LLC^[19][20]
• Al Shirawi Electrical & Mechanical Engineering (ASEME) Company LLC^[21][22]
• Al Shirawi Contracting: Waterproofing, interior design and construction^[23][24]
• Visionwood International LLC: Interior and building wood products (doors, cabinets, hotel and kitchen fixtures)^[25]
• Oasis Coils and Coatings: HVAC coil manufacturing^[26][27]

Navin Valrani was also instrumental in setting up three joint ventures for the group, namely:

• Al Shirawi US Chillers: A joint venture with US Chillers Services, an award winning heavy tonnage chiller services and energy solutions provider^[28][29]

• Identigy UAE: A joint venture with Identigy, a US based smart technology solutions provider and a leader in the development of global smart solutions^[30]

• Festive Decorators and Lighting Specialists: A joint venture representing The Christmas Decorators from the UK, a company well known for its A-list clientele^[31]

Philanthropy

Valrani gave back to his alma mater by creating the Monica and Navin Valrani Scholarship fund at London Business School to help Indian female students complete a graduate education. He also became a campaign committee member to help the school raise £100m by 2018.^[32]

In literature

• Valrani is cited on pp. 8–9 of The Running of the Bulls: Inside the Cutthroat Race from Wharton to Wall Street by Forbes writer Nicole Ridgway: "Walking into Wharton and being told by the dean that we are the cream of the crop and we are at the world's best business school gave us a tremendous confidence," recalled Navin Valrani, a Class of 1993 Wharton Alum who now heads several divisions of Dubai-based Al Shirawi Enterprises, one of the largest conglomerates in the Middle East. "You began to feel you could achieve things far above the norm."^[33]

References

1. "Al Shirawi’s Navin Valrani: ‘Decisions Are Made at Lightning Speed’". 20 April 2010. Knowledge@Wharton. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
2. "Schools in Dubai cut fees to lure more pupils". 3 April 2016. The National. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
3. "Mohan Valrani". Indian Rich List 2011. Arabian Business. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
4. "Alumni" (PDF). Shamal 2013. Dubai College. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
5. "Global Alumni and Alumni Clubs". Penn Global. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
6. "International Alumni Council Members List" (PDF). London Business School. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
7. "EXECUTIVE BOARD FOR EUROPE, THE MIDDLE EAST, AND AFRICA". Wharton Boards. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
8. "Spring 2007" (PDF). Wharton Magazine. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
9. "Al Shirawi FM's CEO recognized as Facilities Management CEO of the Year.". Retrieved 25 February 2015.
10. "Facilities Management Middle East Power 40 List.". Retrieved 18 December 2015.
11. "A portrait of a young country". The National. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
12. "Ladybird to build region's first dedicated LEED gold certified early years learning facility in Dubai". AME Info. Retrieved 18 Jan 2015.
13. "WSA Hard Hat Visit: Small is Beautiful". Which School Advisor. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
14. "The Arcadia Preparatory School WSA Q and A". Which School Advisor. 18 February 2016.
15. "Top UAE SMEs to work for revealed". Gulf News. 30 Sep 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
16. "Leminar Group". Retrieved 1 November 2013.
17. "Leminar breaks ground on $27.2m factory". Construction Weekly Online. 29 June 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
18. "Leminar signs exclusive distribution agreement with European Ventilation Giant". Zawya. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
19. "Big 5: Al-Shirawi FM says 2012 bodes well". Construction Weekly Online. 23 Nov 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
20. "Top UAE SMEs to work for revealed". Gulf News. 30 Sep 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
21. "Al Seef Tower Owners Association signs with Al Shirawi FM". GulfBase. 29 June 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
22. "About Us". Al Shirawi Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Co. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
23. "Al Shirawi Contracting Co. LLC". Al Shirawi Contracting Co. LLC. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
24. "Al Shirawi Contracting Co. LLC". Construction Design Directory. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
25. "Visionwood International LLC". The Al Shirawi Group. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
26. "Oasis Coils & Coatings inaugurates new coating facility". Oasis Coils & Coatings LLC. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
27. "Oasis Coils and Coatings, Heat Pipe Technology sign exclusive distribution agreement for Gulf Cooperation Council Region region". Marketwatch. 10 April 2014.
28. "Al Shirawi in chiller joint venture". Gulf News. 1 Nov 2002. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
29. "MEP Awards: Al Shirawi wins Specialist Contractor". Construction Weekly Online. 13 Dec 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
30. "Identigy and Al Shirawi in Joint Venture to Provide Smart Solutions". Thomsun Reuters Zawya. 31 Mar 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
31. "Festive lighting firm brightening up Dubai". 7 Days. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
32. "The Campaign for London business School". Retrieved 15 July 2014.
33. Ridgway, Nicole (2005). The running of the bulls : inside the cutthroat race from Wharton to Wall Street. New York: Gotham Books. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-1-59240-125-3.

External links

• Interview with TribeFit Middle East:
• www.leminargroup.com
• www.alshirawifm.com
• www.uschillerservices.com
• www.alshirawi.com/engineering/management.html
• www.alshirawi.com/contracting/
• www.alshirawi.com/visionwood/
• www.oasiscoils.com