Ahmass fakahany biography of michael

Egyptian-American food and beverage hospitality CEO

Ahmass Fakahany is an Egyptian-American businessman. He is the chief executive of the Altamarea Group, an American restaurant company he started in 2008 with Michael White. He had previously worked for Merrill Lynch for twenty-one years where he was ultimately made President and COO.

Early life and education

Ahmass Fakahany was born in Cairo, Egypt. He left Egypt at the age of four, growing up in Switzerland and England. He moved to the United States at age 17 for college. Fakahany received his Bachelor of Science from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University (Summa Cum Laude) in 1979. He received his MBA degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Business.

Career in finance

A Wall Street executive for twenty-one years,  Ahmass Fakahany worked for Merrill Lynch, holding the positions of COO Global Markets and Investment Banking, Chief Financial Officer, and then Vice-Chairman. Fakahany was ultimately President and Chief Operating Officer for the firm before he retired in 2007, overseeing 63,000 employees during his career.

Restaurant business

After retiring from Merrill Lynch, Fakahany founded the restaurant hospitality firm, Altamarea Group. In 2017 it was named as one of the fastest-growing companies in America by Inc. Magazine. The group now operates 20 restaurants worldwide, including a signature restaurant Marea in New York City. Marea Dubai was opened at the DIFC in 2019 and recently included in Michelin’s first guide for Dubai. The company also runs Ai Fiori and Osteria Morini in New York City and operates convivial, quality-casual Italian restaurant concepts, Nicoletta and Morini in Washington DC, Miami, New York, and New Jersey. Altamarea operates the Ristorante Morini brand in Istanbul and Riyadh. Internationally, Altamarea al

Editors’ Note

Ahmass Fakahany is a former President & Chief Operating Officer with Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., a firm at which he also held the following positions: Vice Chairman and Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer of Global Markets & Investment Banking, and Chief Financial Officer of the Asia Group. Prior to this, he held various assignments with Exxon Corporation. Fakahany received his M.B.A. from Columbia University and his B.S.B.A. from Boston University School of Management.

Company Brief

Brick by brick, Ahmass Fakahany and Chef Michael White are building the Altamarea Group (altamareagroup.com) with a shared vision to create restaurant brands that are distinct in concept but united in delivering unsurpassed quality and outstanding service. They strive everyday to uphold and further this vision with an unwavering attention to detail and a true devotion to pleasing guests.

What was your vision when you founded Altamarea Group?

I went to business school but the seed of my interest in hospitality was there since I was a teen.

I went to work for Merrill Lynch and when it was time to think about the next chapter of my life, I was close to doing something in finance again. But I have an entrepreneurial spirit and always loved the hospitality arena. I felt I could translate what I learned from the finance world into something I was passionate about. This was the genesis of it.

The more I got into investing and running pieces of it, the better it seemed to do.

What makes someone successful in the hospitality business?

First, you have to be concurrently passionate and paranoid – always assume something can go wrong. The margins in this business are so tight that it takes little to put you into difficulty.

You must also run it as a business and you have to plan well, so you need processes, metrics, and client dat

American chef

Michael White is the former Head Chef and Owner of the Altamarea Group, which is composed of the restaurants Marea, Ai Fiori, Vaucluse, Osteria Morini, Nicoletta, Costata, and The Butterfly in New York, Osteria Morini and Due Mari in New Jersey, and Al Molo in Hong Kong.Marea earned two Michelin stars (in 2019 it was downgraded to a single star) and is a member of the prestigious Relais and Chateaux. Ai Fiori has also earned a Michelin star.

In 2021, White left his positions with the Altamarea Group, after decamping permanently to his country home in the Hamptons during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Career

Michael White spent his childhood in Beloit, Wisconsin before enrolling in Kendall Culinary Institute in 1989. Following Kendall, he spent seven years training in Italy at Ristorante San Domenico in Imola, Italy under the culinary guidance of chef Valentino Marcattilii, while receiving additional training in Paris and the South of France.

In 2002, he became Executive Chef of Fiamma Osteria, which has since closed, but received several accolades including a Michelin star. In 2006, White published a cookbook entitled Fiamma: The Essence of Contemporary Italian Cooking.

In 2007, White partnered with Ahmass Fakahany to open Due Terre and later Due Mari in New Jersey, both of which also went on to receive awards. He then took control of L'Impero and Alto in Midtown Manhattan, the former of whi

Editors’ Note

Ahmass Fakahany is the former President and Chief Operating Officer at Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. He also previously held roles as Vice Chairman and Chief Administrative Officer; Chief Financial Officer; Chief Operating Officer, Global Markets & Investment Banking; Chief Financial Officer, Asia Group; and various assignments with Exxon Corporation. He received his M.B.A. from Columbia University Graduate School of Business and his B.S.B.A. from Boston University Questrom School of Business.

Company Brief

Altamarea Group (altamareagroup.com) is a world-renowned hospitality company with a global presence. Founded in 2009 by Ahmass Fakahany and chef/partner Michael White, the group currently owns and operates 17 restaurants worldwide in New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania and internationally in Hong Kong, Istanbul and, in 2019, in Dubai and Riyadh. Its restaurants and brands include Marea, Ai Fiori, Vaucluse (including Omar at Vaucluse,) Morini (Ristorante and Osteria,) Due Mari, Nicoletta (Counter and Italian Kitchen). Altamarea Group also operates two delivery operations in New York City: the Italian steakhouse Costata Delivered on Caviar and Pasta on Demand by Chef Michael White on UberEATS.

Will you discuss your vision in creating Altamarea Group and how the business has evolved?

The Altamarea Group was created with a vision developed through the lens of a client and we designed all we do around the client. We have global clients who are well-traveled with discerning taste. At every price point and each venue, we aim for a specialized client experience supported by high quality cuisine and a warm and convivial atmosphere. We create menus and dishes that fit various cultures and palates but that always emphasize the highest quality ingredients. We adjust to the local palate as often as needed to find balance. The business has g