Makram Azar
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
Founder & CEO
London, GB
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
THE MARQUE
In Their Own Right
Biography
Makram Azar is the Founder and CEO of Full Circle Capital, a private investment and advisory firm partnered with leading UHNW families, institutional and sovereign investors. The firm focuses on direct principal investments and financial advisory across the full spectrum of private equity and venture capital. Full Circle Capital’s activities span the UK, Europe, North America, and the Middle East, with an emphasis on AI, technology, media, entertainment, hospitality, consumer markets, infrastructure and sustainability.
Makram also serves as a Director of the Board of CMB Monaco, a leading private bank based in Monaco.
Until August 2023, Makram was CEO of Golden Falcon Acquisition Corp, a NYSE-listed SPAC targeting TMT and Fintech sectors in Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
Previously, Makram was Chairman of Banking EMEA and Barclays Bank PLC MENA, before transitioning to become Senior Advisor. He joined Barclays from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts &Co. (KKR), where he was Managing Director and Head of MENA. Before KKR, he spent 18 years at Lehman Brothers, holding roles including Global Head of Sovereign Wealth Funds and Chairman of Media Investment Banking EMEA.
During his 35-year career in the banking and investment industries, Makram has executed over 230 deals across various geographies and sectors, including high-profile, multi-billion- dollar transactions in technology, media, telecoms, consumer, retail, hospitality, and natural resources, serving multinational corporations, sovereign funds, and governments.
Makram holds a Master’s in Management and Finance from HEC Paris, and a BA in Applied Economics from Paris-IX Dauphine. He actively supports philanthropic initiatives worldwide.
The Record
Background
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2020 — Present
Founder & CEO
Full Circle Capital
Full Circle Capital provides financial and strategic advice to key partners and select clients within its network, leveraging its global reach and experience across a broad range of sectors and geographies. The FCC team is comprised of highly skilled investment professionals with cumulative experience of over 55 years across more than 250 transactions exceeding $450 billion in value.
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2010 — 2018
Chairman of Banking, EMEA & Chairman of Barclays PLC MENA
Barclays PLC
Barclays PLC is a British multinational investment bank and financial services company, headquartered in London. Apart from investment banking, Barclays is organised into four core businesses: personal banking, corporate banking, wealth management, and investment management.
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2008 — 2024
Managing Director & Head of MENA
KKR
KKR & Co. Inc. is an American global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate, credit and, through its strategic partners, hedge funds.
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1999 — 2008
Managing Director, Head of Sovereign Wealth Funds & Chairman of Media Investment Banking
Lehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was a global financial services firm. Lehman was the fourth-largest investment bank in the United States
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2019 — 2021
Senior Advisor
Barclays PLC
Barclays PLC is a global investment bank and financial services company, headquartered in London. Apart from investment banking, Barclays is organised into four core businesses: personal banking, corporate banking, wealth management, and investment management.
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2020 — 2023
Chief Executive Officer
Golden Falcon Acquisition Corporation
Golden Falcon Acquisition Corp. (GFX.U) was a Special Purpose Acquisition Company founded by Makram Azar and Scott Freidheim to pursue a business combination with companies in the TMT and FinTech sectors headquartered in Europe, Israel, the Middle East, or North America.
In The News
Newsfeed
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30 October 2025 · Financial Times
Virgin Trains cleared to run Channel Tunnel services after regulator ruling
Read more -
7 December 2022 · Bloomberg
MNG Airlines to Go Public in Deal With Azar, Freidheim SPAC
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27 October 2021 · Bloomberg
Ex-Barclays Banker Azar Sees More SPAC Scrutiny After Crackdown
Read more
Formative Years
Education
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Dauphine Université Paris
BA Applied Economics
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HEC School of Management
Master's Degree, Management & Finance
Areas Of Focus