Media Release

Dubai, Jul 4: Kanara Entrepreneurs (KE) Dubai hosted an insightful members’ event on Saturday, June 27, at TIME Oak Hotel & Suites, Tecom, Dubai, bringing together entrepreneurs, professionals and community members for an evening focused on investment awareness, portfolio discipline and long-term wealth creation.

The highlight of the evening was an executive masterclass on ‘Investment Opportunities & Portfolio Management in a Turbulent World’, led by Gautam Saldanha, executive director at CIMD Dubai. The session offered practical perspectives on navigating today’s fast-changing investment landscape, including market volatility, diversification, artificial intelligence-led opportunities, alternative investments and goal-based wealth creation.

Key takeaways from the session:

• Global markets are evolving due to interest rate changes, geopolitical shifts, AI, and expanding investment opportunities.
• Stay flexible—market leaders change over time, so take profits, cut losses early, and avoid emotional investing.
• Look beyond US markets for opportunities in Europe, Asia, and emerging markets.
• The next phase of AI investing is focused on infrastructure, including power, data centers, memory, and connectivity.
• Diversify portfolios by combining public markets with private equity, private credit, infrastructure, and sufficient liquidity.
• Long-term success comes from disciplined investing, staying invested through market volatility, and avoiding market timing.
• Build portfolios around personal financial goals—wealth is a tool to achieve life objectives, not the objective itself.

The session resonated strongly with members seeking to sharpen their financial decision-making, build resilient portfolios and approach wealth creation with greater clarity and discipline.

Gautam Saldanha has over 19 years of experience in financial services, wealth management and investment advisory. He has helped high-net-worth individuals navigate complex financial decisions through customized investment strategies, portfolio management, alternative investments and structured financial solutions.

He currently serves as executive director at CIMD Dubai, part of the CIMD Group, a leading European financial services firm established in 1984, managing over €6 billion in assets with operations across 50+ countries.

Prior to CIMD, he held senior leadership positions at Three Comma Capital Advisors, L&T Finance – Wealth Management, RAKBANK, and HDFC Bank. Renowned for his strategic market insights, Gautam empowers investors to navigate changing market conditions and capitalize on long-term investment opportunities.

The evening began with an inspiring introduction to KE’s mission and guiding principles, delivered to an engaged audience.

Dorothy Fernandes, president of KE Dubai, warmly welcomed members and encouraged them to embrace curiosity, collaborate, and tap into the wealth of experience within the KE community to drive both personal and professional growth.

Seven new members were formally inducted into KE Dubai during the event. The induction ceremony was led by James Mendonca, director of membership, who administered the oath of office and presented membership certificates, marking the beginning of their journey within the organisation. The guest speaker was felicitated with a memento by Ivan Fernandes, chairman – KE Global.

The evening concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks delivered by Chantelle Madeira, who expressed gratitude to all participants for their enthusiastic engagement. The programme was seamlessly hosted by Maureen Lillian Ephraim, an active KE Dubai member, whose efforts contributed significantly to the event’s success.

The evening reinforced KE Dubai’s continued commitment to creating a platform where members can learn, connect, collaborate and grow — both as entrepreneurs and as professionals.

Kanara Entrepreneurs (KE) is a non-profit, mutual benefit organisation founded by individuals from the Kanara region. For over two decades, KE has been dedicated to encouraging, supporting and nurturing entrepreneurship within the community, with active chapters and networks in Dubai, Bangalore and Goa.