Office of the Vice President

Kevin Cullen
Vice President for Innovation

Catherine Montiano
Executive Secretary
Dr. Kevin Cullen was appointed as Vice President for Innovation at KAUST in 2018. Kevin is a leader in global innovation with expertise in both economic development and industrial engagement. As Vice President of KAUST Innovation, he leads the University’s intellectual property portfolio, help create and support new businesses, joint ventures, and collaborations with industry partners, and continue to foster a strong culture of entrepreneurship in the Kingdom.
Dr. Cullen has over 20 years of experience in academic innovation and business development. Throughout his career he has helped elevate university-based innovation enterprises that have led to the launch of more than 250 startup companies as well as numerous products and services.
Prior to joining KAUST, Kevin spent six years as CEO of Innovations at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia. He helped transform UNSW from a traditional commercialization unit into an innovation hub by supporting a broad range of university priorities including economic development and social impact.
Commercial & Legal

Francesco Fotea
Commercial Director
Operations & Strategy

Noor Fianti
Head, Operations & Strategic Initiatives
Marketing & Outreach

Aurelie Arsouze
Marketing Manager Innovation

Sara Brady
Senior Graphic Designer

Malak Sabahi
Senior Creative Designer

Lama Kattan
Graphic Designer

Amirah Alqahtani
Digital Marketing Specialist

Wanyi Li
Marketing Assistant

Elise O’Connor
Content Marketing Lead

Dina Al-Qawasmeh
Marketing Project Specialist
Business & Finance

Hadeel Al-Sulaimany
Business & Finance Manager

Hattan M. Ahmed
Business Analyst
KAUST Research & Technology Park

Nawaf Al Gain
KAUST Research & Technology Park Manager

Reem Philby
KAUST Research & Technology Park Account Officer

Norani Nordin
KAUST Research & Technology Park Account Officer

Zyad Kamakhi
KAUST Research & Technology Park Operations Specialist

Enass Dahman
Administrative Assistant

Ahmad Bohliqa
KAUST Research & Technology Park Operations Officer

Salem Alyafie
Innovation Partnership Manager

Abdulrahman Khogeer
Startup Services Center Coordinator
SME innovation services

Sami Sarhan
Head, SME Innovation Services

Omar Kutbi
SME Engagement Manager

Osama Madkhali
SME Program Coordinator

Arwa Hammad
KICP Coordinator
Strategic Innovation Partnerships Office

Sami Sarhan
Acting Head of Innovation Partnerships
Contact us about
- Joining our industry collaboration program
- Hiring KAUST graduates and students
- Conducting corporate R&D at KAUST
- Establishing physical presence at the KRTP

Amjad Ashri
Innovation Partnerships Manager

Maaz Khawaji
Innovation Partnerships Specialist

Belal Fayad
Innovation Partnership Manager

Maha Aljahdali
KICP Officer

Manal Alotaibi
Innovation Partnerships Coordinator
Entrepreneurship Center

Hattan Ahmed
Entrepreneurship Director
Contact us about
- Corporate innovation programs
- Business plan development
- Accelerators and mentorship

Jerry Faldas
Team Admin

Nisha S. Mani
Operations Specialist
Startup Accelerator

Abdulrahman Al Jiffry
Startup Accelerator Manager

Arwa Shafi
Startup Accelerator Lead

Maryam Barradh
Startup Associate

Mohamad B. Alwan
Financial Startup Analyst

Omar Khasawneh
Startup Incubation Lead

Rahaf Alrashidi
Startup Data Analyst

Aseel Banjar
Program Associate
MOOCs ONLINE LEARNING

Haitham R. Alhumsi
Online Learning Manager

Ali M. Siddiqui
Business Systems Specialist

Dawood K. Mohanna
Digital Experience Specialist

Hibah Y. Atiah
Innovation Associate

Bashayer Hindi
Learning Systems Analyst

Jeffery M. Ahmed
Ideation Programs Lead

Alhasan H. Naita
Events & Logistics Coordinator
TEACHING

Lama Hakem
Educational Programs Lead

Bülent Erbilgin
Visiting Professor

Wesley D. Sine
Visiting Faculty

Kenneth C. Singer
Visiting Faculty

Lamaa Ghryani
Events & Logistics Associate
Innovation Ventures

Gary Rubin
Head, KAUST Innovation Ventures

Francois Pichot
Investment Manager

Enaam Tamboosi
Portfolio Coordination Analyst

Nadine Mojadidi
Financial Analyst

Asim Danish
Business Advisory Manager

Ehab Abbas
Business Planning Advisor

Maryam Mohammed
Admin Assistant

Malak Alotaibi
Financial Analyst
Technology Commercialization

Sean Flanigan
Director of Technology Transfer
Contact us about
- Licensing KAUST technology
- Reporting an invention
Technology Discovery

Kok Yong
Head, Technology Portfolio

Hind Al-Johani
Technology Portfolio Manager

Saida Djebili
Technology Portfolio Manager

Haifa Al Mayman
IP & Contracts Coordinator

Bandeh Ali Talpur
IP, Patent & Contracts Manager
Technology Development

Jeffrey Bissette
Acting Head, Technology Development

Suzanne Wolhuter
Technology Development Specialist

Warren Duffy
Technology Development Specialist

Salahud Din
Technology Development Specialist
Technology Deployment

Riddhi Shukla
Head, Technology Deployment

Hadi Zulfiqar
Technology Deployment Specialist

Nisreen Mostareeh
Technology Deployment Specialist

Hiromi Habuchi
IP Deployment Coordinator