Haroon Sheikh

Chairman

Haroon Sheikh is Chief Executive Officer of Caretech plc. Haroon, a London University graduate, is one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs, philanthropists and community figureheads and one of the founders of CareTech plc. Haroon brings commercial acumen, related industry experience and property knowledge which has been essential in the growth of the business. As Chief Executive Officer, he is actively involved in the day-to-day running of the business and over time has been instrumental in nurturing and supporting the senior management team, bringing together disciplines in care, commerce and property. He has a deep commitment and passion to delivering high-quality care and support to people with a learning disability.

In 2008, Haroon and his brother Farouq were winners of the highly valued Coutts Family Business Prize and widely applauded for the quality and social integrity of the company they created.

Haroon is Patron and Enterprise Fellow of the Prince’s Trust and is also Vice Chair of the UK Advisory Council of the British Asian Trust under the patronage of HRH The Prince of Wales.

Farouq Sheikh OBE

Executive Chairman

Farouq Sheikh is Executive Chairman of CareTech plc. Farouq has been a key architect in CareTech’s growth, having been co-founder of the Group and involved in the vision and strategy from the outset in 1993. With a background in law and a good understanding of finance and commerce, Farouq has been instrumental in securing debt and equity funding for the Group as well as leading the management team in winning a number of long-term contracts from local and health authorities.

Farouq is a leading business entrepreneur, philanthropist and investor within the UK. Farouq has initiated and overseen the successful equity investments and the subsequent exits for 3i Group PLC (in 1996 and 2002) and Barclays Private Equity (in 2002 and 2005). His intimate knowledge of the marketplace, and his commercial and negotiating expertise assisted in the Group’s growth. Under his stewardship, CareTech’s earnings per share has grown significantly from 4.1p in 2005 to 36.17p in 2016.

Farouq has been presented with a number of Entrepreneur of the Year awards by prestigious organisations including Laing and Buisson, Coutts Bank and Ernst & Young. He also presents widely at healthcare conferences, raising awareness of the learning disability sector.

As Patron and Enterprise Fellow of the prestigious Prince’s Trust and as a member of the Mosaic National Advisory Board, Farouq supports young people by passing on his experience and expertise to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Farouq received an OBE for services to specialist care in HM The Queen’s Birthday Honours 2020.

Akbar Sheikh

Treasurer

Akbar is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and principal within the Sheikh Holdings Group. He has over seven years of experience working in the Real Estate division, leading a team of professionals responsible for the strategic development and asset management of a diversified property portfolio. Akbar has been instrumental in delivering over £120m worth of investment and development projects across multiple sectors including Residential, Commercial and Industrial-logistics. He was recognised by Ernst & Young as the Next Generation Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014 at their global awards in Monaco.

Prior to joining the Sheikh family office, Akbar worked for KPMG within their advisory business, specifically for the Corporate Finance and Transactions Services teams. Akbar completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Warwick, studying Engineering Business Management, and then completed further studies in Entrepreneurship at the Wharton Business School and the China Europe International Business School. Akbar is currently studying for a Master’s degree in Real Estate at Downing College, University of Cambridge.

Akbar takes a keen interest in philanthropic activities and works with many charities to deliver high-impact projects that have long-lasting social and economic benefits for communities, both in the UK and abroad. Akbar holds various positions within a number of charitable organisations, most notably as Enterprise Fellow for The Prince’s Trust .

Saba Sheikh

Trustee

Saba Sheikh is the Founder and Director of an Islamic School.  She is also a charity co-ordinator and has supported several charity events with, to name but a few, Charity Right – International Food Programme, the National Zakat Foundation, the Ummah Welfare Trust and the Human Relief Foundation.

Saba has been married for 32 years and is mother to 5 children.

Seema Sheikh

Trustee

With a background in Psychology and education Seema spent her early years helping to manage the family retail business based in Bournemouth. Duties included financial management, purchasing and customer relationships.

Getting married at the age of 21 she became a homemaker dedicating her time to running the family home whilst raising 6 wonderful children. This included a brief time spent in Zimbabwe where the family still maintain a home. During the school years Seema actively participated in all aspects of school life whilst supporting the numerous activities of the children. She also developed deep rooted links within the communities which she has been able to devote more time to as the children have grown up.

She has a passion to help those less fortunate and prefers to be hands on and has been instrumental in helping the homeless and asylum refugees through support groups that she has founded. She currently is also involved in promoting the true teachings of the Islamic faith through organising well respected speakers to give interactive lectures and talks.

She is a founding trustee of the Cosaraf Foundation helping to deliver its aims and objectives focussing on some of the areas that she has worked in. Helping disadvantaged and abused women and feeding the needy is a particular area she would like to do more in.

She is very widely travelled and in her spare time loves visiting and exploring new countries and cultures, going to the theatre and eating out. With her husband, Farouq and family she has developed a passion for football and is often seen at the Bridge cheering on the Blues! She loves to make modest fashion more interesting pushing boundaries to create her own style of simple but elegant outfits.

Naureen Sheikh

Trustee

Naureen Sheikh is a wife, mother, grandmother and a retired teacher.  She completed her schooling in London and received her B Ed in Social Biology from the London University in 1983. She is married and has three children. She currently resides in London after spending several memorable years living and travelling between Harare, Cape Town and London. As well as being a dedicated housewife, Naureen has been involved in many community projects and business enterprises.

Rukhsana Sheikh

Trustee

Rukhsana Sheikh carries out considerable charitable work with the underprivileged in Pakistan.  Over the last 25 years she has counselled and advised women on their rights and funded vocational training.  She is a lead Board sponsor for the COSARAF Foundation’s grant to the Fahmida Manzil project.  Rukhsana has had a varied career with roles including Beauty Therapist, Medical Secretary and as an Investor in the Accounts Department of Caretech Community Services Ltd.

Yusuf Sheikh

Trustee

Yusuf Sheikh joined Sheikh Holdings Group in 2014 as an Associate in Locksbridge Developments, the Group’s real estate investment management arm.

Yusuf was involved in the acquisition, due diligence and analysis steps of the Group’s latest real estate ventures.

Yousuf currently manages the central London projects, where he also overviews the renovations and developments of the current assets.

Yusuf graduated with a degree in Business and Management from Regent’s University London.

Hamza Sheikh

Trustee

Hamza is an Associate at CareTech plc, an AIM-listed provider of social care for children and adults. His recent responsibilities include assisting in the company’s largest M&A deal to date of Cambian Group Plc. Hamza is involved on the post-merger integration of these two businesses.

As part of his wider remit, Hamza is also head of the digital oversight committee within CareTech, leading on the strategy and investments in disruptive technologies that can impact the group and the wider care sector.

Prior to joining CareTech, Hamza worked within the investments team at Fajr Capital, a Dubai-based private equity investor, where he helped manage a portfolio of companies across a range of sectors including education and retail.

Hamza holds a BSc in Management Sciences from The London School of Economics and Political Science. He is also a member of the Ernst and Young NextGen Academy, and has attended programmes at institutes such as the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and Stanford University.

Hamza is an Associate Director at the COSARAF Charitable Foundation and has a particular interest in causes that tackle social exclusion and mental health.