ABANA is incredibly honored to announce this year’s Achievement Award Recipient, Dina Powell McCormick, Vice Chairman & President of Global Client Services of BDT & MSD Partners.
This Award recognizes individuals who exemplify outstanding leadership in the finance industry and demonstrate a proven commitment to enhancing professional cooperation between the U.S. and the MENA Region.
The Achievement Award Dinner is the premier U.S. event for finance professionals with an interest in the MENA Region. Please see program details below!
PROGRAMThursday, October 9, 2025, New York City
5:15 pm – Partner Reception*
6:00 pm – General Reception
7:00 pm – Welcome Address and Dinner
7:45 pm – Fireside Chat and Award Presentation
9:00 pm – Program Concludes
PRESS RELEASE, February 10th, 2025
ABANA and the ABANA Foundation Announce Lotfi Karoui, Partner at Goldman Sachs, as its 2025 Chairman Following ABANA’s Annual Meeting
ABANA and the ABANA Foundation is pleased to announce Lotfi Karoui as its new Chairman. Karoui is a long-standing member of ABANA, first joining in 2020 as an institutional member with Goldman Sachs, then as a board member and as Vice Chairman. He has also been a frequent speaker and moderator at ABANA’s program events and is an active and engaging mentor to many young professionals. He was also instrumental in the creation of the ABANA Foundation as a public charity in 2023.
Lotfi is the Chief Credit Strategist of Goldman Sachs. He is responsible for research and views on global credit markets. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2007 and was named partner in 2024 and managing director in 2015. He publishes regularly on the state of fixed-income markets and asset allocation. Prior to joining the firm, Lotfi taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses in finance and operations research at McGill University and HEC Montreal.
Upon Karoui’s selection as the ABANA Chairman, he stated, “I am very excited to become the next ABANA Chairman. This organization has had an impact for over 40 years and represents first-class business intelligence as it pertains to the Middle East and North Africa region. ABANA also has a proud history as a bridge builder for business and financial leaders from both sides of the Atlantic. I look forward to building on the success of past ABANA Chairs.”
Born and raised in Tunisia, Lotfi graduated from the Institut des Hautes Études Commerciales in Carthage, Tunisia with a bachelor’s degree in finance in 2000. He earned a master’s degree in financial engineering from HEC Montréal in 2002 and a PhD in Financial Economics from McGill University in 2007. He is fluent in Arabic and French.
ABANA is a 501-c-6, not-for-profit business association focused on business excellence for those with an interest in the Middle East and North Africa region. We are an inclusive organization that hosts, curates, and shares with its members first-class business intelligence, through forums and events centered on networking, community building, and economic innovation.
The ABANA Foundation is a 501-c-3, not-for-profit public charity dedicated to education through nurturing, mentoring, and investing in the next generation of business professionals with an interest in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Register Now: ABANA’s 2023 Holiday Reception!
Join ABANA at the Metropolitan Club on December 12th for our end-of year networking event that will mark the end of our 40th anniversary celebration.
SAVE THE DATE: ABANA’s 2023 Achievement Award Dinner!
Mark your calendars for ABANA’s 2023 Achievement Award Dinner honoring Chuck Davis!
ABANA is delighted to announce this year’s Achievement Award Recipient, Chuck Davis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stone Point Capital. The event will take place on November 8th at the Plaza Hotel, New York City.
Chuck Davis is the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of Stone Point Capital, an investment firm based in Greenwich, CT, with over $45 billion of assets under management. Stone Point targets investments in companies in the global financial services industry and related sectors. The firm invests in a number of alternative asset classes, including private equity through its flagship Trident Funds. Stone Point also manages both liquid and private credit funds and managed accounts. In addition, Stone Point Capital Markets supports the firm, portfolio companies and other clients by providing dedicated financing solutions.
Before joining Stone Point in 1998, Mr. Davis was with Goldman Sachs for 23 years where he served as Head of Investment Banking Services worldwide, Co‐Head of the Americas Group, Head of the Financial Services Industry Group, a member of the International Executive Committee and a General Partner.
Mr. Davis is a member of the Board of Directors of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited and The Progressive Corporation. He is a former Chairman and former lead Director of the Hershey Company Board of Directors. Mr. Davis is also a current or former director of several portfolio companies of the Trident Funds, as well as several other publicly traded companies, including Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., Merchants Bancshares, Inc. and USLIFE Corporation. He is also a Founder and Co‐Chairman of the Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation. Mr. Davis is a former member of the Advisory Board of Deutsche Bank, the Board of Overseers for the St. John’s University School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science, the Board of Trustees of the University of Vermont, St. Michael’s College and The Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, CT. In 2018, Mr. Davis was selected as one of the Financial Times “2018 Outstanding Directors.”
Mr. Davis grew up in Burlington, VT and is a graduate of the University of Vermont. He also holds an MBA from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. At the University of Vermont, he was a two‐sport, all‐conference athlete and is an inductee in the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame. At Columbia University, he was elected to Beta Gamma Sigma, the academic honor society.
If MENA, then ABANA, or Else Indifference
June 20, 2023
Message from ABANA President, Khalid Azim on ABANA’s 40th Anniversary:
Over four decades, ABANA has harnessed the MENA’s crosscurrents of people, capital, and ideas to facilitate discourse, build bridges, foster innovation, and make a positive impact.
ABANA was founded forty years ago as the “Arab Bankers Association of North America” with a core mission of fostering professional exchange and promoting the business interests of the Arab and Arab-American financial community in the United States. In 1983, fourteen financial institutions and forty banking professionals became the organization’s inaugural members. Four decades later, ABANA has established itself as a unique forum for policy discussions, with a strong focus on connecting, inspiring, engaging, and informing Arabs, Arab-Americans and others who have an interest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The MENA region has a rich history with import and significance. In early human civilization, the fertile soil of the MENA region was the center point of human existence. Later, the peoples of this land fostered giant intellectual leaps in radical innovative thought and ideas in math, science, medicine, philosophy, art, architecture, poetry, and the very idea of time itself. Although, MENA is no longer the center point of the world’s economy, it still produces 3.8% of global GDP, and accounts for 5.6% of the total world population, and 5.2% of global trade. On a grander scale, the MENA region has a combined $1.1 trillion worth of FX reserves and produces over 35% of the world oil production and 22% of the world gas production1.
Today, significant investment capital is being managed within the MENA region and put to work in some of the most transformational industries on the planet. Not only are MENA Sovereign Wealth Funds being managed by savvy investors and industry practitioners, but they are also putting risk capital into tomorrow’s industries such as Sustainable Energy, Bio-Tech, Artificial Intelligence, Fin-Tech, Pharmaceuticals, Blockchain, Payments and e-commerce to name just a few. As MENA nation states accelerate economic and trade liberalization, along with incremental cultural and social reforms, a fast-growing young population see the world as a place to compete in racing to Mars, disrupting markets, or winning matches at the World Cup. For the financial services industry, this sets the stage for robust growth of advisory and capital raising fees in upcoming years. Saudi Arabia alone has launched $51.2 billion of investments led by local companies and its Vision 2030 plans are breathtaking in terms of ambition.2
There is also an unheralded resource in the MENA region, that is creating opportunity and driving change, the demographic dividend. This is a concept, as defined by the International Monetary Fund, in which a high fertility rate nation has a labor force growing more rapidly than the population dependent on it. It creates the scope for per capita income to grow and can lead to a more urban, modern, and industrial society, ceteris paribus. The experience of fast-growing Asian nation states (once referred to as “Asian Tigers”) over the last few decades demonstrated that this dividend period is quite long, decades in fact. Moreover, this phenomenon can be followed by a second dividend through capital and asset accumulation, which also fosters higher domestic savings rates. “In short, the first dividend yields a transitory bonus, and the second transforms the bonus into greater assets and sustainable development.”3 The implications in the MENA region are profound, because unlike the Asian Tigers whose economies were led by external investments, certain MENA nations have an abundance of hydrocarbon resources with large current account surpluses providing the resources to invest in the knowledge based sectors and skills necessary for the success of a modern economy.
These MENA cross currents are creating a vibrancy and energy in the region. This is fertile ground for an organization like ABANA, which centers itself on the very idea of connectivity and professional networks. In these past twelve months alone, ABANA has hosted program events on Fintech in the UAE, Revolutions in the MENA food chain, Saudi Women entrepreneurs, Hydrogen Energy, and a look at the Turkish economy in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. Moreover, ABANA honored, His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund and Chairman of Saudi Aramco, hosted Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi at a private showcase for ABANA members; and more recently honored John J. Mack, the former Chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley, in conjunction with the launch of The ABANA Foundation, which will provide scholarships and fellowships.
ABANA has made a difference. The difference is measured not only in years, policy forums, events, gala dinners, honorees, and financial resources, but through its human-to-human intersection and impact. ABANA has been able to demystify the MENA region, exploring it as a vibrant place for business and financial opportunity. It has also created a pathway for generations of Arab and Arab-American business professionals to enter the marketplace, to represent the communities they come from, to live up to the best version of themselves. When H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan spoke at an ABANA event, his remarks focused on a dynamic future and the importance of intellect as fostered through human capital to solve the toughest business challenges faced in the world today. When Dara Khosrowshahi spoke at an ABANA event, he spoke about humility and kindness in our interactions with colleagues and our community. When John Mack spoke at a recent ABANA Foundation event, he spoke about the importance of doing the right thing, even when doing so comes at a personal cost. Each of these speakers and the countless other ABANA speakers, board members, and other constituents showcase how ABANA makes a difference. It does so by building bridges, facilitating dialogue, and embracing excellence. Renowned Andalusian Philosopher and champion of reason from the 12th century Ibn Rushd once said, “Knowledge is a light that illuminates our darkness.” Ultimately, ABANA’s mission and purpose is to find, share, distill and warehouse knowledge and by doing so illuminate a region, and the humans inspired by that region, for the entire world to see.
1 Source: IMF and BP. 2 Bloomberg : “Saudi Firms Outline $51 Billion of Projects” March 2, 2023 3 Finance & Development, IMF, “What is the Demographic Dividend?” By Ronald Lee and Andrew Mason, September 2006
ABANA Honors John J. Mack, Former Chairman & CEO of Morgan Stanley, with its first-ever ABANA Legacy Award
It was an honor to celebrate the legacy and leadership of John J. Mack, Former Chairman & CEO of Morgan Stanley, last night with an incredible view of New York City at the Mandarin Oriental.
In accepting the first-ever ABANA Foundation Legacy Award, John Mack joined a fireside chat with David Rubenstein. He was introduced and celebrated by prominent Morgan Stanley alumni and industry figures, including Mayree Clark, Jerry Speyer, and James Gorman.
John Mack’s close friend and Duke University’s longtime head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski “Coach K” also gave an inspirational talk about John’s many virtues and impact we all can have on one another.
The Chairman of ABANA, Amr Nosseir, in his welcome address talked about the core meaning of the word legacy, as leaving something behind for others, and how that has been the centerpiece of John’s life.
ABANA President Khalid Azim highlighted how guests’ generous support would uplift and transform lives through educational initiatives.
Proceeds of the event went to The ABANA Foundation, ABANA’s charitable arm dedicated to funding educational opportunities and career support programs for Arab-American, Middle Eastern, and American students passionate about the MENA region.
Save the date, May 8: ABANA to honor John Mack with Legacy Award
February 23, 2023
On May 8, 2023, the ABANA Foundation will honor John Mack, former Chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley, with the first-ever Legacy Award, at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City. This award intends to recognize leaders who – over the course of their career – have made an extraordinary impact on the finance and investment industry and positively influenced the US Arab and Middle Eastern community. In accepting the award, John Mack will join a fireside chat with David Rubenstein, Co-Founder & Co-Chairman, Carlyle, to reflect on his own life and legacy. He will be introduced by James Gorman, Chairman & CEO, Morgan Stanley (via video), and Mayree Clark, Independent Director and former Morgan Stanley Executive.
Proceeds from the event will raise money for the ABANA Fellowship, through the ABANA Foundation, ABANA’s 501(c)(3) charitable arm. The Fellowship will sponsor rising young talent with a stipend for graduate studies along with access to all ABANA events and a summit designed to inform and connect these fellows to senior professionals in emerging industries.
For more details on the agenda, tickets, and sponsorship, please visit our event page. You can also make a direct donation here.
TheABANA Foundation
The ABANA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable subsidiary of ABANA and was established to provide relief to the underprivileged, promote the social welfare and the advancement of education, and eliminate prejudice and discrimination, through scholarships and educational support, educational events, educational literature, and pursuing other charitable causes.
Seed-funding for the ABANA Foundation will be provided by proceeds from the 2023 ABANA Legacy Award Dinner honoring John Mack, former Chairman & CEO, Morgan Stanley. These funds will be used to institutionalize and expand the ABANA Fellowship Program as the newly christened John Mack ABANA Fellowship Program.
TheABANA Fellowship Program
The ABANA Fellowship was established nearly 10 years ago to support Arab and Arab-American MBA students in the US. Every year, ABANA selects a cohort of students who participate in a two-day program. The program includes meetings with leading financial institutions and ABANA Board Members, introductions to mentors, and opportunities to network with key players in the financial services and investment management industries. The fellows also participate in the annual ABANA Achievement Award Dinner and receive a one-year complimentary student membership and access to all ABANA membership benefits. Many fellows have gone on to find full-time careers through connections they have made through the program. Many also return as ABANA members on their own once their one-year membership expires.
Thanks to support from John Mack and proceeds from the Legacy Award Dinner in his honor, the ABANA Fellowship Program will expand on these roots.
Run under the auspices of the ABANA Foundation, the fellowship will target graduate students in their second year. It will have a competitive application process inviting students with a demonstrated interest in the Middle East and North Africa who intend to pursue a business or financial career to participate. The students selected will each receive a stipend to support their graduate studies. They will also be given ABANA memberships and granted access to ABANA’s network and all ABANA events. Most importantly, all fellows will participate in an annual summit designed to connect the fellows to senior professionals in ABANA’s network in finance and investing, private equity and venture capital, real estate, law and consulting, entrepreneurship, technology, and more. This summit will be hosted in New York City and the ABANA Foundation will cover all lodging, and food costs.
The fellowship is an opportunity for ABANA to give back to its community while maintaining links to its core mission and vision: bridging and empowering the finance community active between North America and the Middle East.
2025 ABANA John Mack Fellowship Winners
Dear ABANA Members, Stakeholders, Donors, and Community,
ABANA and the ABANA Foundation are proud to announce the 2025 Cohort of John Mack ABANA Fellows (listed below). We cherish this opportunity to advance our shared mission of elevating the next generation of business and finance leaders with ties to the Middle East and North Africa. We would like to take this moment to celebrate these fellows as exemplars of the people and values that continue to shape our work.
This fellowship was established in honor of John Mack, whose trailblazing career in finance and deep ties to the Middle East embody the highest standards of professional integrity, leadership, and global understanding. His guiding principle of doing “first-class business in a first-class way” continues to inspire the work of ABANA and the Foundation alike. We are grateful to the Mack family for their enduring support and vision in making this fellowship a reality.
This year’s fellows were selected through a rigorous process from a highly competitive pool of over 50 applicants representing dozens of the nation’s top business schools. We are confident that the five selected fellows will contribute meaningfully to our community and the MENA region alike. Please join us in welcoming them to ABANA at events this summer and beyond.
The ABANA Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing educational and professional opportunities for rising talent across our network and beyond. Through the Fellowship and other impact-driven programs, the Foundation supports a pipeline of emerging leaders committed to strengthening ties between the U.S. and MENA regions. The Foundation operates in close collaboration with ABANA, our 501(c)(6) professional membership association. Together, we are proud to build on a 42-year legacy of leadership and service.
Please take a moment to read about the backgrounds and accomplishments of this year’s Fellows below. For more information on this program, please contact us at fellowship@abana.co.
With Sincere Thanks, ABANA and the ABANA Foundation
Amine is a strategy consultant specializing in foreign direct investment and economic development. He began his career at EY-Parthenon before founding his own boutique consulting firm. Throughout his career, he has advised ministries, prime ministerial offices, investment agencies, and private sector leaders across the Middle East and Africa.
Working at the nexus of the public and private sectors, he supports clients in designing national and regional economic strategies, identifying high-impact investment opportunities, and building robust business cases to attract private capital – particularly in the manufacturing sector, where he sees strong potential for job creation and sustainable growth. He has also advised international financial institutions on investment strategies in the region and actively promotes the Middle East and Africa as key destinations for foreign direct investment.
Amine is also an active member of the World Economic Forum and the Global Shapers Community, where he has led initiatives at the intersection of economic inclusion, future skills, and entrepreneurship – helping underserved communities access education, professional opportunities, and digital tools to participate in a global economy.
Amine is fluent in English, Arabic, and French. He holds a Master’s in Industrial Engineering from École Nationale Polytechnique and École Centrale Paris (CentraleSupélec), and will be pursuing an MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Fady Shokry is the Head of Business Development at Orascom Services, overseeing the company’s strategic initiatives to expand into new revenue streams and develop the existing core businesses. Fady joined Orascom Services in 2021 and built the business development department from scratch. He participated in restructuring the company, building the new Orascom Services brand, and devising the company’s development strategy. Together with his team, they secured new dealerships and key expansions for the company’s operations. He is also currently an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School.
Fady holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business from the University of Chicago where he attended on a fully-funded scholarship. He is a recipient of the Onsi Sawiris Scholarship Program and is still an active member in the scholarship community.
Geo Saba was the Chief of Staff for Representative Ro Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley. He previously was the Congressman’s Legislative Director and National Security Advisor. Geo helped Rep. Khanna pass five bills into law and spearhead his Yemen War Powers Resolution. He is a Council on Foreign Relations Term Member, Aspen Strategy Group Rising Leader, a CNAS Next Gen Fellow, and Schmidt Futures ISF Fellow. He was a Gates Cambridge Scholar and received an MPhil in International Relations at Cambridge University. He played varsity baseball at Stanford University, where he was a research assistant for former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors in International Security Studies. He is now a JD/MBA Candidate at Stanford University.
Rose Farah is an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School (HBS). Before HBS, Rose was a member of the investment advisory team at CrossBoundary in Dubai and London. Earlier in her career, Rose was a strategy consultant at The Bridgespan Group in New York and Singapore, where she helped launch the firm’s presence in Southeast Asia. She graduated from Duke University as a Robertson Scholar.
Rowa Eltohami Sudan/Canada
UPenn Wharton School & Lauder Institute (class of 2026)
Rowa Eltohami is a Sudanese-Canadian MBA/MA in International Studies candidate at the Wharton School and the Lauder Institute, and holds a BA from Columbia University. Her work spans strategy consulting, entrepreneurship, and international development, with a commitment to enabling access to education and helping build systems that center African and Middle Eastern voices in global conversations.
Most recently, Rowa worked as a Summer Consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in the Brooklyn office, where she advised retail media clients on strategy projects at the intersection of digital marketing and AI. Prior to Wharton, she led development finance initiatives at the SDG Center for Africa in Rwanda, partnering with governments and development finance institutions to design innovative financing tools–such as SDG bonds–to help accelerate progress in education and health outcomes.
Rowa is also the founder of an Edtech platform that helps students secure funding and admissions to top global study opportunities. In parallel, she helped build Sudan’s leading record label, creating pathways for Sudanese artists to reach international audiences and positioning music as a vehicle for diplomacy and economic opportunity in the region.
New Job Opportunity at VanEck — Shared by ABANA Board Director
About VanEck: For nearly 70 years, VanEck has been a leader in building forward-looking, intelligently designed VanEck has a history of looking beyond the financial markets to identify trends that are likely to create impactful investment opportunities. We were one of the first U.S. asset managers to offer investors access to international markets. This set the tone for the firm’s drive to identify asset classes and trends—including gold investing in 1968, emerging markets in 1993, and Exchange Traded Funds in 2006—that subsequently shaped the investment management industry.
Department/Position Summary: The ResearchAnalyst will work on VanEck’s Emerging Markets Equity team. The Analyst will be a generalist, not a sector specialist covering non-cyclical small, mid and large cap names. The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of and/ or experience covering equities in Emerging Markets, particularly Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (CEEMEA) equities. Additionally, the analyst will assist in the preparation of research and marketing materials and will interact directly with clients.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Includes the following, other duties may be assigned as needed:
Research and analysis of individual companies, as well as sector, regional and economic factors affecting issuers based in the region of coverage.
Make individual stock recommendations to the portfolio manager based on detailed industry and corporate evaluations.
Conduct site due diligence meetings with company managements on a frequent basis through on-site company visits, conference calls and in office meetings.
Maintain company interactions in firm database by listing key bullet points to quickly convey important information. Information that should be maintained includes but is not limited to investment ideas and recommendations, record of meetings with company management, record of meetings with analysts reporting sector and stock views, attendance at industry meetings detailing topic of discussion and macro research (meetings with economists, strategists, political analysts, etc).
Produce comprehensive financial analysis.
Model companies.
Monitor the latest news/developments of legislative and political developments that may bear on portfolio companies and the macroeconomic environment.
Participate in marketing and sales efforts which may include writing blogs and white papers which ties to the asset class and investment process of the strategy.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
Supervisory Responsibilities: This job has no supervisory responsibilities.
Education and/or Experience:
Bachelor’s degree
MBA or relevant MA/MS in a subject that provides skills and context for making successful investments globally preferred.
Minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience as an Analyst or in a comparable position.
Demonstrated interest in Emerging Markets economic and political issues proved through work and study experience.
Excellent quantitative, qualitative and investment management skills.
Professional business and investment presence.
Ability to make decisions under uncertainty.
Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to clients and colleagues.
Willingness to travel to relevant countries under coverage.
Ability to work well independently and collaborate as a member of a team which includes the ability to be flexible and adaptable and take initiative on one’s own.
Compensation:
If this position will be performed in whole or in part in New York City, the base salary range is $165,000 to $185,000. Individual salaries may vary based on different factors including but not limited to, skills, experience, job-related knowledge, and location. Base salary does not include other forms of compensation or benefits offered in connection with this position.
VanEck is committed to treating all applicants and employees fairly and to providing equal opportunity in compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws. VanEck does not and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, religion, ancestry, color, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, age, physical or mental disability, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, covered-veteran or military status, genetic information, and/or any other factor protected by law.
Webinar – 2025 Outlook: Recent Trends in Middle East Investment
Join DLA Piper for an insightful webinar presented in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Bahrain.
Dr. Ehab Elsonbaty, Partner and Chair of DLA Piper’s US-Middle East Initiative, will join Investment Funds Partner Katherine McCullough for a discussion about key trends shaping Middle East investments this year, insights into the evolving economic landscape in the Middle East, emerging sectors poised for growth, and strategies for navigating investment opportunities and challenges within the region.
This webinar may be beneficial to business leaders, investors, policymakers, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of investment in the Middle East.
We hope to see you there.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 8:30 am – 9:30 am ET Webinar
ABANA has much to celebrate in an eventful and impactful 2024. My central message to our community last year was one of optimism for the intellect and genuineness of a community which embraces the very best Arab and Arab-American values to not only better ourselves, but all the diverse communities around us. This year, my central message is one of Gratitude; gratitude for the many new people who have joined ABANA, gratitude for the incredible generosity and kindness of our donors and benefactors, gratitude for the influx of youthful energy that is inspiring our community, and gratitude for our many speakers who took part in the 18 events ABANA and the ABANA Foundation hosted in 2024.
Though I could highlight ABANA’s gratitude to a multitude of individuals and organizations, I would like to make special mention of four individuals:
Chris Flowers, Chairman & CEO of JC Flowers and Co., His Excellency Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Group CEO of Mubadala Investment Company, Dr. Sadek Wahba, the Chairman and CEO of I-Squared Capital, and John Mack, the former Chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley.
A Tale of 4 CEO Speakers
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.” Because ABANA is a two-part organization, a 501-C-6 Professional Association, and a 501-C-3 public charity, our mission entails the curation, warehousing, and sharing of both knowledge and wisdom. This was aptly demonstrated by the following four speakers: Chris Flowers spoke to ABANA members about the increasingly competitive marketplace of private debt and equity, and how finding, creating, and building value requires discipline and focus. His Excellency Khaldoon spoke to ABANA members about how Artificial Intelligence is forcing individuals and companies to adapt to an increasing velocity of change, while also emphasizing the importance of human networks centered on character and talent. Dr. Sadek Wahba talked to ABANA members about his seminal book, “Build: Investing in America’s Infrastructure” and how the importance of public and private partnerships are necessary to create and sustain a vibrant economy. Finally, the heart of the ABANA Foundation, John Mack –and his wife, Christy Mack- talked to ABANA members about the importance of education in making the world a better place.
Both ABANA and the ABANA Foundation are immensely grateful for these speakers, and many others who shared with our community not only wisdom and knowledge, but grace. Perhaps most of all, we are grateful for our members, who believe that a community centered on best-in-class business and financial intelligence for those with an interest in the Middle East and North Africa region, can allow us all to be better, to dream more, to achieve more, to inspire more and to celebrate ourselves and one another.
Happy Holidays,
Khalid Azim.
ABANA Hosts Its First Event in the MENA Region!
ABANA is delighted to have partnered with Abu Dhabi Finance Week to host its first event in the MENA Region, a panel discussion titled “How Can AI Help Socio-Economic Development?”.
The event featured prominent industry panelists and was moderated by ABANA Director Marwan Elaraby. The discussion focused on how AI can be a catalyst for economic growth and serve as a facilitator of important socio-economic betterment in areas such as health, inequality, and workforce development.
ABANA is thrilled to continue expanding its programming and providing best-in-class business intelligence for finance professionals with interest in the Middle east and North Africa region. To join us as a member, go to https://www.abana.co/membership/
This event offers a chance to gather and reflect on the experiences of the past year, both at ABANA and beyond. As one of two seasonal networking events, it provides a wonderful opportunity for members and guests to reconnect, forge new professional connections, and celebrate the holiday season. We hope you can join us.
The event will take place on December 18th, 2024 at the Metropolitan Club of New York City from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Please check the event link for details!
RECAP—2024 ABANA Achievement Award Dinner
ABANA is privileged to have honored His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director and Group CEO of Mubadala, as our 2024 Achievement Award Recipient during an unforgettable night on October 10th at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in NYC.
In accepting the Award, His Excellency engaged in a fireside chat with Larry Fink, Chairman & CEO of BlackRock, during which he reflected on the UAE’s remarkable economic achievements as well as on the role of successful leadership through the embrace of ethical values, pursuit of professional excellence, and investment in human capital.
Thank you to our honoree for accepting the award and sharing his insights with our community, and to Larry Fink for moderating the conversation. A special thank you to our sponsors as well, without whom this event would not have been possible!
