Head of Investor Capital & Relations - Middle East (Dubai-Based)
Xsolla is a global commerce and financial technology company for the video game industry. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices and operations worldwide, Xsolla provides the tools, infrastructure and capital solutions that help developers and publishers fund, launch, distribute and monetize their games across every market and platform. The company serves thousands of game businesses globally, from independent studios to the largest publishers, and is expanding a dedicated capital markets and investment platform serving the interactive entertainment ecosystem.
The Capital Markets Group
The Capital Markets Group (CMG) sits within Xsolla's Global Strategic Initiatives function and operates as the firm's institutional capital platform. The group originates, structures and executes financing and investment solutions across games and interactive entertainment, and is building a franchise modeled on the leading independent capital markets and special situations advisory platforms.
The group operates multiple investment vehicles spanning debt financing and credit markets, alongside special situations and principal investment strategies serving the interactive entertainment ecosystem. These activities are supported by a proprietary market intelligence system, a global events and convening program, and a governed institutional relationship platform covering LPs, sovereign investors, family offices, banks and intermediaries across the Americas, MENA, APAC and Europe.
CMG operates from hubs in Los Angeles, New York, the Middle East and Singapore. The group is in its foundation stage: hires at every level join a live deal environment with executive sponsorship, meaningful ownership and the mandate to build a durable franchise rather than inherit one.
For more information, visit xsolla.com.
Xsolla is seeking a Head of Investor Capital and Relations to be the firm's senior presence in the Gulf and own its most strategically important capital relationships: the region's sovereign wealth funds, government related entities and principal family offices. The GCC is executing one of the most ambitious government backed investment programs in the history of the games industry, and this seat exists to convert that alignment into anchor limited partner relationships, co-investment partnerships and strategic financings for the firm's investment vehicles and transaction pipeline.
The corporate title for this seat is Executive Director, with a defined path to Managing Director tied to franchise milestones. The seat will have one direct report initially, a Regional Relationship Manager, to be hired following office establishment.
The Head of Investor Capital and Relations, Middle East will be based in Dubai (DIFC) or Abu Dhabi (ADGM), with the hub determination in progress and open to the successful candidate's input, and will report to the Senior Vice President of Global Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships. The role requires travel of 50 percent or more across the GCC and wider MENA, with periodic travel to Los Angeles and New York. This is a full time position; the regional package will be structured with local counsel.
Expressions of Interest
Xsolla welcomes confidential conversations with qualified candidates and trusted introductions. Please direct expressions of interest, together with a resume and a short note on relevant experience, to the Xsolla Talent Acquisition team via the application button linked below.
As Head of Investor Capital and Relations, Middle East, you will operate independently in region with a global reporting line and executive sponsorship, and with the mandate to build the firm's Middle East franchise from first principles: the coverage map, the institutional relationships, the office and, ultimately, the regional team.
This is a builder's role. You will own senior coverage of the region's sovereign wealth funds, government related entities and family offices, lead the office establishment and hub determination between DIFC and ADGM, and coordinate closely with counsel and the firm's government relations workstreams as you build a durable Gulf franchise.
Sovereign and Institutional Coverage
- Own sovereign coverage. Own senior coverage of the region's sovereign wealth funds and government related entities, including their gaming, technology and entertainment investment vehicles, with documented access paths and personal ownership of the firm's most senior regional relationships.
- Build family office coverage. Build and maintain coverage of the GCC's principal single and multi family offices, regional institutional investors and banks, with complete, current records in the firm's relationship platform.
- Map the counterparties. Map the decision making architecture of each priority institution, including investment committee cadence, mandate criteria, co-investment appetite and approval chains, and maintain that intelligence as a living asset.
- Lead regional fundraising. Lead regional pre-marketing and fundraising processes for the firm's investment vehicles within applicable private placement and promotion regimes, coordinating with counsel on the marketing approach for each jurisdiction.
- Originate co-investment dialogues. Originate and manage sovereign co-investment dialogues alongside fund principals, and support strategic and government aligned financing conversations through to execution.
- Own diligence processes. Manage institutional diligence processes end to end, including DDQ coordination, data room support, operational due diligence visits and reference management.
- Advise on the hub decision. Advise the hub determination between DIFC and ADGM, and lead the establishment of the regional office with Legal and Finance, including regulatory positioning of the firm's regional activities.
- Build the region's presence. Build the firm's presence across the region's priority investment forums and convening platforms, and run a regional events calendar that converts presence into qualified pipeline.
- Coordinate with government relations. Coordinate deliberately with the firm's government relations and sovereign engagement workstreams so that capital coverage and institutional diplomacy reinforce one another.
- Build the regional team. Recruit and develop the regional Relationship Manager and subsequent hires; establish coverage and CRM standards for the region.
- Ensure regulatory compliance. Ensure all regional marketing and promotion activity complies with applicable regimes, including DIFC and ADGM promotion rules and the private placement frameworks of each GCC jurisdiction, in coordination with counsel.
- Maintain counterparty awareness. Maintain rigorous counterparty awareness, including KYC, AML and sanctions screening coordination with the firm's compliance processes, and escalate reputational risk considerations early.
Capital Formation and Transactions
Franchise and Regional Platform
Risk and Controls
Experience
- 10 or more years covering MENA institutional capital from an investment bank, sovereign investor, placement agent, asset manager or family office platform, including at least 5 years in a senior client facing capacity.
- Demonstrable senior relationships inside GCC sovereign institutions and principal family offices, with a referenceable record of capital raised, commitments secured or strategic partnerships executed in the region.
- Existing relationships across the region's sovereign gaming, esports and digital entertainment programs and their investment arms are a strong advantage, as is a cumulative placement or capital formation record in the region of USD 500 million or more.
- Working knowledge of the regional regulatory landscape relevant to fund marketing and promotion, including the DIFC and ADGM frameworks and private placement practice across the GCC.
- Experience marketing alternative strategies such as credit, special situations or private equity to sovereign and family office investors, including familiarity with Shariah aware structuring considerations, is preferred.
- Experience establishing or operating a regulated or exempt presence in the DIFC or ADGM is preferred.
- Deep cultural fluency and protocol judgment in sovereign, government and family office settings, and the discretion those relationships demand.
- Proven ability to operate independently in region on a global platform, with disciplined reporting, pipeline management and follow through.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English; Arabic language fluency is preferred.
- A high degree of ethics and integrity, with a clean regulatory and disciplinary history.
- A bachelor's degree is required.
- A CFA or CAIA charter, or equivalent, is preferred.
