Yana El Dirani

Managing Director, UAE Hub at Endeavor

Interviewee

Yana El Dirani is the Managing Director of the Endeavor Global Hub in the UAE and Head of MENA at Endeavor Catalyst, where she leads Endeavor Catalyst's activities across six key markets: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Pakistan. She also serves as a startup mentor and advisor, supporting founders as they scale their businesses.

Yana joined Endeavor Catalyst in January 2024 and was appointed Managing Director of the Endeavor Global Hub in October 2025. With nearly 20 years of experience across venture capital, private equity, wealth management, and strategic consulting, she has led investment strategies, fundraising, startup due diligence, and operational growth.

Prior to Endeavor, Yana was a Partner at Modus Capital, where she led fundraising, deal sourcing, investment execution, and startup advisory across the MENA region. Before that, she served as Chief Investment Officer of a Dubai-based single-family office, managing a multi-million-dollar portfolio across public markets, private equity, venture capital, real estate, and alternative investments. Earlier in her career, she worked as a Private Banker at Credit Suisse and as a Management Consultant at Delta Partners.

Yana holds an MBA and brings extensive experience in investing, entrepreneurship, and scaling high-growth businesses across the MENA region.