Meet Our Team

Reda Nidhakou leads VentureOne, the Advanced Technology Research Council’s venture builder. He is  responsible for bringing technologies developed by the Technology Innovation Institute to the local and  international markets. Under his leadership, VentureOne launched four ventures in 2024 in AI,  autonomous robotics, and cybersecurity

Prior to leading VentureOne, Reda specialized in strategy and corporate development in both the UAE and Europe. As an advisor for ATRC, he played a key role in its incubation and strategic initiatives. Previously, he was the senior vice-president of strategy and portfolio management at EDGE Group, where he led the establishment of the group and its operating model, completed more than 30 acquisitions, and led group-wide initiatives related to innovation, corporate development, and technology.

Prior to this role, he led technology programs as a program director in a cybersecurity venture.

Reda has deep expertise in advanced technologies including AI, cybersecurity, and robotics, commercialization of deep tech, and strategic applications of technologies for both government and businesses. He is passionate about enabling start-ups, nurturing world-class tech talent that will transform industries, and creating technological solutions that make a tangible positive impact.

Reda holds a master's degree in digital and technology management from HEC Paris as well as a master of engineering in information communication and technology from Telecom Paris.

Rodrigo Campos is the CCO of Leadership at VentureOne, where he leads the commercialization of advanced technologies in collaboration with research labs, venture builders, and industry partners to bring innovations to market and scale their impact globally.

He has over 20 years of international experience across blue-chip multinationals, technology start-ups, and family businesses, including more than a decade in leadership roles. Before joining VentureOne, Rodrigo served as Chief Growth and Strategy Officer at Hyke, where he scaled a B2B e-commerce platform to USD 250 million GMV within three years, and as Chief Operating Officer at Axiom Telecom, where he managed a USD 1.1 billion business unit in the Middle East. Earlier in his career, he held roles at Nokia, Philips, Novartis and in management consulting.

Rodrigo’s track record includes initiating the successful sale of a distribution business, building and scaling digital platforms, and leading billion-dollar commercial operations in emerging markets. His expertise spans platform strategy, venture building, technology commercialization, and corporate transformation.

He holds an Executive MBA from INSEAD, is a doctoral candidate at IE Business School researching how traditional companies adapt to technological disruption through platform business models, and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School.

El Mehdi Abdat is a Chief of Staff  within Venture One, where he leads the incubation and early-stage development of ventures focused on AI and autonomy. El Mehdi was instrumental in launching AI71, an AI company delivering tailored enterprise products. In this role, he was responsible for orchestrating AI71’s incubation and early-days operations to deliver strategic value to customers and partners.

Prior to joining Venture One, El Mehdi worked in the Chairman’s Office at ATRC, leading strategic and operational initiatives across technology commercialization, partnerships, and innovation. He also spent five years at Roland Berger as a senior consultant, advising public and private sector clients across Europe and the Middle East in areas such as technology, government services, energy, and sustainability.

With experience in the technology, business and government domain and a strong passion for venture building, AI and sustainability, El Mehdi is dedicated to shaping initiatives that bridge cutting-edge technology with real-world impact. He holds an MBA in Innovation Management from ESCP Business School in France, an engineering degree in computer science from ESI in Lyon, and a certificate in venture building from Oxford University.

Neville Baron is a Director, Strategy & Corporate Development in the Venture Building team at VentureOne, where he supports the incubation and early-stage operations of deep tech ventures focused on autonomous robotics and AI.

He previously played a key role in the launch and incubation of SteerAI, an autonomous mobility technology company spun out of VentureOne, overseeing operational delivery and strategic execution in its early days. Prior to that, he supported the launch and incubation of ai71, running early-stage operations and establishing key partnerships. Prior to joining VentureOne, he worked in the Executive Chairman's Office at EDGE Group, where he designed and implemented strategic programs related to technology commercialization, strategic partnerships, and learning and innovation programs. Earlier in his career, Neville was a consultant at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), focusing on turnaround strategies, principal investing, and public sector transformation across Europe and the Middle East.

Neville is passionate about driving value at the intersection of research, product, and market. He holds a Master of International Management from HEC Paris and from CEMS.

Abdalla AlMajali is a Director, Venture Building within VentureOne, where he led the incubation and launch of QuantumGate. He is focused on blockchain and cybersecurity and is responsible for delivering strategic value through early-stage operations and commercialization.

Abdalla brings a decade of experience in venture building, startup incubation and acceleration, and product commercialization. Prior to joining VentureOne, he was the Head of Advisory at Outlier Ventures, a leading Web3 startup accelerator. In his career, he also served as an Engagement Manager at Simon-Kucher & Partners, advising clients on revenue growth and profitability across EMEA.

Abdalla holds a Master of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering with Business Finance from the University College London (UCL) and the London School of Economics (LSE).

Rocio Dominguez is a Senior Manager, Venture Building at VentureOne, where she leads business development and venture-building initiatives across key technology sectors. She plays a central role in supporting the commercialization of technologies developed at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), and is instrumental in launching and scaling new tech ventures. Her work bridges cutting-edge research with practical, real-world applications.

She bring over eight years of experience in strategy consulting, project management, innovation, and the commercialization of advanced technologies such as cryptography and quantum technology. Prior to joining VentureOne, Rocio was a strategy consultant at Bain & Company, where she advised global clients on growth strategies, operational transformation, and market entry across industries such as energy, the public sector, consumer goods, and technology.

Her career is a testament to her dedication to advancing technology-driven ecosystems, whether through venture incubation, business development, or strategic partnerships. Rocio holds an engineering degree and a master’s in the management of technology from the Technology University of Delft and the National University of Singapore. 

Qais Al-Lafi is Senior Director of Engineering at VentureOne, where he leads engineering across new ventures spanning sovereign GenAI, regulated blockchain, robotics, and enterprise platforms, driving technology strategy, platform architecture, and delivery execution for products built for regulated government and enterprise environments.

He brings more than 20 years of experience building AI, cloud, robotics, and large-scale systems across the UAE and the United States. Prior to joining VentureOne, he built and led the engineering organization at ai71 from the ground up, scaling the team across platform, backend, ML, infrastructure, and QA. Earlier in his career, he held engineering leadership roles at Microsoft, where he worked on AI and intelligence platforms powering Microsoft 365 Copilot, Bing, and Teams, as well as at Amazon and AWS, and the UAE Ministry of Interior, delivering secure government platforms.

He holds a Master of Science in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering.

Roland J. Koch is Director of Venture Building at VentureOne, where he leads the development of new ventures from ideation to launch.

Before joining VentureOne, Roland served as Senior Manager and Venture CTO at Roland Berger N3XT, where he brought digital innovation to SMEs and private equity firms, managed large product teams, and conducted technical due diligence for M&A. Previously, he worked as Venture CTO and Engineering Lead at BCG Digital Ventures, co-building startups with leading global companies. During that tenure, he was also the ad interim CTO for Pelago, a travel marketplace powered by Singapore Airlines, where he brought the startup’s product from incubation to launch. In his career, he also co-founded Teammeister, a SaaS platform for HR teams, and has led more than 15 startups, corporate ventures, and enterprise software projects over 15 years.

Roland holds a Master’s of Science in Information Systems from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Computing from Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin.

Chris Walton is the Senior Director, Business Development at VentureOne, where he focuses on commercializing technologies in autonomy and secure systems. He works with researchers, engineers, and commercial teams to guide innovations from lab to market, ensuring their real-world viability and strategic fit across defense, aerospace and AI.

Chris brings over 15 years of experience leading the commercialization of cutting-edge technologies. Before joining VentureOne, he founded and led a deep-tech venture builder in Cambridge, UK, turning academic innovation into viable startups. He also held senior roles in the aerospace and defense industry, where he oversaw major international technology projects, built partnerships across Europe and the Middle East, and grew businesses in highly specialized technology domains.

His background combines engineering and business. He began his career as a flight test engineer and later led R&D collaborations with the University of Cambridge on geoengineering and climate technologies. Chris holds an undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering, and a postgraduate Executive MBA and General Management Certificate from the University of Cambridge.

Hamad Alyahyaee is a Senior Manager, Business Development at VentureOne. He focuses on translating advanced research into industrial applications, with a specialization in remote sensing, stealth technologies and electromagnetic systems.

Before joining VentureOne, Hamad was a lead researcher in the Directed Energy Research Center (DERC) at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), where he contributed projects in electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), microwave generation, antenna design, and signal processing. He also held roles in the defense and automotive sectors at NIMR Automotive, working on systems integration and engineering design.

Hamad holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering as well as a Higher Diploma in Aviation Security.

Samina Sahaf is a Talent Architect at VentureOne, where she focuses on developing agile, high-impact teams that empower the different ventures of the ecosystem to scale and thrive in fast-changing landscapes.

In her career, Samina has served as Head of Talent Acquisition at Careem and Senior Director of HR at Majid Al Futtaim. She also worked for Amazon as Global Head of Technical Recruiting and for Google as a Technical Recruiter.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a Master’s degree in English Language and Literature, both from Aligarh Muslim University in India.

Clovis Duarte is the Senior Finance Manager at VentureOne, the commercialization arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced technology Research Council (ATRC). He leads finance operations supporting early-stage deep tech ventures and ensures financial alignment across venture building, product development, and go-to-market activities.

He brings over 15 years of experience in finance, strategy, and venture building. Prior to joining VentureOne, he was a manager at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he advised clients on business transformation, growth strategies, and financial performance optimization.

Clovis’s career spans global roles across consulting and technology, supporting both corporate and startup ecosystems. He combines financial discipline with a strong understanding of innovation-driven businesses. Clovis holds an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) in Brazil.

Reema Thawrani is a Senior Manager, Venture Finance at VentureOne, where she leads Corporate Development and Venture Finance.

Prior to joining VentureOne, Reema served as an investment professional at a family office in Abu Dhabi, focusing on venture capital and private equity investments. She previously played a key role in establishing ADQ’s venture and growth investing team, where she led regional and international investments across fintech and food & agritech sectors. Earlier in her career, she worked for an early-stage startup, where she drove the launch of new business lines and regional expansion across the MENA region.

Reema holds an MBA from London Business School and a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration and Management, and Finance from Carnegie Mellon University.