Iqbal’s more than 25 years of experience in real estate development and hospitality has armed him with the ability to apply his in-depth expertise across disciplines. This, together with his passion for innovation has seen businesses grow under his leadership. He also possesses strong management experience having held several senior positions at board and C-suite levels.

Iqbal is currently combining his years in hospitality and travel and has founded a web and mobile platform, BlackBook, which aims to substantially upgrade the traveller experience.

He was also involved in building a hospitality business in China and currently chairs a real estate development business in India.

Prior to this, Iqbal lead and restructured pan Asian hospitality businesses, most recently providing the strategy needed to drive the growth of SilverNeedle® Hospitality, an innovative and progressive integrated hospitality investment, management and development company, to becoming a leading hospitality organization in the Asia-Pacific region. During his tenure, he built a strong management team, rationalized the brands and created management processes for the group. He also launched its flagship NEXT Hotels® brand and instilled a strong working culture in the company.

As the Executive Vice President and Group Chief Financial Officer at the East Asiatic Group of Companies, a Danish-listed corporation with operations primarily in Asia, Iqbal was voted Best CFO in Denmark in 2005 by analysts and investors.

Previously, Iqbal held various roles at Scotts Holdings Limited (now known as The Ascott Limited) culminating as Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. He played a key role in expanding the company from a one-country operation to seven and was responsible for listing the company on the Stock Exchange of Singapore in 1991.

He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the United Kingdom and two graduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States - an M.S. in Ocean Systems Management and an M.S. in Management from the Sloan School of Management.

Iqbal has served on the boards of listed and unlisted companies in the United Kingdom, India, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. He was a member of the founding Board of Governors, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore and has served as an Independent Director and Board Committee member on external boards.

Iqbal takes a keen interest in travel and polo and is a former president of the Singapore Polo Club. He has represented Singapore several times in polo and previously in show jumping.