Derek Stewart is an entrepreneur & investment professional with more than four decades of experience across alternative investments, real estate, fintech, data & sport.
He has a 17-year track record in the hedge fund industry, including co-founding & serving as CEO of BNY Mellon Alternative Investments, where he led the build-out of the business from inception to approximately $2 billion in assets under management. His experience spans investment strategy, alternative assets, capital structuring & off-market deal origination across multiple markets.
Derek subsequently expanded his focus into fintech, data & sport, including the development of Fanslive, a digital operating system & fan app connecting mobile payments, digital ticketing, e-commerce, food & beverage, deployed across EFL clubs.
Today, Derek leads SportaaS, a global sports investment & advisory boutique combining institutional research, strategic advisory, investment platforms & innovation to unlock opportunities across the sports ecosystem.
Based in Dubai, he works with investors, sports organisations, governments & strategic partners across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia & North America.
Daniel Barriga is a sports commercial professional with deep experience across sponsorship, brand activation & business development in elite sport.
His career spans senior commercial roles at some of the world's most prominent sporting properties — including Formula 1's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, LaLiga & Atlético de Madrid — where he developed commercial frameworks & closed partnership agreements in excess of $10 million across commercial rights, premium hospitality & brand integration.
Daniel has advised leading sports & entertainment organisations on commercial strategy, rights valuation & partnership activation, with clients including the Saudi Olympic Committee, Al Nassr FC & the Esports World Cup, delivering business development mandates across the Middle East & global markets.
At SportaaS, Daniel provides advisory support across commercial structuring, institutional partnership development & brand strategy — bridging elite sporting assets with the commercial architecture required to maximise long-term value.
Elias Charara is a sports investment & strategy professional with 13 years of experience spanning specialised sports advisory with Deloitte Sports Business Group, tier-one strategy consulting focused on media & sports with Strategy& (formerly Booz & Company), and real estate development & execution across the GCC & New York.
Elias has advised prominent sports governing bodies, established & emerging rights holders, media companies, infrastructure planners & investors — including GCC sports ministries, the Saudi Pro League, leading Saudi sports clubs, SURJ, global elite academies, & emerging US football & horseracing leagues. His advisory work spans corporate strategy, business planning, financial feasibility, investment strategy & capital allocation, transaction due diligence & operating models.
Prior to his advisory roles, Elias led the planning & execution of major real estate projects across multinational & growth-stage organisations, overseeing budgets of up to USD 15 million.
At SportaaS, Elias provides advisory support across the investment & operational lifecycle of sports assets & ventures — bridging detailed analysis with hands-on execution & continuous value creation.