The Dubai-based founder is bringing enterprise customer acquisition, executive engagement and local commercial leadership together in an international business model.

Ray Akhtar is preparing the business he founded in Wales for a worldwide dominator. From his base in Dubai, the Founder and President of METCO Global, known as MG, is strengthening its leadership, developing a franchise network and preparing a rebrand intended to support worldwide expansion in 2027.

At the centre of that ambition is a commercial problem familiar to enterprise sales and marketing teams: knowing which organisations to target does not necessarily mean having a meaningful relationship with the people who shape their decisions. MG’s business has developed around closing that gap.

“MG builds access to the people who shape enterprise decisions, creating the conversations from which business growth can develop,” Ray explains.

The company combines B2B sales and marketing consultancy with executive audience acquisition and programme delivery. Its work brings technology providers into relevant discussions with senior enterprise stakeholders, supporting the relationships through which new customer opportunities can emerge. Executive boardrooms, roundtables, summits and private dinners provide settings for that work. The commercial purpose begins well before the programme takes place.

A founder shaped by preparation

Ray’s route into business began in competitive sport. Football and professional boxing preceded corporate sales, where he had to learn a different language and prove himself in an unfamiliar environment. His earlier CIO Views profile described the setbacks and persistence behind that transition. The experience remains relevant to the discipline and preparation he brings to leadership.

He founded METCO Global in 2013. Building from his parents’ garage meant turning his understanding of sales into a service that clients could trust to deliver. Over time, the business developed into an international consultancy serving major technology and enterprise brands.

Its development has required adaptation as well as persistence. During COVID, MG moved rapidly into digital delivery as physical programmes were disrupted. The experience reinforced the importance of maintaining executive relationships and finding effective ways for clients to continue engaging their markets.

MG reports having achieved triple-digit revenue and profit growth for six consecutive years during its development, a milestone also covered in CIO Views. For 2026, Akhtar is projecting triple-digit growth as he prepares the organisation for its next stage. These are distinct chapters in the company’s growth story: an established operating history and a current ambition supported by investment in leadership and delivery capacity.

The process behind executive engagement

MG starts with the client’s commercial objective. Which accounts matter? What business issue creates a reason to engage? Who inside those organisations owns that issue, influences the solution or approves investment? The answers shape the audience, the outreach and the programme itself.

This matters particularly in sectors such as cybersecurity, cloud, data infrastructure and payments, where buying decisions involve people with different technical, operational and financial responsibilities. A relevant title is a starting point. Understanding the individual’s responsibilities and connection to the discussion is what makes engagement useful.

“There is a science behind how MG works,” Ray says. That science is expressed through account research, persona mapping, direct outreach and qualification. Invitation wording, timing, the peer group and the format each contribute to whether an executive sees a credible reason to participate. Responses then inform how the team develops the engagement.

His view is that executive behaviour has changed. Senior decision makers are selective about their time, while established sales and marketing teams can remain attached to methods that work better within existing relationships than with unfamiliar buying groups. MG’s role includes helping clients recognise that difference and build an approach suited to the people they need to reach.

Responsibility continues through confirmation, relationship management and attendance. MG reports executive attendance rates of 89-92%, depending on market and format, and attributes those results to its audience selection and managed engagement process. The wider commercial value lies in giving clients relevant access from which they can develop relationships and opportunities; subsequent sales depend on how those opportunities progress.

Building the organisation for international growth

For Ray, the next phase requires an organisation capable of applying that approach consistently across markets. MG is developing a supported franchise model that combines central methodology, systems and expertise with local commercial leadership. Experienced operators would bring their understanding of business culture, relationships and market conditions to execution.

Leadership changes support that direction. Maxim Frolov has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer to lead franchise development and expansion. Imran Akhtar’s role has evolved into Chief Executive Relations Officer, leading MG’s worldwide customer acquisition teams. Caryn Power has been appointed as Chief of Staff, Executive Office to support the wider executive team and operations. The responsibilities give dedicated leadership to partner development and executive relationships as the business prepares to scale.

A rebrand scheduled for the beginning of December 2026 will introduce three connected websites. METCO Global Group will present the consultancy’s capabilities to clients. The Executive Boardroom will serve senior executives through relevant insight, peer engagement and executive experiences. METCO Global Holdings will explain the franchise model and the support available to prospective partners.

The planned launch will also introduce MG’s global franchise and expansion network, establishing the foundations for substantial worldwide expansion in 2027. The intention is to give each audience a clearer route into the business while supporting a consistent approach to delivery.

Dubai provides the platform for Ray’s international ambitions, with his UK background remaining an important part of the founder story. Personally, he identifies fatherhood as his most meaningful achievement. His daughter, Aliyah Akhtar, eight, gives a deeper purpose to what he is building.

His immediate priority is to turn an established commercial method into an organisation that can operate at greater scale. The next chapter of MG will depend on the strength of its local leaders, the support behind them and the quality of the executive relationships they develop. Those are the foundations Ray is putting in place before the next phase of growth.

TIME Africa staff were not involved in the creation of this content.