Karim Labban

Karim specializes in managing corporate turnaround situations, developing strategic business plans, providing interim support solutions, performing independent business reviews on behalf of lenders, and advising on complex financial restructuring and insolvency situations.

Prior to joining Ankura, Karim was a partner at a Big 4 firm where he led the KSA turnaround and restructuring practice. He has previously advised on a number of M&A transactions across the Middle East and has provided audit and assurance services across several sectors.

Karim’s professional experience includes:

• Served as lead restructuring advisor to several KSA-based contractors under the KSA bankruptcy law. More than $3 billion of debt was restructured.
• Performed business diagnostic and shareholders’ option assessment for a KSA-based steel pipe manufacturer.
• Provided financial restructuring and corporate advisory services to a KSA-based automotive business.
• Provided financial restructuring and corporate advisory services to a KSA-based poultry business.
• Provided business planning and capital advisory services to a KSA-based dairy business.
• Led several liquidations under the KSA bankruptcy law covering contracting, insurance, and pharmaceutical sectors.
• Performed liquidity and projects review for one of the largest contractors in Saudi Arabia.
• Led several independent business reviews on behalf of local and international lenders, spanning across various sectors including construction, building materials, real estate, quick service restaurants, chemicals, manufacturing, and more.
• Provided interim support to the management of a UAE-based media company as part of a company-wide transformation program.
• Provided corporate advisory and business planning services to a UAE-based holding company with multiple businesses including food, dairy, building materials, construction, manufacturing, logistics, and distribution.
• Provided financial restructuring and corporate advisory services to an Egypt-based integrated steel manufacturer.
• Performed liquidity review and shareholder options assessment for an Egypt-based telecom support business.
• Provided liquidity review to a number of portfolio companies of an African sovereign wealth fund.
• Performed business planning and shareholder options assessment for several Qatar-based companies.
• Advised a GCC central bank on the development of corporate restructuring guideline to banks.
• Provided managed exit advice and wind down planning for a number of KSA-based businesses.
• Provided turnaround and business planning advice to a KSA-based building materials group.
• Provided financial restructuring advice to a large KSA-based distressed industrial group with more than 10 businesses.