We are thrilled to introduce the newest members of WAPPP’s leadership team, bringing a wealth of expertise and diverse experience to further strengthen our community!
Dr. Varun Goyal has assumed the role of Chair of WAPPP’s South Asia Chapter! Dr. Goyal is an economist with over 10 years of experience in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). His roles have included serving as a planner to define facility capacity, a researcher evaluating the impact of PPP projects, a policy developer creating PPP guidelines, and a trainer building government capacity in PPPs.
He has worked across diverse regions, including South Asia (India, Nepal and Bangladesh), Southeast Asia (Cambodia and Malaysia), Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan), Eastern Europe (Romania and North Macedonia), West Africa (Ghana), and the Middle East (Oman and Saudi Arabia).
Additionally, Dr. Goyal is a certified dentist with an MBA in Hospital Management. His primary focus within PPPs is in the social sector, particularly mainly healthcare. He has developed PPP course materials for The World Bank and conducted training for PPP practitioners in India.
Neil Dhot has joined as Co-Chair of the Water Chapter. Dhot has served as Executive Director at AquaFed, the global federation of private water operators, since 2017. Prior to joining AquaFed, he was Head of Corporate Affairs at Water UK and Secretary General of EurEau, the European Federation of Water Associations. Before entering the water sector in 2013, Dhot was Head of Public Affairs at the UK Financial Services Authority. He began his career as a journalist and later held senior public relations roles at local municipal authorities in the UK. He has an academic background in politics and law, along with a Masters of Business Administration.
Four outstanding professionals have joined WAPPP’s Social Sector PPP Chapter! Each brings a wealth of expertise and experience that will significantly enhance our work in advancing social sector PPPs globally.
Thiago Grego is a specialist in Public Concessions and Public-Private Partnerships. He holds an MBA from IESE University of Navarra, a Master’s in Strategic Management from Fundação Dom Cabral, a post-graduate degree in Farm Management, and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the João Pinheiro Foundation School of Government. His background blends public and private sector expertise, providing a comprehensive view of organizational dynamics.
With a strong track record in creative problem-solving and high-impact change management, Thiago is a results-oriented executive. He has demonstrated leadership in building high-performance teams and fostering innovation for positive impact. His experience includes negotiating with city councils, legislative assemblies, and unions, as well as developing and implementing public policies.
Andrew Thomas, originally from South Wales, UK, has over 44 years of experience in the construction industry. His career began with Balfour Beatty, where he worked on major building projects across the UK, USA, and the Caribbean. He later took on regional management roles, gaining valuable experience with PFI/PPP models in healthcare, education, and law projects.
In 2007, he moved to the Middle East, leading projects for CCC in Saudi and North Africa. He also worked as an Associate Director with MACE in Qatar and for the Leighton Group in Indonesia. For the past six years, Andrew has focused on PPP projects in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, including a role with AECOM as a PPP Lead Advisor. In 2022, he joined WSP to lead a new PPP division, which has achieved notable success, including being named IJGlobal Technical Advisor of the Year for the MENA region in 2023.
Arun Kumar is an investment and strategy professional with nearly two decades of experience in developing, financing, and executing high-impact projects in emerging markets. He holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. Currently, as a Principal Investment Officer at the African Development Bank Group, he manages social sector investments across Africa.
Arun’s expertise includes policy advisory, PPP models, risk assessment, innovative financing, project preparation facilities, co-financing, partnerships, and blended finance products. He also has a deep understanding of infrastructure financing at various stages and extensive experience in management consulting.
Gazmir Vehbi is a distinguished expert in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) with about 15 years of experience in public administration in Albania. As the former director of the PPP unit at the Ministry of Finance of Albania, he specialized in feasibility studies, fiscal risk analysis, and value-for-money assessments, guiding local and central government entities through complex PPP and public procurement projects.
A certified PPP expert by APMG, Gazmir’s experience spans every stage of the PPP process, from project inception to contract award and management, including collaboration with legal advisors and negotiations with preferred bidders. He has represented Albania at the European PPP Expertise Centre (EPEC) within the European Investment Bank (EIB) and contributed to international projects for the World Bank, UNECE, USAID-TetraTech, EBRD, and IFC. Lately, his focus on social sector PPPs in healthcare and education has led to significant advancements in school and medical service PPPs in Albania and the region.
We are excited to have these distinguished professionals join our leadership, and we look forward to their contributions as we continue advancing PPPs globally!
