Meet The Team

Benjamin J. Smith

CEO

”The harder you work the luckier you get"

Benjamin J. Smith is the CEO of Smith & Ken responsible for managing and developing the corporate strategic objectives to increase the revenue of the company and to direct it to achieve its goals.

Benjamin was the co-founder and creator of Smith & Ken and continues year on year to develop the company and diversify its business streams. Benjamin is considered to be very innovative and forward thinking; his biggest strength is understanding the value of people and to have an excellent management team so he can make his desired culture and working practices become a reality.

Benjamin was born in 1983, and for one so young, he has already achieved so much. Whilst Benjamin is at the helm, Smith & Ken will continue to grow and will eventually achieve its vision of being a global real estate partner.

Meet The Team

Peter Szumski

Residential Director

“If we don’t take care of our customers, someone else will”

Peter Szumski is the Residential Director of Smith & Ken. Having started with Smith & Ken since its inception in 2008, Peter Szumski has played an important role in the development and growth of the business.

Peter has over 15 years corporate experience having worked in HSBC Bank PLC for over 10 years, he brings a wealth of experience with him to the business which has been instrumental to Smith & Ken’s current success.

Peter started Smith & Ken in the role of Residential Sales Negotiator, and quickly rose the ranks to the position of Residential Director in 2 years through his excellent customer and people skills. Peter Szumski has received a Certified Diploma from Dubai’s Real Estate Regulatory Agency and possesses huge knowledge of the local market which plays a vital role in ensuring customer satisfaction and trust.

As the Residential Director, Peter is responsible for managing and ensuring all the company’s objectives for the Residential Division are achieved.

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Niall Grannell

Head of Property Management

“Listening leads to knowledge and knowledge leads to success”

Niall Grannell is the Head of Property Management at Smith and Ken. Niall joined the company in Mid 2009 in the Lettings Division as a Lettings Negotiator specializing in the Emirates Living area. Due to his experience, qualifications and undoubted skill, Niall was promoted to manage the Property Management Division for Smith and Ken in the 1st quarter 2011.

Niall has five years experience in the real estate industry in Dubai, first working as a real estate market specialist analyst for a leading real estate advisory company where he was promoted from that division to launch the property management for the main brokerage house.

Niall brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Smith and Ken in the areas of property management, valuation, asset management and real estate legislation interpretation. Niall studied at the Cork College of Commerce and obtained an Ordinary Degree in Real Estate Valuation & Property Management, along with his membership to the IPAV, Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuer’s (MIPAV) before attending the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol and obtaining his BSc Honors degree in Real Estate Valuation Development and Property Management. He is also a member of the Internal Rating and Return Valuer’s (MIRRV).

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Ian Liborwich

Business Development Director

“You can’t buy experience but get it for free with Smith and Ken”

Ian Liborwich is the Business Development Director of Smith and Ken. Ian has been with the company since November 2009 bringing with him expertise on Person 2 Person and Business 2 Business as he has only ever had his own companies starting from the age of 17. Ian launched a retail chain of Lingerie shops in the UK which was the first company to launch a mail order company with a brochure and video in order to bring all the top lingerie brands together under one roof.

Ian also started a sock manufacturing business in 1984 selling his product to the big multinational chains such as Top Shop, Chelsea Man and Fosters. He also manufactured for the top brand Pringle.

Having built and sold different business, he started a property company in Marbella which was very successful over a 6 year period but when the Spanish Property Market experienced a decline, Ian ventured into the Dubai Property Market as the Sales Director for a UK owned Developer. Ian used his overseas client network to sell over 400 residential properties and entered into the commercial property market with the SIPP (pensions) scheme.

Ian’s role for Smith & Ken is to research, develop and implement new business avenues as well as reviewing the existing business structure to ensure the company is positioned for growth.

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Jonathan Oliver

Head of Mortgages

” High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.” - Charles Kettering

Jonathan Oliver works as the Head of Mortgage’s for Oxygen Home Loans which is a fully Independent Mortgage broker that works in house for Smith and Ken.

Being independent means they can arrange the most suitable mortgage for a clients circumstance choosing from all the lenders both locally and internationally. Jonathan has worked alongside Smith and Ken for the last three years and Oxygen Home Loans are becoming one of the largest and most successful mortgage brokers in the Middle East. Being in-house offers clients a unique experience in Dubai and the all under one roof approach, which is readily available in the UK, is proving successful for clients in the UAE.

Jonathan is a graduate and is fully CEMAP qualified which is the qualification obtained in the UK to advise on mortgage related products. Jonathan worked for Countrywide, the largest Estate Agent chain in the UK, for several years, before relocating to Dubai.

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Tatiana Boustany

Marketing Manager

“The best way to tell the future is to make it happen”

Tatiana Boustany is the Marketing Manager of Smith & Ken. She started with Smith & Ken in 2008 adding exceptional value to the company with solid knowhow in advertising & marketing. Tatiana has played an essential role in the development and growth of the company’s Marketing Division.

Tatiana has succeeded in branding Smith & Ken and in such a short period, the company’s image was reborn in outstanding form. Tatiana's Marketing Division plays a central support role for the Sales Division in Smith & Ken. The closing of the transactions conducted by Smith & Ken starts with her success in timing and choosing where and when to display properties.

Tatiana holds over 5 years of corporate experience having worked previously for a finely branded jewelry company where she was exposed to various customers’ needs. She brings a wealth of experience especially in how to exceed customer expectations, a key feature to Smith & Ken’s current success.

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Aruna Tak

HR Manager

“A company’s most valued assets are its employees”

Aruna Tak is the HR Manager at Smith & Ken. She has over 10 years experience and expertise of working in the property profession within the UK and now the UAE. Aruna began her career as a negotiator for the largest independent estate agents, The Spicerhaart Corporation. She expanded her knowledge by being recruited as one of the first Sales Progressors within the corporation, where her office was honored with “Top Grossing Office for the Year” in 2005 – 2006. Aruna then went on to work as the Property Manager / Office Manager for The Palmhurst Group where she controlled the 20 million pound portfolio of the Managing Director as well as the organic growth of the development and investment arm of the business.

Aruna is responsible for the update and implementation of the policies and procedures within the Human Resources Department that will continue to make Smith & Ken the market leader in its field. She is also responsible for developing the staffs’ capacities, utilizing, maintaining and compensating their services in tune with the job and organizational requirement.

Aruna’s career has enabled her to have a strategic and coherent approach to the organization’s most valued assets - the people working there. She will continue with the retention of what is considered to be ‘the best of the best’ in their field of expertise whether it is administration, financial or sales

Her mantra and focus has always been to ensure productivity and results within a work environment that promotes an enjoyable atmosphere. She truly believes that a happy synergy between staff and employer produce the best results!

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Anastasiya Sivakovskaya

Office Manager

“The quality of our work depends on the quality of our people”.

Anastasiya Sivakovskaya is the Office Manager of Smith & Ken effective June 2010. She holds a Finance Degree from the Tashkent Financial Institute in Uzbekistan. Anastasiya Sivakovskaya has over 6 years Real Estate experience working with a variety of Global Developers and Real Estate Agencies. Some of her previous roles included Assistant Head of Client Services and Senior Client Relationship Officer for a large private developer in Dubai. It was the skills that she gained through these roles that Anastasiya was head hunted to work for Smith & Ken as the Office Manager.

Anastasiya’s main duties involve the management and maintaining of the day to day functions within the Smith & Ken office working closely with the CEO and management team.

Anastasiya plays an instrumental role in ensuring the internal structures of the company policies and procedures are utilized and developed to cater for Smith & Ken’s ever expanding team. Her management contribution in inspiring incentives and development idea’s was recognized by Smith & Ken in 2010 by being awarded the Smith & Ken Manager of the Year.

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Naty Tupas

Finance Manager

“Run your company like you run your family”

Naty Tupas is the Finance Manager of Smith & Ken. She is responsible of monitoring the financial activities of the company in order to minimize costs & maximize profit. She has completed her Bachelor’s Degree specializing in Accountancy in 1983 & passed the CPA Licensure Examination in 1984.

She has undergone various trainings & seminars in the field of Finance & has held Senior Finance Positions in different organizations like mining, retail, financial services, publishing, trading, event and exhibitions. Naty has also been a part time professor in Advanced Financial Accounting.

With almost 30 years of accounting experience in different industries, Naty has gained great knowledge in Financial Reporting, Financial Analysis, Internal Control, Budgets, Forecasting & other Financial tools that are very useful in managing the financial affairs of Smith & Ken.

Naty works closely with the CEO ensuring the financial objectives of the company are being achieved by her department.