Driven Properties Appoints Emre Okay as New Group CFO to Bolster Investment and Development Strategy

Driven Properties, a prominent player in the UAE's luxury real estate market, has announced the appointment of Emre Okay as its new Group Chief Financial Officer. This strategic hire is set to bolster the company's ambition to evolve into a vertically integrated real estate investment and development entity.

Okay brings a wealth of international financial expertise to his new role. His background includes significant experience in large-cap private equity in Europe and investment banking at UBS in New York, following an MBA from Harvard Business School. He also held various finance leadership positions at Amazon across Europe and the Middle East, focusing on investments, capital allocation, and scaling finance functions in complex organisations.

Abdullah Alajaji, Founder and CEO of Driven Properties, highlighted that Okay's diverse experience in private equity, investment banking, and global technology businesses will be crucial in strengthening investment and capital allocation decisions, facilitating funding for investment funds, and scaling operations to capitalise on new opportunities.

As CFO, Emre Okay will oversee an existing co-invested real estate investment portfolio valued at approximately USD 1 billion. His responsibilities will extend across various divisions, including Lamar Holding, Driven Properties' development arm with over USD 5.5 billion in active gross development value, and Driven Property & Asset Management, which manages more than 5,000 units across the UAE.

The company also holds approximately USD 300 million in owned real estate assets and maintains a venture portfolio comprising over 15 minority investments. Okay emphasized that his role will focus on institutionalising financial, operational, and technological infrastructure to ensure sustainable long-term growth, using Driven Properties' integrated model across brokerage, investment management, and development.