About GLFinance

Mamad Kashani-Akhavan was born in 1963 into a successful entrepreneurial family in Iran.
His father was the pioneer of the first chain of department stores in the Middle East.

At 15, Mamad began studying in the UK. He furthered his education by studying Accountancy. In 1981, aged 18 and still a full time student, Mamad started a small real estate agency with just £100.

In 1984, he managed to sell a house in Knightsbridge - London, that had been on the market for two years. Mamad advertised the London property in the Middle East's leading newspapers and received a phenomenal response. Two months later, the house sold for a record £1 million.

These early successes gave Mamad the connections and confidence he needed to build a successful career in the property industry. Additionally Mamad enjoyed the challenge of getting involved in other industries. He developed and managed many hotels including a 40 storey tower in Dubai and a 240 room hotel in Central London.

During his time as CEO of HR Owen the whole group was successfully restructured. He introduced 5 new sites and started 6 new businesses. With Auto Aspiration launching soon, he is looking to assist dealers with selling more cars. He is also supporting businesses such as IDF an oil service company and a Middle Eastern bank with their expansion plans.

Mamad is also an accomplished writer. His unique style of open letter writing - based largely on his 39 years of experience in the property industry - has many followers. He has published his letters in the Times, Financial Times, Estates Gazette, Property Week, Central Government and Gulf News.