With over 35 years of senior leadership across global construction and cement markets, Mr. Heshmat brings deep operational, strategic, and investment expertise to A³&Co.’s advisory capacity. His career spans large-scale industrial development, multi-country operations, and M&A-driven growth, delivering consistent impact across emerging and mature markets.
A founding member of the Orascom Cement Group, Mr. Heshmat played a pivotal role in shaping the group’s international expansion strategy. He joined Orascom Construction Industries (OCI) in 1998 as Commercial Director and Executive Board Member, launching its first cement operations in Egypt and establishing what became the world’s 10th largest international cement trading business. Between 2002 and 2005, he led the development of cement operations in Algeria, Sudan, Pakistan, Iraq, Spain, and Turkey, setting the foundation for OCI’s multi-billion-dollar global footprint.
Following the acquisition of Orascom by Lafarge in 2008, Mr. Heshmat was appointed Regional President for the Middle East and Pakistan at Lafarge Group, later joining the global Cement Executive Committee and the Group’s Top 25 Leadership Team. He chaired the boards of 11 Lafarge entities and led operations with over $1.1 billion in annual turnover and investment portfolios exceeding $7 billion.
After the Lafarge–Holcim merger in 2015, Mr. Heshmat was tasked with integrating GCC operations, leading the transformation to a unified post-merger business model while managing regional growth and divestment activity.
Mr. Heshmat began his career in engineering and industrial marketing, working in the steel and marble sectors across Egypt and the Gulf. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from the University of Cairo, a Diploma in Financial Management from the American University in Cairo, and a Certificate in Business Management from IMD Business School (Lausanne).