It’s who you know – and how you create value

“So that’s when it hit me,” Hawasli recalls. “He’s a good friend of mine now and he was just like, ‘you could be doing this yourself, I mean why aren’t you?’”

In 2015, Hawasli took the plunge and teamed up with his then Evans Randall colleague David Bell to found the London-based asset management company Darin Partners. The firm helps to facilitate the entry of ultra-high-net-worth Middle Eastern investors into the UK property market.

“After spending several years together at Evans Randall, we grew to realize that if we joined forces, we could really bridge the gap between the orient and occident, or UK and the GCC - Saudi Arabia mainly – in terms of providing a first class service in the UK (and) having investors in Saudi invest in the UK as first class citizens,” Hawasli says

A senior business contact used to tell him that, when discussing relationships and investments, nine tenths of reality was perception.

“While I believe there is truth to that statement, I wanted Darin Partners to focus on the other one tenth,” Hawasli says.

“I moved to create Darin Partners and David came in as the CEO and equal shareholder, and we then brought in selective shareholders that I trust and that bring a lot of value.”

The willingness to facilitate and enable others do what they do best has allowed him to gain the trust of high profile individuals such as His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

A member of the Saudi royal family, Al Saud is co-owner of Sheffield United Football Club. Hawasli acted as the club’s director for two and a half years until September 2018, when he became director of UTB LLC, the holding company of HRH that owns 50% of the club amongst other investments.

Hawasli has also tapped into his Harvard Business School network to bring added expertise to Sheffield United. The club is now working with the University’s Laboratory for Innovation Science to harness the power of data and statistics to improve its game.

“I have learned much from HRH Prince Abdullah and my time as a Sheffield United Football Director. It’s just like any other business except that the emotional element is cranked up a thousand decibels compared to other businesses. I mean, football is a religion to many and I am a Blade to my core. Up The Blades!”

Understanding and managing the emotions of various stakeholders requires emotional intelligence. It is a skill Hawasli has spent years developing. While many may think of it as easy to master, he says the reality is that it takes both patience, and the ability to adapt and grow layers of thick skin.

“Most of us have emotional intelligence but being able harness that gift and use it in a disciplined and focused, well-mannered manner - that’s difficult and it takes time and failures; I’ve failed a lot and then through failures, eventually you start to succeed.”

“In my line of work, where I focus on relationships and connecting the dots, you have to convince brilliant and wealthy people to join you, and these people have many other options other than you. You have to give them a good reason to believe in you.”

“LBS helped develop who I am, what I am about, and why I do the things that I do. Basically, what drives me, what are my core competencies and strengths, and ultimately, where do I want to go with what I have gained?”

Having a strong sense of self and strong relationships at LBS with the likes of Dr. Florin Vasvari and Dr. Christopher Hennessy has certainly helped keep his mind sharp.

If his time at the School taught Hawasli about his strengths, then in Bell he has found a business partner that complements them. “There’s a saying that my dear friend Shahid Khan would often tell me, ‘One and one isn’t two, one and one is eleven,’ right? If you really have a partner, you guys are as strong as a team of eleven,” he says.

But while Hawasli describes the friendships he enjoys through his professional business dealings as “genuine,” he also emphasizes that, with some minor exceptions, they remain just that – professional.

“There have been times in the past where people, who I thought were ethical, have frankly disappointed me and disappointed, more importantly, my friends and investors who believed in them and put a lot of money with them.”

He recalls a lesson his father taught to him at a young age.

“Life is a series of problems; through the practice of discipline, delaying gratification, and dedication to truth above all else, you will have the keys to navigate through those problems and, ultimately, life as best as one can."

“I’ve come to the conclusion that I want to partner with people where I know what their moral fibre is, who their families are. Do they believe in long term? Do they really believe in adding value to humanity in some way, form, shape? Or are they strictly driven by money?”

Hawasli refers to others’ money as a “Amanah” – an Arabic word that refers to a deep, obligatory trust.

“It’s difficult capture the depth, essence, or scope of its meaning in the English language, but it’s a word that is embedded in me and others, who understand the weight it carries and the values needed to keep true to it,” he says.

“No one’s perfect, I’m certainly not, and I’ve seen a lot of really quality, good people commit greed based actions. Karma usually comes back to carry its toll on us all. Again, it is a Amanah.

“You just don’t screw with people’s money.”