--Abdelaziz Meziane Belfkih, Advisor to His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco |
Taima Khoury Kawar, Chair
Ms. Kawar graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from California State University, Chico, and received a Master’s in Business Administration in 1989. Having worked as a Financial Controller for Private Investments of the Khoury Family from 1990 until 2002, Ms. Kawar is on the Board of the following institutions: King Hussein Cancer Fund, Royal Art Gallery, and the Performing Arts Center. For the past two years, she served on the Education Committee for the Young Presidents’ Organization. She was also on the Board of Directors of the American Medical Clinics until they were sold and closed
Meisa Batayneh Maani
Eng. Maani holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Texas. As Founder and Principal Architect at Maisam Architects & Engineers, Eng. Batayneh is president of Amman’s Business and Professional Women’s Association. She is also Founder and a member of the Architecture and Engineering Business Council and Founder of Design Jordan Company. She serves on the boards of King Abdullah II Center for Excellence, Amman Commission, Saraya Aqaba, and the Royal Society of Fine Arts; she also sits on the Advisory Board of the Ministry of Environment AIESEC, which aims to establish Jordan as a hub for pioneer environmental solutions and planning.
Isam Salfiti
Mr. Salfiti holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and serves as Chairman and General Manager of The Union Bank for Savings & Investment, as well as Chairman of the Jordanian Hotel and Tourism Company, the Etihad Land Development Company, and Etihad Integrated Tourism Company. He is also a member of the Boards of Directors of Zara, specializing in investments, and the tobacco manufacturer Al Etihad Company.
Lama Abu Hamdan
Ms. Abu Hamdan is President and Founder of ALZARA – one of the largest bodycare and cosmetics companies in the Jordan.
Samir Murad
Mr. Murad is owner of Said Murad & Sons CO.
Mr. Luay Abugazaleh
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh, Young Presidents Organization MENA Regional Chair for 2007-2009, has served as the Young Presidents’ Organization Chapter Chair and MENA Regional Membership Chair, and currently serves as the organization’s 2007-2009 MENA Regional Chair. He is a Managing Partner of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property, the largest IP firm in the Middle East, with 30 offices throughout the Arab world and beyond. Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh is also an Executive Director and Board Member of the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization, the foremost professional services firm operating in 29 countries in the Middle East.
Bassem Salem
Mr. Salem is a former Minister of Labour and former Minister of Finance in Jordan.
Ronald Bruder, Founder & CEO of EFE
Mr. Bruder was a serial entrepreneur mainly focused on real estate development before he founded EFE – to which he now devotes all of his professional time. Mr. Bruder also founded companies in the oil, medical technology, and travel industries. In 1977, he founded The Brookhill Group which owns and manages properties throughout the US. In 1990, Brookhill began acquiring environmentally contaminated properties, by inventing a new methodology to redevelop those properties that enabled the company to limit the risk associated with environmental clean-up costs. Mr. Bruder holds a Bachelors degree from Adelphi University in Economics, a Master's degree in Business Administration / Finance from New York University, and a Post Master's degree in Accounting & Taxation from Iona College.
Jamie McAuliffe, President of EFE
Mr. McAuliffe has two decades of experience in leadership roles in both the nonprofit and business sectors. Most recently, Jamie served as Portfolio Manager at the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation. Jamie has also worked as a small and medium-sized business consultant at OTF Group in Brazil and as a leader of social entrepreneurs at Ashoka Innovators for the Public. Between receiving his BA in Philosophy from Georgetown University and his MA in International Economics from John Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, Jamie served as an inner-city school teacher for Teach for America.
Mayyada Abu-Jaber
Ms. Abu-Jaber, CEO of the Jordan Career Education Foundation, holds a Master’s of Science in Environmental Geology from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. With extensive experience managing and directing non-governmental organizations, she is currently CEO of the Jordan Career Education Foundation. She previously directed the Royal Health Awareness Society chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania Abdullah II and still serves on the Board of Trustees. She also worked on a consultancy at HM Queen Rania Abdullah II’s office to formulate a Teacher Education Strategy. While directing and managing several USAID projects focusing on National Education Reform as part of the ERfKE, she initiated Jordan’s first School-to-Career program. Her expertise is in environmental outreach and communication, for which she is recognized as an environmental outreach and advocacy trainer in the region..
H. E. Nadia Al Saeed
Ms. Al Saeed, is Director of the Dead-Sea Institute and Vice Chairperson of the Young Arab Leaders/Jordan Chapter. Her Excellency Ms. Al Saeed is former Minister of Information and Communication Technology.
Amjad Aryan
Dr. Aryan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacology with a specialty in Retail Pharmacy Management from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston. He also obtained a specialized degree in Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. He established Pharmacy One USA in multiple locations in Miami, Florida, as well as Pharmacy One Jordan, which currently operates 33 branches throughout Jordan. Dr. Aryan is also the Chair of Mazaya Investments Company, PharmaSure, Advance Soft IT Company, and RDS Exports in Miami. He serves as Board Member of Pen and Paper Film Production and serves as Vice Chairman of PharmaNet and the Insurance Management Company.
Marwan Atallah
Mr. Atallah is Chief Executive Officer of Ayla Aviation Academy in Jordan. He is former President of Nest USA, Inc. (NEST), a Houston-based private investment company with investments in real estate, aviation, technology, and energy.
Haif Banayan
Mr. Banayan is a certified project manager who holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Engineering from the University of Birmingham and an Executive Management diploma from INSEAD. He is Executive Director of the Jordan Education Initiative, a public-private partnership launched in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. Formerly, he was Secretary General of the Ministry of Information & Communications Technology, at which he employed 13 years of experience in private-sector industrial and trade organizations, specializing in operations, manufacturing, quality, and general management.
Fadi Ghandour
Mr. Ghandour is founder of Aramex International in 1982, founding partner of Maktoob.com, the world's largest Arab online community. He currently serves as Board Member for Abraaj Capital. He previously served as the MENA Regional Chairman of Young Presidents' Organization from 2003-2005 and the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Jordan River Foundation. He is a Member of the Advisory Board at the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at the American University of Beirut, as well Chairman of the National Microfinance Bank in Jordan. He also recently founded the organization Entrepreneurs for Development, a region-wide corporate social responsibility initiative.
Luay Abu-Ghazaleh
Mr. Luay Abu-Ghazaleh, is a Managing Partner of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property, the largest IP firm in the Middle East, with 30 offices throughout the Arab world and beyond. Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh is also an Executive Director and Board Member of the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization, the foremost professional services firm operating in 29 countries in the Middle East. He has served as both the Young Presidents Organization MENA Regional Chair and Chapter Chair.
Hazem Malhas
Mr. Malhas is CEO of Optimiza Academy, the first technology solutions and business consulting company listed on the Amman Stock Exchange. He previously served as Chairman and CEO of Aregon Ltd. and worked as CEO and Vice President of Operations at Aramex. He serves on several boards, including the Petra National Trust, and has a degree in Civil Engineering from Texas University.
Imad Muasher
Mr. Muasher holds a Master’s of Business Administration in International Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. He is Chairman and CEO of Muasher Investment and Trading Company, as well as Vice Chairman of the Jordan Worsted Mills, Shawati' Company in Aqaba, and the Jordan Investor Center (JIC). He is a member of the Jordan National Bank; works with the Catholic Church; and is Chairman of the Holy Land Club.
Ghassan Nuqul
Mr. Nuqul is Vice Chairman of the Nuqul Group and member of the Boards of Trustees of many distinct councils and associations, including the Economic Consultative Council of His Majesty King Abdullah II, the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development, Technical and Vocational Education Council, INJAZ Jordan, Amman Baccalaureate School, Jordanian Chamber of Industry, The Children’s Museum Jordan, Jordanian Business Association, Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), and others. He holds a Master’s of Business Administration from Purdue University in Indiana, United States.
Mayyada Abu-Jaber, Chief Executive Officer
Ms. Abu-Jaber served as an educational consultant in the office of Her Majesty Queen Rania Abdullah II and has directed and managed USAID projects regarding technology; she initiated the first School-to-Career program at the Ministry of Education. She subsequently directed the Royal Health Awareness Society. Ms. Abu-Jaber received her Master's degree in Environmental Geology at Duke University.
Ragheed Darwazeh, Finance Manager
Ragheed Darwazeh has over eight years of experience in accounting, finances and sales. Mr. Darwazeh has worked with the Educational Reform for Knowledge Economy Support Project (ESP-USAID), the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), Business & Professional Women-Amman (BPWA), Munir Sukhtian Group, and Noor Al-Hussain Foundation. Mr. Darwazeh received an Accounting degree from Amman Al-Ahliya University.
Afnan Al-Hadidi, Alumni Manager
Afnan Al-Hadidi has six years of experience in coordinating educational programs at the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature. She has held managing and establishing committee positions at the ITKAN Cooperating Society for Female Agricultural Engineers and has served as project manager, partner, and participant in European Youth Exchange Programs (Euro-Med) since 2004. Ms. Al-Hadidi holds a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture Engineering from Jordan University.
Ra'ad Al-Sukkar, Administrative Assistant
Ra'ad Al-Sukkar was one of the top graduates of the JCEF's Land Surveying Training and Job-Placement Program. He has been a member of the Jordan Geologist Association since 2007. Mr. Al-Sukkar graduated from the University of Jordan with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Geology in 2007 and is currently pursuing his Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) in Human Resources at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT).
Mohammad Tamari, Training Manager
Mohammad Tamari has worked in Human Resource Management with diverse companies. He has experience in developing human resource strategies and performance guidelines and has conducted numerous performance appraisals. He has also taken a number of courses in Communications, Leadership, Training and Teaching Methodology, and Customer Service. He offers JCEF the employers’ perspective and leads the training strategy to ensure students develop the skills in demand.
