Kamran Abbas, who has served as Chief Financial Officer of Dubai-based facilities management and real estate services firm International Real Estate Partners (IREP), has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, the company announced on May 18, 2026. Kenneth McCrae, co-founder and long-serving CEO, transitions to Executive Chairman. The succession reflects a planned leadership transition designed to strengthen the firm's operational platform as it scales internationally, with Peter Doran simultaneously assuming the newly created role of Group Chief Operating Officer.
McCrae, who co-founded IREP in 2013 with Kamran Abbas, said the succession followed a deliberate succession process. Abbas brings deep financial acumen and operational understanding to the role, having played a key role as CFO in strengthening IREP's financial position and supporting expansion across the Middle East, India, the United Kingdom, Europe and North America. McCrae remains closely involved as Executive Chairman, providing strategic guidance to the Board and senior leadership on long-term vision, governance and key client relationships. Peter Doran, the newly appointed Group Chief Operating Officer, will oversee day-to-day operational execution and ensure continuity for clients and teams.
Abbas began his career alongside McCrae more than two decades ago before they co-founded IREP. The CFO has spent his tenure at IREP improving operational execution and financial discipline across the firm's growing portfolio. McCrae, a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, previously worked as a Mechanical Engineer for the Royal Navy before moving into business management at Newmark in London. His background in marine engineering and multi-jurisdictional contract operations informed IREP's founding principles around governance-led delivery and operational excellence.
IREP operates across more than 50 countries spanning six continents, delivering integrated facilities management, property and asset operations services through its proprietary IREPort technology platform and ISO-aligned frameworks. The firm serves institutional investors, government entities, corporations and asset owners managing complex, multi-asset portfolios. The company combines FM, energy, ESG, compliance and technology services under a unified operating model. Current revenue sits at approximately 7.2 million dollars with a team of around 202 employees across regional hubs.
The succession is framed as a natural progression rather than a departure from strategy, with McCrae's continued involvement as Executive Chairman signalling stability rather than operational disruption. The appointment of Abbas signals an implicit acknowledgement that the firm's next growth phase requires someone with strong financial discipline and multi-region operational experience at the helm, while McCrae's shift to board-level strategic oversight reflects a common pattern among growth-stage professional services firms seeking to balance visionary leadership with execution focus. The explicit reinforcement of continuity, client relationships and international expansion suggests IREP's leadership expects intensifying competition in integrated facilities management and is positioning itself to consolidate market position across its key regional markets.
