Meet Our Team
Presence Practice is built on one premise: the people who sit across the table from you have led what they are advising on.
Every member of our team brings decades of operating experience - tested under pressure, at scale, in some of the world's most demanding markets.
Four leaders who have led at scale
Presence Practice was founded by four leaders who have managed commercial operations across more than 100 countries, led enterprises through restructuring and transformation, and built the practices that underpin everything the firm does.
Kalyana Sivagnanam
Global executive with more than three decades of leadership experience across mobility, automotive and multi-sector enterprises. Led commercial operations across 100+ countries. Global Leader of the Year 2024–25.
Mohit Bhargava
Two decades in the chair where capital decisions sit. M&A, IPO readiness, capital structure and finance transformation across Petromin, Al-Futtaim, Bukhatir, Al-Jaber and Deloitte. AED 20bn+ revenue managed; USD 5bn+ in transactions. CFA Charterholder and Chartered Accountant. Based Dubai/Jeddah.
Anton van der Walt
Leadership strategist and executive coach with more than 30 years of experience across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. Author of three published leadership books. Speaker at TEC/Vistage ANZ, CEO Institute and Leadership Collective.
Vineet Bhargava
Leader with over 23 years at the intersection of business and technology. Designs and ships agentic AI implementations, scalable product engineering, and acts as Fractional CTO / VP Engineering for founders and SME leaders. Worked across various industries to drive large to medium scale digital transformation and innovation.
Specialist depth across governance, transactions and complex enterprises
Our Partners bring deep specialist expertise in governance, transactions, restructuring and complex enterprise leadership - extending Presence Practice's capability across Europe, the GCC and special situations.
Richard Clarke
Senior investment and corporate advisory leader with more than 30 years of experience, including 17 years in the GCC. Former Chief Investment Officer and Partner at Kroll and Deloitte. Deep expertise in special situations, restructuring, M&A, capital markets and family office advisory.
Fadi Ghosn
Senior automotive executive and board advisor with more than 25 years of C-suite and board-level experience at Nissan, Ford and General Motors. Specialises in global OEM strategy, Gulf-market entry and expansion, and commercial transformation across the GCC and Middle East.
Selen Sismanyazici
Internationally recognised automotive executive with more than 28 years in the global aftermarket and tyre business. Led regional Parts & Services across 70 countries and 14 brands at Stellantis, Groupe PSA and Nissan. Founder of T-Platform and Managing Partner of Alagan Tech.
Manju Mahar
International award-winning therapist and transformational practitioner. Works with top-level leaders, executives and entrepreneurs to achieve clarity, bold decision-making and peak performance in complex, high-pressure environments. Over two decades of corporate experience.
Pankaj Khandelwal
Finance and strategy leader with deep advisory and hands-on experience across the GCC and India. CFA Charterholder, Chartered Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor. Strong track record in FP&A, finance transformation, working capital management and corporate finance.
Legal, M&A and international advisory capability
Our Board of Advisors bring specialist legal, M&A and international advisory capability - extending Presence Practice's reach into private equity transactions, cross-border legal matters, and China–Europe business.
Mark Stanbridge
M&A and private equity lawyer with more than 30 years' experience advising on local and cross-border transactions. Has advised KKR, Blackstone, Carlyle, CVC and Bain Capital on multi-billion-dollar transactions. Ranked by Chambers Asia-Pacific, The Legal 500, Best Lawyers and IFLR1000.
Chuqing Chen
International business and legal advisor with more than 30 years of experience across China, Europe, Russia and Australia. Former Legal Officer at the UN International Criminal Tribunal. Director at UNOPS China. Deep expertise in China–Europe cross-border transactions, FDI and international law.
Ready to have a different kind of conversation?
The conversation is confidential. There is no obligation. Tell us what is keeping you up at night and we will tell you honestly whether and how we can help.