Fardad Zand
Co-founder & CEO at Wisdomise AI | ex-McKinsey, Google & Uber | MIT, TUDelft & SUT Alums | Deep-tech Serial Entrepreneur (4x exits) | Vivid Snowboarder & Padel Player
The move
MoveCareem → Wisdomise
TitleHead of Platform Strategy & Careem Incubator → Co-founder & CEO
LocationDubai → United Arab Emirates
Career arcRooted in UAE★
Cross-border moveNo — same country
Native languagePersian
Years in UAE19.8
Total experience15.5 years
Career arc
- Co-founder & CEODec 2021 — Present
Wisdomise· United Arab Emirates· Full-time
- Head of Platform Strategy & Careem IncubatorSep 2020 — Mar 2022
Careem· Dubai, United Arab Emirates· Full-time
- Head of Strategy & Customer Growth and CEO’s Chief of StaffMay 2020 — Mar 2022
- Senior Director of Strategy & CEO’s Chief of StaffOct 2019 — Mar 2022
- Senior Director StrategySep 2018 — Mar 2022
- Adjunct Professor & Head of the Platform Business Models GroupSep 2016 — Aug 2018SSharif University of Technology· Graduate School of Management and Economics & SEERIO
- PartnerSep 2016 — Aug 2018
Iratel Ventures· London, United Kingdom
- CEO & Managing PartnerAug 2016 — Mar 2019
Amin Advisor· Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Freelance Senior AdvisorFeb 2016 — Aug 2016
Arthur D. Little· Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Engagement ManagerNov 2014 — Feb 2016
McKinsey & Company· Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- ConsultantJan 2013 — Oct 2014
- Assistant Professor, Deputy Manager MSc Program Management of TechnologySep 2011 — Dec 2012TTU Delft (Delft University of Tehcnology)· Delft Area, Netherlands
- InternJul 2011 — Sep 2011
Google· New York, United States· Internship
- Visiting Postdoc ResearcherSep 2010 — Dec 2012
MIT Media Lab· MIT Center for Digital Business - Greater Boston Area
- —Present·
Education
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyPostdoc · Information Economics2010 — 2011
- Amirkabir University of Technology - Tehran PolytechnicBachelor of Science (BSc) - Cum Laude · Polymer/Plastics Engineering1997 — 2001
- Delft University of TechnologyDoctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Cum Laude · Information Economics and Innovation Management2007 — 2010
- Delft University of TechnologyMaster of Business Administration (MBA) - Cum Laude · Management of Technology2004 — 2006
- Sharif University of TechnologyBachelor of Science (BSc) - Cum Laude · Computer Science1999 — 2002
Languages
- Arabic · Limited working
- Persian · Native or bilingual
- Dutch · Limited working
- English · Full professional
Top skills
Survey DevelopmentData MiningExperimental DesignInformation EconomicsData AnalysisEntrepreneurship