BIOGRAPHY Basil Al- Salem is a dynamic international entrepreneur with a deep experience in the development process and operation of restaurants. Mr. Al- Salem possesses a unique skill set in restaurant creation and JV agreements, with a wide knowledge of restaurant concept development, from interior design and branding, to menu development. Mr. Al- Salem’sprofound financial background facilitates aknow- how for the financial engineering of restaurants. Basil Al- Salem has been aBoard Member at: the United Gulf Shipping & Rocks (since June 2013), and atthe Kuwait Board Member at Entrepreneurs’ Organization (since January 2013). In addition, he has been an Advisory Board Member to the College of Business Administration at American University of Kuwait since November 2012, and a Managing Director at Kuwait Food Concepts since 2008. Lastly, he has been theCEO at Gastronomica ME since January 2007. Mr. Al- Salem holds a BS degree in finance from Daniels College of Business, at the University of Denver, and an Executive Education Certificate from the John. F. Kennedy School of Government, at Harvard University. In addition, he has furthered his knowledge by completing the KIA Investment Training Program in 2001, the Thukhur Entrepreneurship Program from Cornell University’s ILR School in 2013, and the Strategies for Effective Negotiation, Persuasion and Decision Making program from Harvard University in 2014. Basil is fluent Arabic and English, and has elementary proficiency in Spanish and French. When he is not busy managing his five projects, his interests are: Cooking, Design, Travel, Art, Photography, Economics, Environment Preservation, Investments, History, Science, Movies, Hiking and Camping. KUWAIT FOOD CONCEPTS Kuwait Food Concepts Co. is a leading restaurant operator inoriginal upscale dining concepts. The company is based in Kuwait with operations currently in Kuwait, KSA, Oman, and UAE, with Qatar and Bahrain on the way. The Company currently as six unique popular dining concepts, created in-house from the ground up with an aim to be the leader of original dining concepts in the Middle East. The company’s brands are Slider Station, B+F Roadside Diner, B+F Open Flame Kitchen, B+F Burger Boutique, Skinny Cloud and Cocoa Room. Most of Kuwait Food Concept’s restaurants have become prestigious, award winning establishments. B+F Burger Boutique has won awards for the Best Burger, best brand in the Gulf, and best design. B+F Open Flame Kitchen won an award as best new retail concept in the Middle East and Africa, and Slider Station won an award for outstanding interior design in Oman. Mr. Al-Salem takes pride in this, and uses it as a motivation to continue delivering a unique dining experience that is “actually different.”
