Alaa Shanableh

Responsible for leading the Catalyst Technologies and Catacel business globally, with P&L accountability for achieving multimillion-pound annual revenue and margin growth targets. Leading Sales, Technical, Services, demand and commercial organization, driving the development and sustained growth of the business globally including products and services.

• Key Markets
  Ammonia, Methanol, GTL, Gas Processing, Hydrogen, Purification, SNG
  Leading the global Catacel SSR business Unit with P&L responsibilities.
  Member of SteerCo across various alliances and partnerships
  General Manager- (UAE, Bahrain)

• Core Responsibilities
• Financial Performance: Accountable and responsible for the business financial performance. Ensure sound financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and cost control.
• Strategic Leadership: Initiated, developed, and led high-impact, medium-to-long-term (2–5+ year) business growth strategies.
• Team Leadership: Structured, developed, and led high performing global technical, sales and commercial teams building a culture of accountability, KPIs, collaboration and innovation. Member of the global leadership team. General manager of UAE and Bahrain.
• Customer centricity management: Build and maintain strategic relationships with key customers, partners, and stakeholders to strengthen brand loyalty and drive sustainable business.
• Contract Management: Oversee negotiated, closed, and executed multimillion-dollar long term agreements in various markets. Coordinated complex international sales by collaborating with supporting functions in a matrix organization.
• Optimised supply chain processes for improved customer service delivery levels.
• Implemented innovative marketing strategies for enhanced brand visibility.
• General management of local entities.
• Coordination and management of matrix organization including functions such as HR, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Demand, and operation.
• This role demanded a combination of visionary leadership, strategic foresight, navigating global markets, building high-impact teams, operational leadership, and market acumen to deliver short ,medium, long-term business success while strengthening JM’s global presence.

Catalyst Technologies

Responsible for leading the Catalyst Technologies business in the region, with accountability for achieving multimillion-pound annual revenue and margin growth targets. Lead the sales, business development and strategy regional organization, driving the development and market positioning of Johnson Matthey (JM) products, including catalysts, engineering, licensing, and proprietary equipment, as well as related services and capabilities. Focused on delivering strong financial performance with a strategic emphasis on profitability.

• Key Markets
  Ammonia, Methanol, GTL, Ethylene Oxide (EOO), Nitrogen Chemicals (Nitro), Gas Processing, Refineries, Additives, and other specialty markets.

Core Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Initiated, developed, and led high-impact, medium-to-long-term (2–5+ year) business growth and strategic opportunities across the region.
• Market Development: Identified and capitalized on new business opportunities, including market expansion, investment prioritization, partnerships, and growth strategies.
• Regional Oversight: General Manager of Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia entities. Managed and established JM’s Middle East entities, ensuring operational excellence and alignment with corporate goals.
• Financial Performance: Achieved revenue and margin growth targets by strengthening customer relationships, fostering partnerships, and executing the regional commercial strategy.
• Team Leadership: Structured, developed, and led the regional teams in the region.
• Business Development: Spearheaded new business generation efforts, securing opportunities in emerging markets and enhancing competitive positioning.
• Profitability Focus: Directed the commercial organization to drive sustainable revenue growth and profitability across diverse market segments.
• This role demanded a combination of strategic foresight, operational leadership, and market acumen to deliver short, medium & long-term business success while strengthening JM’s regional presence.

Catalyst Technologies (Fuels and Energy)-Middle East, Africa and India

Accountable for driving multimillion-pound annual revenue and margin growth, while leading the development and execution of a multi-year strategy for the Gas Processing, Refinery, and Additives markets. Consistently delivered against revenue and margin targets, often exceeding planned objectives. Served as a member of the Catalyst Technologies (CT) Commercial Council, contributing to key initiatives encompassing account management, contracts, competitive analysis, market dynamics, and pricing strategy development and monitoring.

Key Responsibilities and Achievements:

• Financial Performance: Achieved revenue and margin growth targets by strengthening customer relationships, fostering partnerships, and executing the regional commercial strategy.
• Team Leadership: Structured, developed, and led the Fuels & Energy teams in the region, while contributing to the broader Catalyst Technologies regional strategy.
• Contract Management: Negotiated, closed, and executed multimillion-dollar contracts. Coordinated complex international sales by collaborating with global sales, I&M, and engineering teams, and taking the lead in contractor negotiations within and beyond the region.
• Market Development: Directed market expansion initiatives for Fuels & Energy-related products and services, driving business growth and increasing market share in new geographies.
• Business Development: Spearheaded new business generation efforts, securing opportunities in emerging markets and enhancing competitive positioning.
• Commercial Excellence: Led and implemented commercial excellence initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and strategic execution across the region.
• This role required a combination of strategic vision, strong leadership, and operational expertise to deliver sustainable growth and long-term market success.

Catalyst Technologies ( Gas Purification)-Middle East, Africa and Caspian: Managing the Gas Processing business in the region and accountable for regions Budget while achieving multi million £ annual revenue growth targets. I was leading and driving the development of the multi-year strategy for the Gas Processing business in the region and delivering revenue and margin targets each year, consistent and exceeding the plan.

Responsibilities and achievements included:

• Defining, managing and delivering commercial strategy. Managing the complete commercial and technical agenda in new projects, existing and new customers while creating value for both JM and our customers. Customer Focus approach by enhancing our value proposition delivery to become their partner of choice.
• Negotiating, closing and executing multi million dollar contracts. Liaising with the global Gas Processing sales team and engineering team on complex international sales; taking the lead to coordinate, collaborate and negotiate with contractors inside/outside the region .
• Leadership & Management of Sales Teams to deliver on our strategy for the business in the region.
• Acting global market manager supporting market of purification globally defining the global and regional marketing and product strategy for the allocated markets including enhancing value proposition of the current offer, optimising pricing for products and services, safety stock levels, developing global pricing policy/strategy, market segmentation, market trends and sector commercial excellence initiative.
• Leading promotional activities in the region so that the Company profile is raised, and new business avenues are opened up, including relevant conference attendance & networking, production/presentation of JM or joint technical papers and organization of JM technical seminars
• Defining the global and regional marketing and product strategy for the allocated markets including enhancing value proposition of the current offer, optimizing pricing for products and services, lifecycle management etc., in collaboration with industry and market colleagues, Commercial Directors, and Technology teams
• Securing strategic long term supply agreements in the region for a value of +25MM USD in sales value with NR of 60%
• Growing the business from 20 MM USD to approximately 60 MM USD of JM installations
• Securing contracts of 18 MM USD through commercial excellence initiatives and customer value proposition tools
• Initiated staff training programmes raising competence levels.

Purification Business- (Japan-South Korea)

Leading and driving the Gas Purification projects with EPC contractors in Japan and S.Korea for the business Globally. Managing the relationships, negotiations, and securing multimillion dollar projects for the business across all regions and in new geographies.

Responsibilities and achievements included:

• Identifying, Negotiating , and securing Multi million dollar EPC contracts for new build gas plants with EPCs in Japan and S.Korea for the business globally.
• Negotiation, developing enhanced value proposition, Closing out, execution of contracts and leasing with several key internal and external stakeholders. Build, maintain and develop healthy pipeline of projects and senior relationships with Global EPC players.
• Working on 12 different projects in EPC stage in the first year

Process Technologies- Middle East & Africa- Caspian

Managing the business sales and technical support in the region and accountable for delivering multi million £ annual revenue growth targets. Leading the delivery of the multi-year strategy and plan for the business in the region and revenue/margin targets each year, consistent and exceeding the plan.

Responsibilities and achievements included:

• Delivering commercial strategy for the business. Managing the complete sales process for new projects, existing and new customers while creating value for both JM and our customers. Customer Focus approach by enhancing our value proposition delivery to become their partner of choice.
• Negotiating, closing and executing multi million dollar contracts with various contractors and operators in the gas processing market.
• Building and maintaining effective relationships with customers and stakeholders by creating value and building transformational long-term partnerships.
• Service Excellence at plant and catalyst start-up for all forms of catalyst used in the customer plants to enable effective start up thus ensuring the customers satisfaction through life cycle.
• New Business generation, business development in new geographies and increasing market Share.
• Identifying new sales and customer collaboration opportunities while promoting customer value proposition
• Building up strong senior level customer relationships in the region. This included working with diversified entities ranging from end users, operators, contractors, and technology providers to secure profitable sales and new collaboration opportunities
• Assisting at plant and catalyst start-up for all forms of catalyst used in the customer plants to enable effective start up thus ensuring the customers' expectations of the catalysts are exceeding expectations
• Responsible for marketing and introducing new products in the region
• Doubling sales 2 years as part of delivering regional strategy developed
• Transforming the business in the region to less cyclic business by securing more than 1100 MT/10 MM of new projects sales in more frequent changeouts applications
• Beating the competition and gaining almost 40% of market share in selective applications in the region generating sales of 18 MM USD by strengthening our value proposition with NOCs and global operators

Leading sales and technical support in advanced material division for Dow Microbial Control in Middle East and Africa regions. The role covered several markets and 13 market applications like Oil and gas, energy storage, coatings, water treatment, home and personnel care, paints, animal biosecurity.

Responsibilities included:

• Developing and Executing strategy for the different market segments in the regions.
• Managing complete sales process for existing customers, projects, and new customers from quotes, tenders, negotiations, and contracts closing profitable deals for the business.
• Distribution network, product quality, customer support and marketing activities
• Putting, executing, and delivering business plans, strategies and projects with double digit market growth
• Initiating and innovative projects in the region with national and multinational organizations delivering 68% business growth in the first year in selective market applications
• Achieving strong relationships, partnerships, and a high level of penetration across different levels of strategic end users, operators, service companies and contractors in the region
• Continuous improvement in overall productivity, efficiency, market growth and upsides
• Achieving 68% business growth in oil and gas application sales and 45% increase in gross profit the first year in the region
• Building up the water treatment sector from zero to $13 MM in the region
• Dow Cross selling award by securing 17 MM contract for Dow oil and gas business
• Dow Selling Excellence by achieving record year sales in 2012
• Cross functional offer leader with Oil and Gas and Water treatment teams

• Managing sales and distribution network in MEA region
• Building strong customer base
• Putting business plans aligned with marketing and management agenda
• Driving market growth and leading projects in the region
• Leading roadshows, seminars, and events in the region
• Achieving 35% business growth in commercial and military sectors
• Lead several key road shows and exhibitions in the region
• Secured sales into new sectors such as oil and gas and aviation (3.5 MM)