Haroon Sheikh

Chair of Trustees

Haroon Sheikh is Chief Executive Officer of CareTech Holdings Limited. Haroon, a London University graduate, is one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs, philanthropists and community figureheads and one of the founders of CareTech. 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.

Haroon is innovating CareTech’s pathway approach with the expansion into tech solutions, such as the best in class Smartbox assistive technology and Purple, the thought leader at the forefront of changing the disability conversation.  Purple was recipient of the Global Health Pioneers Awards in Dubai in 2019

Haroon’s strong personal values are clear not just from CareTech’s purpose-led business approach but from his commitment to charitable causes.  As a role model to those in Muslim communities and beyond, demonstrating clearly his commitment to the UK and the importance of integration and welcoming of diversity, Haroon’s commitment to charity is clear.  Haroon was recently recognised in The Inspire List, an initiative to promote greater diversity amongst charity trustees.

Haroon is a Gold Patron of Mosaic, HRH The Prince of Wales’ Muslim-led mentoring programme. Haroon has also supported the Prince’s Trust Enterprise Fellowship, supporting 17 young people a year to set up their own business and supported over 1000 vulnerable refugees with clothing, hot meals and personal items in London, through both funding and volunteer support.

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

Haroon was winner of the highly-valued Coutts Family Business Prize, recognised for the quality and social integrity of the company he created, and CareTech has won a vast array of awards for its leading approach to social care.

Farouq Sheikh OBE

Trustee

Farouq Sheikh OBE is one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs, philanthropists and community figureheads.  His business interests encompass healthcare, private equity and property investment and development.

Farouq, with his brother Haroon, are best known as co-founders of CareTech Holdings, a leading national provider of specialist care services to adults and children with learning disabilities, physical disabilities or mental health problems in the UK and the middle east.  Founded as a single care home in 1993, Caretech has grown substantially, currently supporting around 5,000 adults and children with a wide range of complex needs in more than 550 schools, residential services, hospitals and day centres.  CareTech employs more than 11,000 staff in the UK and internationally and has an emerging presence in digital technologies.

After initiating the successful equity investment in CareTech, Farouq and Haroon oversaw the subsequent exits of 3i Group PLC (in 1996 and 2002) and Barclays Private Equity (in 2002 and 2005) and successfully listed on AIM in 2005.  Most recently, Farouq and his brother led a consortium to buy back CareTech in a deal valued at £1.1billion.

His other business interests include the Sheikh Holdings Group, which was created in 2011 to provide the next generation of the Sheikh family a platform for investments with a focus on real estate, private equity and other opportunities in healthcare, most recently Ruh Dental.

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 The Queen’s Birthday Honours 2020.

Along with his family, Farouq established the COSARAF Charitable Foundation.  The charity, supports vital projects throughout the world alleviating hunger and distress as well as advancing education for less privileged children in developing countries and championing community based projects in the UK and abroad.

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 is a passionate advocate for underprivileged communities in Pakistan, dedicating her life to supporting women’s rights and providing vocational training to empower individuals to lead fulfilling lives. With over 25 years of experience in charitable work, Rukhsana has been a beacon of hope for countless individuals and families in need.

In addition to her work as a community leader, Rukhsana has pursued a diverse career path, spanning from beauty therapy to medical administration to investment management. Her ability to adapt and thrive in a range of industries is a testament to her compassion, resilience and determination to make a positive impact in every aspect of her life.

As a founding member of Caretech Community Services Ltd. and a lead Board sponsor for the COSARAF Foundation’s grant to the Fahmida Manzil project, Rukhsana has demonstrated her commitment to philanthropy and her ability to drive meaningful change through collaboration. Her tireless efforts and unwavering dedication have earned her the respect and admiration of her colleagues, peers, and the wider community

Yusuf Sheikh

Trustee

Yusuf Sheikh joined Sheikh Holdings Group in 2014 on the Group’s real estate investment arm. He did his undergraduate degree in Business Management at Regents business school London.

Real estate investment was always his goal due to it being at the core of the families investment belief. Yusuf’s role is across the acquisition, due diligence and analysis steps of the Group’s latest real estate ventures in all three sectors; logistics, commercial and residential. As well as the management of current long term hold assets for SHG.

Yusuf Sheikh has also been instrumental and responsible for starting up investments into the global stock market on behalf of SHG during the Covid 19 pandemic. Post this SHG have now formed there inhouse investment committee with now new avenue of income for the Group as a whole.

Yusuf remains to invest strategically and take to the challenge of a very volatile market as well as taking a very proactive approach and view across the board.

Hamza Sheikh

Trustee

Hamza is an Associate at CareTech, 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.

Ali Sheikh

Trustee

Ali Sheikh joined the Sheikh Holdings Group back in 2017 and now holds the position of Director within the company. Ali holds a key role within SHG in the sale and acquisition of the group’s real estate ventures. These include office space, residential and logistics.

He is also the co-founder of 360 Investment Group, a company focused on opening UK property investment opportunities to local citizens in African countries such as Zimbabwe and South Africa. Ali has a special affinity with Africa, having spent his childhood attending the Heritage School in Harare, Zimbabwe. He also maintains strong links with Nairobi, Kenya, the land that was home to his grandparents.

Ali Sheikh graduated from London School of Economics with an honours degree in Business Management. He then attained a Masters in Real Estate Development at Henley Business School, the leading UK university for Real Estate.