Cornerstone appoints AbdulKarim Mulla as Managing Partner for Saudi Arabia

Regional management consultancy Cornerstone has appointed AbdulKarim Mulla as its new Managing Partner for Saudi Arabia.

Established in 2013, Cornerstone is one of the Middle East’s leading management consulting firms, operating today with two offices in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh and Jeddah), and one each in Kuwait and Egypt.

The firm supports its clients across five lines of business: strategy, organization, operational excellence, financial advisory, and corporate governance.

Now leading its Saudi business is AbdulKarim Mulla, who has been brought on board externally and brings 20+ years of experience in consulting and industry to the firm. His background in consulting includes serving as a leader at Baseqat, Elixir, McKinsey & Company (which acquired Elixir in 2017), and most recently Strategic Gears, where he was a partner. Over the past six months, Mulla served as an advisor to a Saudi government entity.

Throughout his consulting career, Mulla has contributed to the development and implementation of strategies for over 40 clients across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. He has led and participated in multiple strategic initiatives relation to KSA 2030 vision, overseeing and contributing to projects for organizations such as the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the Ministry of Investment (MISA), STC Group, Saudi Air Navigation Services (SANS), the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Hajj & Umrah, and many others.

Mulla specializes in topics such as strategic planning, project management, organization, human capital, culture transformation, and business process management. He also has deep expertise in supply chain management and operations excellence, which were the main areas of focus during his earlier career in the FMCG sector at Basamh Group. There, he held both operational and strategic roles.

The appointment sees Mulla become part of Cornerstone’s senior leadership team, which also includes leaders such as Mohamed Badr (ex-Strategy&), Majed Salem (ex-Elixir and McKinsey), Ahmed Badr (ex-Bain & Company), and Fahad Aldalali (ex-investment banker).

Mulla holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals with Distinction Honor. He also holds multiple professional certifications in Strategy & Business Planning, Change Management, Human Capital, and Supply Chain Management.