Isabel Afonso is the Chief Executive Officer of Arcera. Prior to this role, Isabel was the Head of In-Market Brands and Business Innovation for Novartis International based in Basel, Switzerland.
Before moving to HQ, she was the General Manager in China for Novartis Oncology, a major focus market for Novartis. Until the beginning of 2021, Isabel served as the Chief Commercial Officer at Performance Health, a private equity owned company.
Between 2002 and 2018, she held multiple business and functional leadership roles in Novartis.
Isabel holds a degree in Computer Science Engineering from Minho University, Portugal. She has also completed a General Management Program at INSEAD, as well as executive education programs at IMD Business School in Switzerland, Wharton, and Harvard Business School in the USA. Her most recent certification was obtained at Stanford Medical School in the USA, specializing in genetics and genomics, including cancer biology.
Sunil Bhilotra is the Chief Investment Officer at Arcera. Prior to this role, Sunil was an Executive Director in the Healthcare and Life Sciences team at ADQ focused on building the Life Sciences vertical.
Before moving to ADQ, Sunil spent 10 years as a private equity executive at Investcorp and 10 years in M&A, leverage finance and sponsor coverage at Credit Suisse and Barclays Capital in Europe.
Sunil holds an MBA from London Business School and Bachelor of Commerce and Real Estate from McGill University. He is also a Certified Canadian Chartered Accountant.
Ana Ruibal is the Chief Value Creation Officer at Arcera. Prior to this role, Ana was the Chief Corporate Development Officer at SPIMACO, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Before moving to the Middle East, Ana was Business Unit Head at AstraZeneca in Spain. She has also worked at Novartis in senior leadership functional roles in Finance, Strategy, Commercial, Risk and Audit. She started her career in Lifesciences at Schering Plough in France and served several years at Andersen, specializing in Finance and Audit.
A native Spanish speaker, Ana is also fluent in English and French. She has worked and lived in 5 continents across USA, Europe, Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Ana holds an MBA from INSEAD, France. She is also a Certified Chartered Account and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Belgrano in Argentina. She has completed several executive education programs at Harvard Business School and Caledonian University.
Ingrid Eberle is the Chief Compliance and Sustainability Officer at Arcera. Prior to this role, Ingrid was the head of the Compliance and Sustainability function at Acino, one of the Arcera businesses headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland with operations spanning 4 regions.
Ingrid has spent the last 10 years in in-house legal and compliance roles at various life science companies in Switzerland. Prior to this, she worked at several international law firms in the U.S. and Switzerland, in the areas of M&A, corporate finance, corporate governance and litigation.
Ingrid is a U.S. attorney licensed in New York and California. She obtained her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Ingrid more recently completed professional certificates in healthcare compliance and business sustainability management from Sciences Po and the University of Cambridge, respectively.
Amin Ben Lakhal is the Chief Legal Officer of Arcera since October 2024. Prior to this role, Amin was the Assistant General Counsel – International at AstraZeneca and has previously worked in various regional roles with AstraZeneca, Baxter and Hewlett-Packard.
Amin is a member to the New York and Tunisian bars and he holds two Master's degrees from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and the Faculte des Sciences Juridiques Politiques et Sociales de Tunis.
Amin speaks English, French and Arabic.
Andrew Crossley is the Chief Financial Officer at Arcera, bringing extensive experience in finance across the pharmaceutical, medical device, and FMCG sectors.
Prior to joining Arcera, Andrew served as CFO for Johnson & Johnson across the Russia, Africa, Middle East, and Turkey regions. With over two decades at Johnson & Johnson, he has a proven track record of driving business growth—both organically and through strategic acquisitions—while leading the unification of policies, processes, and information technology systems.
Andrew is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW). He holds a Master’s degree from the University of Leeds, UK, and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics. Additionally, Andrew is a certified Process Excellence Black Belt with a specialization in process re-engineering.
Samir El Nasharty is the Chief TechOps Officer at Arcera. Previously, he served as Chief Operations Officer at Acino, where he oversaw Global Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Corporate Quality, and TechOps. Since joining Acino in February 2022, Samir has demonstrated exceptional transformational leadership and a clear strategic vision, driving significant improvements in the efficiency of Acino’s Global TechOps organization.
With over 20 years of international experience in OTC, innovative medicines, generics, and cell and gene therapy, Samir brings extensive expertise to Arcera. His career includes leadership roles in renowned organizations such as Novartis and GSK, with a focus on global supply chain and technical operations across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.
Originally from Egypt, Samir is fluent in both Arabic and English. His international experience also includes work in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Samir holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science and a Master’s in International Business Administration, Global Management.
Monica Pinto is the Chief of Staff at Arcera. Before joining Arcera, Monica worked as Chief Finance Officer and Chief Operations Officer in two private equity firms Appian Capital Advisory and Apis Partners based in London and served on several Boards of Directors.
Monica has over 20 years of leadership experience across private equity, banking, strategy consulting, and consumer goods, working for organizations ranging from start-ups to global multinational companies, including Procter & Gamble, across Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. She led multi-functional teams through strategic initiatives to drive accelerated growth, operational excellence, and digital transformation.
Monica holds an MBA from INSEAD, France, and a degree in Computer Science Engineering from Instituto Superior Tecnico, Portugal.
Muhanna Al Nuaimi is Chief People Officer of Arcera. Prior to joining in June 2025, he served as Group Chief People & Culture Officer at MAIR Group, based in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.
In his role as Chief Human Capital Officer at International Capital Trading until 2024, Muhanna led a comprehensive HR transformation agenda, integrating cutting-edge digital solutions to enhance employee experience and operational efficiency. During 2015 to 2023, Muhanna has held various senior HR leadership roles at TAQA, TAPCO, and Aldar Properties, managing large-scale talent frameworks and implementing progressive HR policies across complex, multinational organizations.
An Emirati citizen, Muhanna holds a bachelor’s degree in HR Management, with extensive executive education in leadership, digital HR, and corporate governance.
