Kaveh Samie has spent the past 35 years building relationships with CEOs and major investors while managing regional activities in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as other geographies. He has recently acted as a senior advisor to Patient Square Capital while serving as executive chairman and head of MENA for Neuberger Berman, and on Monday he formally jumped ship to life sciences- and healthcare-focused private equity firm Patient Square, where he will be wearing several hats: Partner, chairman and CEO of MENA and head of International Fund Partnerships.
Before joining Neuberger Berman, Samie was the CEO and head of MENA and New Markets for KKR. He managed transactions and relationships with government entities and sovereign wealth funds during his nine years at the alternative investments giant, leading to substantial regional growth for the firm; during his stint at KKR, he also launched the first regulated office of a global private equity and alternatives firm in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Prior to KKR, Samie held MENA roles at HSBC, Salomon Smith Barney and Citigroup.
“I have known Kaveh for over a dozen years and worked directly with him for over 10,” said Patient Square Managing Partner Jim Momtazee. “Kaveh is an unmatched expert in the Middle East region. His knowledge, insights and relationships will be instrumental in allowing us to continue to raise capital to invest in companies improving patient lives.”
Momtazee, a KKR veteran who played a role in forming the firm’s healthcare industry group, launched Patient Square in August 2020. Patient Square is based in Menlo Park, California, and while the firm’s AUM is undisclosed, its portfolio currently boasts nine companies operating in sectors including biotechnology, medical devices, telehealth and behavioral health.
“Working with the team at Patient Square this past year as a senior advisor has been a rewarding experience, and it’s a team I’m honored to join full time,” said Samie. “I’m eager to play my part in expanding the horizon of what Patient Square can accomplish.”
