Of all the changes Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani oversaw on becoming emir, none was more significant than the withdrawal of Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Al-Thani (HBJ) from any formal role. While HBJ had been expected to step down as prime minister and foreign minister, his removal from the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), where he had been chief executive, came as more of a shock. Widely seen as one of the architects of modern Qatar, and responsible for the emirate’s bold international investment portfolio, the charismatic HBJ left large shoes to fill.