A NEW CHAPTER IN LEADERSHIP

A New Chapter in Leadership

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Carlos Merino as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Head of our Dubai office.

Since joining ABL in 2018, Carlos has been one of the company’s longest-standing and most versatile team members. Over the past eight years, he has held senior roles across Investor Relations, the CEO’s Office, Marketing and Origination, contributing to many of the transactions, strategic partnerships, operational initiatives and international expansion efforts that have shaped ABL into the global platform it is today.

His appointment as COO reflects both the breadth of that experience and the increasingly important role he has played across the organisation. In his new position, Carlos will focus on strengthening ABL’s operational foundations, driving greater coordination across the group and helping institutionalise the business as it enters its next phase of growth. Based in Dubai, he will also play a key role in expanding ABL’s presence and relationships across the GCC.

Speaking on this appointment, Ali Ben Lmadani, CEO of ABL Corporation, said: “Carlos and I have worked together for a almost a decade, and I have seen first-hand his evolution as a leader and his commitment to ABL’s journey. His ability to connect strategy with execution, build relationships, and consistently challenge us to think differently has been invaluable. This appointment is a natural progression for Carlos and an important step for ABL as we continue to build a stronger, more integrated organisation. I have every confidence that he will bring the same energy, judgement and entrepreneurial spirit to this role.”

Reflecting on his new role, Carlos said: “I am incredibly grateful for the trust placed in me and excited to take on the role of COO. I joined ABL in 2018 at a very different stage of the company’s journey, and having the opportunity to grow alongside the business has been one of the defining experiences of my career. My focus now is on helping build the next stage of ABL: making the organisation stronger, more scalable and increasingly institutional while preserving the independence, entrepreneurial culture and values that brought us here. We have ambitious plans for the years ahead, and I look forward to working with our teams across the group, expanding our presence from Dubai and the wider GCC, and continuing to deliver for both our investors and airline partners. Most importantly, I am looking forward to continuing to learn. Every new responsibility at ABL has challenged me to grow, and I approach this role in exactly the same way.”

Congratulations, Carlos, on this well-deserved appointment and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for ABL.