CEO Insights Magazine

In today’s world, real estate and property-backed high yield investments is the best balanced form of investment but the people who want to invest do not have the access or time to select the best solutions. Here comes Redcliffe Partners, a ‘real assets’ consultant firm to help people with the correct investment strategies. Under the leadership of Tareq Samaha, Redcliffe Partners designed portfolio strategies based on economic fundamentals, analyst consensus, and responsible decision-making.

Tareq Samaha completed his graduation from London University and after that, he joined Lloyds Investment banking in 2006. He was working in the positions of originator and associate director which led him to spend the maximum of his time with the management team and the investors. Later, after leaving the Investment banking industry, he started moving towards a client-centric approach to investment advice. After working for some time, he along with his partner incorporated Redcliffe Partners and with his determination, he has brought various laurels for his company.

Tareq Samaha engages in an exclusive interaction with CEO Insights Asia Magazine.

How would you define Redcliffe Partners as an organization and its position in the market? What is the unique proposition that your organization offers to clients?

We are a firm of values, integrity, and transparency where we are viewed as a sanctuary of sound advice and detailed expertise. We shun the pomp and unnecessary complexity and become personal partners with our clients, dedicating our initial interactions with them to understanding their objectives, the pressures in their lives or institutions, and narrowing down exactly what they really hope of our services.

We act as guardians through a safety-first approach, as a partner through the entire journey, as confidantes, and as the source of successful investments free of any fine print, lockin periods, or fees solutions that abound but often only suit the interests of the larger corporate firms beholden to shareholders, high overheads, and limited to proprietary products. Our success in terms of the returns being generated for our clients also proves this culture can be achieved simultaneously with highly competitive profitability for our clients and partners.

What are the major factors you consider while suggesting your services and solutions to clients?

We always focus on our client’s true objectives, identifying what they really need or want, and finding it, then delivering those solutions successfully. The major factors are simply client objectives, the safety features of the solution, and not compromising the yield or returns to meet those objectives. We aim for the unicorns of low risk & high reward assets that do exist, if you are experienced, skilled, and honest enough to find and structure them.

Tell us about your leadership approach. What are the guidelines or methodologies you follow as a leader?

My leadership approach is organic and instinctive rather than consciously designed, I lead by example and maintain a passion and dedication that is infectious. I motivate by proving the team and their families are always my priority, and we never hide anything from each other. There is no hierarchy, and I am completely open to any of the team taking the reins, adjusting their roles, and developing themselves as they see fit within the confines of our culture of family, client attention, and excellence. I am a firm believer that people are best at what they love doing the most, and I say ‘go for it’.

Could you reflect on some of the toughest challenges you have encountered in your journey so far? How did you overcome them and what did you learn from them?

Finding talent is one of the toughest challenges I encountered and overcoming this challenge is a work in progress as we look for people who believe in our ethos and mission. Balancing clients' personal attention with growth is another challenge that I face. Brand awareness is the challenge we face in finding clients at the initial onboarding. We overcome this by relying on the client experience of RP leading to referrals and initial meetings where we prove that our partnership approach is sincere and deep.

What is the future destination you are heading towards?

We are working hard towards obtaining stringent regulatory status in the UAE and internationally. We need to formalize what our clients already know about our staunch and dedicated guardianship that differentiates us through our honesty and compliance standards. Regulatory body recognition will help us grow and help our clients’ sense of comfort. I believe we are setting an example that should be followed by our peers as they observe the strength and depth of our relationships with clients. If we influence the industry even slightly in this manner, then I will feel very proud and think of the incorporation of RP as a positive influence on a sector in which it is very tough to stand out .

Tareq Samaha, Managing Director, Redcliffe Partners

A visionary leader who is leading by example, Tareq Samaha has founded Redcliffe Partners to help clients in taking the right decisions for their investment strategies.

• Hobbies: Reading, Deep sea fishing, Music production

• Favorite Cuisine: Vietnamese

• Favorite Book: The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham

• Favorite Travel Destination: The Alps in the summer

• Awards & Recognition:

- Top Industry Newcomer – Global IFA Awards 2018

- Top Ten Wealth Advisory Company 2023 – Business Outlook Magazine