Making sure that Lebanon is firmly on the world’s winter resort map, Rizk Rizk, chairman, major shareholder and member of the board of directors of Tourisme et Sports d’Hiver Mzaar, Mzaar 2000 and Mzaar InterContinental Hotel, gives his guests a ski experience that is nothing less than excellent.
Having obtained a business degree with an emphasis in banking and finance from LAU in January 2015, Peter Taylor currently lives in both Boston and Beirut, splitting his time between the two cities. Six months ago he launched a performance drink called Vitamin 1, which he had been working on since his graduation.
“Ipsa scientia potestas est”/Knowledge is power
Based on his strong belief that the only way to be totally free is through education, Anwar Jammal has spent the past decade assisting low-income groups by providing financial aid to students at the Ali Jammal Social Educational Institutions, reaching 18,000 young people. He has also awarded scholarships to high achievers at numerous Lebanese schools and universities. The generous Ali Abdallah Jammal Memorial Scholarship Grant allocated yearly to a needy and deserving business student at LAU is one such award.
With the help of what he calls an “all-time passion” for the field of building contracting and interior design, alumnus Salam Abou Ghanem embarked on a journey that eventually led him to running his own business. His journey started in 1994 when he graduated from LAU equipped with a degree in business marketing. Armed with knowledge, skills, values and most importantly, passion, he entered the job market, gaining experience at several leading companies in his field for nearly 12 years before launching his own fit-out contracting company, bci décor, in the UAE in 2006.
Romy Bakhos Salamé, an LAU alumna who earned a business degree in 2015, is applying her expertise to the marketing and management of sports products, aiming to improve their sales and distribution within the local market. In her personal life, she recently got married and generously allocated all the funds of her wedding gift bank account to LAU’s scholarship program. “It struck me that I can give what I don't need and share it in a way that truly makes a difference for someone wanting an education,” she said, commenting on this personal initiative.
For the past several years, Joe Abi Ghosn has been making substantial donations to support LAU’s Gala Dinner Endowment Scholarship Fund as well as initiatives that he is passionate about, such as the university’s groundbreaking exoskeleton project.
What did you study at BUC?
I joined BUC in 1981 at its off-campus program in Louaize as a dual degree Engineering student. In 1983 I travelled to the US and graduated from Texas Tech University in 1985 with a B.S.C.E. I also received a B.S. in General Science from BUC in 1986.
Where do you live now?
I have been living in Nigeria and Ghana for the past 24 years, but my family recently relocated to Lebanon. I am happily married to Daniella Rizcallah and we have three children, Celine, Antoine and Corine.
Dr. Georges Harik is a name that every aspiring computer scientist should know. As one of Google’s first ten engineers and former director of new products, the Lebanese expatriate helped launch many of Google’s products that millions of people now take for granted. Since then, he’s gone on to establish a nonprofit artificial intelligence lab, as well as the video-conference platform imo.im. He also provides financial backing to promising start-ups, a process known as angel investing. Harik is a generous friend to LAU, providing annual support to the Department of Computer Science.
Adnan Kassar is renowned for his diligence, vision and leadership, and understands the importance of inspiring such values in Lebanon’s future leaders.
Kassar is currently the chairman and majority shareholder of Fransabank SAL, and the chairman of Fransa Holding SAL. He is also the founder and co-owner of A.A. Kassar SAL, a leading trading company headquartered in Beirut.
Joe Maroun is a man known for following his passions, however divergent they may be. The former secretary of LAU’s Board of Trustees was an airline pilot before his love of Lebanese bread led him to establish his own bakery products company in California. By the time he sold the Caravan Trading Company in 2010, it was one of the largest of its kind in the U.S.
Joe and his wife Carmen are dedicated philanthropists. They actively support several charities in Lebanon and in 2005, donated over 100,000 ready-to go emergency meals to survivors of the Southeast Asian Tsunami.
