Marie-Therese is an ACC credentialed Coach who keeps working hard to reach her ultimate goal. Her passion to assist people in discovering their life purpose and reaching their goals, as well as the importance she gives to education, have led her to pursue studies in coaching in parallel to her current 25 years of experience in sales and management in the corporate field. Talking about her coaching career, she coaches individuals following the PQ mental fitness concept. Her clients are able to respond to life’s challenges with a positive rather than a negative mindset. This inspirational lady helps them reach their peak performance, establish peace of mind and wellness in addition to creating healthy relationships. Furthermore, her mission is not limited to individuals, she coaches teams as well to get aligned on their values and synchronize their efforts for better achievements and higher performance. During her educational and practical path in the coaching journey, she held many certificates, including CPCC Certified Professional Co-Active Coach – CTI Co-Active Training Institute, PQ coach – positive intelligence and mental fitness coach By Shirzad Chamine, Team Coaching Foundation Certified Coach – GTCI – Global Team coaching institute, Intelligent Leadership Executive Coaching certification pioneered by John Mattone.
Doaa bin Thabit, Impactful Leadership
Doaa bin Thabit is the CEO of the Saudi- American joint venture Packageha, with access to 13 countries. This dedicated lady uses her platform with constant commitment to shed light on impactful leadership. In order to demonstrate how leaders’ responsibilities, transcend the economic needs of their organizations, she took major initiatives for a wider impact on society. On the economic front, Doaa launched a one-of-a-kind luxury oriental gifts product line which includes boxes, wrapping, and bag bundles. Her gifts product line sends a message to the world that oriental is global; and what is Made-In-Saudi can make it to the shelves of Virgin Megastore and Amazon in 13 countries. Her aspiration is to build the world’s first oriental Hallmark which carries a glimpse of the east and a message of tolerance and love for humanity. Packageha was the recipient of the MIT Enterprise Forum Award in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its novel approach in bringing tailored packaging to the small order size market (i.e., less than 100 packages). On the social impact front, Doaa led two major initiatives. The first is “Gift with love”, which aims to create an environment of emotional stability for orphans that brings joy and self-worth to this segment of society. This year, the initiative mobilized AstraZeneca Saudi and Dar Al-Fiker, Bearhugs and Al-Aqsa schools. The second initiative was a permanent column in Packaging MEA Magazine on how packaging supports the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through “Packaging for a Cause”. The rise of Doaa bin Thabit to the top of the executive ladder is a manifestation of a journey of progressive career growth. From managing ACE Events, a local events management company, to the principal specialist of marketing and communication at the Islamic Development Bank, a multilateral organization, to the head of UNHCR’s office in Jeddah. Throughout this career, Doaa was and still is a source of inspiration to many young females and families and she is always on track to achieve her goals.
Everything you want is on the other side of Fear
“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light”- Plato Is fear ruining your life? One of the ways to overcome your fear is to ask yourself, what am I afraid of? Think about it. You probably heard that the saying FEAR means “False Evidence Appearing Real”. There are various kinds and forms of false evidence that have the appearance of reality, such as the fear of failure, fear of success, fear of being alone, fear of love, fear of not being good enough, fear of change, etc. What most people do not realize is that fear is inevitable for success, and if you do not find ways within you to overcome it, you will not grow and will eventually die. When fear begins to ruin your life and limits your ability to live the life you deserve for yourself and your family, then it is time to face it with faith because before you know it, you will be missing out on great experiences and opportunities that could make you evolve and be happy. A young woman, whom I was coaching on self-confidence and self-perception, asked me how could she become fearless and stay motivated to reach her goal? To help her create that internal drive for her to stay focused without relying on external factors, I invited her to ponder on about the price of not following it through. YES, let me tell you that you have to be more afraid of what you will be missing out instead. There is no way around, so if you cannot get rid of fear, use it. Instead of focusing on what you are afraid of and letting it cripple you, think about the cost of not having what you want. Imagine how would your life look like if you stay the way you are and do not change anything? What would be the cost of not allowing more freedom in your life, to your family and children? And believe me these thoughts and that kind of fear will help you overcome other fears and will push you through to take necessary actions. Another way to overcome your fears is to imagine yourself at 80 years old, looking back to your life and saying to yourself, “I wish I did that” or “I wish I had more courage”, “I wish I had another chance”. Life is passing by, my friend; it is time to take the first step. Here are three ideas to get you started: – Determine why anything you desire is a must for you, and shift from a desire to a must situation. You must be hungry for it otherwise you will not be inspired. – Create different rituals that you incorporate daily to put yourself in a peak state because when you are in a peak state, you are physically stronger, you are more focused and have more energy. – Believe that you have a real potential to create the results you need, if you do not believe that about yourself, then you will not be driven enough. Little belief equals little action, which leads to little result. Tap on your potential to be able to take massive actions, feel stronger and get the momentum you need. Every successful endeavor is preceded by a form of fear, take a leap of faith and feel the fear but do it anyway. Fear could be your greatest motivator if you manage it properly. You do not have to hit rock bottom to start taking actions, start now, as with progress your fear will diminish. Hurdles and challenges are part of any journey. However, a strong desire, faith, persistence can help you remain focused on your vision, while adopting an attitude of gratitude to support putting everything in perspective. Choose to be a woman with purpose and decide to turn your vocation into a vacation. If I could give you an advice, it would be to follow your dream. If you love what you do, you will succeed. We are all gifted and unique, find your gift, share it with the world and make it shine. Love and gratitude Linda Chaccour Founder Emerge Coaching Positive Psychology Practitioner – Strategic Interventionist Coach Addiction recovery Specialist – Shadow Worker
Basma EL Zein, PhD, M.Eng. Solar Pioneer, SMIEEE, ASMEC
Dr. Basma El Zein is a senior member of IEEE, member of ACS, MRS, SPIE, ECS, IET, AUTM, AAAS, AASBC, ECS and Lebanese Engineering Syndicate. She graduated from the University of Lille, France with a Ph.D. in Nanotechnology Engineering with High Distinction for her research on Zinc Oxide Nanostructures for Photovoltaic Applications as well as a master’s degree from the Lebanese University, Lebanon in the field of Electrical and Electronics Engineering with Distinction. This passionate business woman expanded her inspirational experience by holding many positions, of which the Director General of Governance and Sustainability Center, Dean of Scientific Research at UBT, research scientist at KAUST and many more. She is a reviewer for many international peer reviewed journals, the chair or co-chair and on committees of different international conferences. Today, after 22 years of dedication to her career, this passionate lady built a valuable experience in the academic, research, renewable and economic development fields. Dr. ELZein, is the Director General of Techno-Valley, and the University of Business and Technology (UBT), in Saudi Arabia, the country where she was acknowledged for her remarkable contribution to the fields of research, teaching, community service, and industry. Furthermore, Dr. Basma is a grand Judge at Intel ISEF- USA, examiner at King Abdul Aziz city for science and Technology (KACST), and a well-known guest speaker at many international conferences on renewable energy and nanotechnology. After years of research in the fields of Telecommunication, Artificial Intelligence, auto-control and auto command by programmable logic controllers, and Computer Vision, her current research interests are in Energy Conversion and Energy Storage, which aims to develop an eco-green Solar Cell with high efficiency and long durability. To expand her knowledge in the fild, she is exploring new materials such as kesterite, perovskite, and protein to be used as a light absorber for Solid State Sensitized Solar Cells, as well as Printed Metal Oxide Batteries. In addition to all that, she published a textbook entitled “Nanostructured materials for Photovoltaic applications” as well as many other publications in this field in different international journals and has one patent filed in the USA related to materials for Solar Cells. In terms of community service, Dr. El Zein is the Vice president of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace for scientific and Academic Affairs and the advisor to the president for the General Assembly issues. She is also mentoring and supervising Mawhiba Student (talented high school students) to conduct high quality research and to participate in national and international research and innovation competitions, where one of them won a special prize in Intel -ISEF in 2017 on her water treatment research project. She is as well, a Global Goodwill Ambassador. In recognition of her various achievements, she was granted 2 funded research for her research on Nanomaterials for 3rd generation Solar Cells, and she received numerous awards, including a Special Recognition Medal from Harvard Business Council 2022, Women of Achievement in Energy from LEWAS 2021, Women of Influence Award by Global Excellence Award 2021, International Businesswomen award by Harvard Business Council 2021, Consulting management award in scientific research by CEO Today magazine 2020-2021, and Top Women professional 2020. Dr. Zein is consistent and passionate, always looking up to achieve a success after another.
Annie Seferian, mentor and political activist
Annie Seferian is an internationally certified entrepreneur, holding an MBA in Supply Chain as well as her MBA in Gender and system consultant. This hardworking lady has over 18 years of experience in family business, corporate training and non-governmental organizations. Annie pursues her passion by initiating projects for optimization, digitalization and e-commerce. Furthermore, she supports other businesses by mentoring startups at AUB, LAU, and HEC Paris. Annie is passionate about mentoring the next generation and guiding them to success since she emphasizes youth and women’s development. This committed entrepreneur has never stopped working to expand her professional network, particularly through leadership and change management. It’s not all about business and mentoring. Annie has extensive experience volunteering in a variety of fields, including mentoring, language support, voter services and data analysis, being a leader in cultural and youth clubs in different societies and associations, she enjoys developing her surrounding through a balance between technology and sustainable solutions and upholding children, women and animal rights. Finally, her significant journey in the business world, is described by following her dreams, the unstoppable hard work, being quality driven, responsible, succinct, and honest.
NADA AWAD RIZKALLAH NAMED FIRST QUALIFIED RISK DIRECTOR IN LEBANON; AWARDED THE CERTIFICATE IN RISK GOVERNANCE
Leading banking and risk executive receives a dual award, becoming the first in Lebanon to earn permission to use the Qualified Risk Director® designation. Nada’s efforts have been a leading light for others as she brings the global best practices of the DCRO Institute to current and aspiring directors in the region.” — David R. Koenig, President and CEO of The DCRO Institute GLOBAL, ORGANIZATION, August 2, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — The DCRO Institute, a global nonprofit focused on bringing risk expertise to the boardroom and c-suite, announced today the award of the prestigious Certificate in Risk Governance® to Nada Awad Rizkallah of Beirut, Lebanon. Concurrently, she has been named a Qualified Risk Director®, the first in Lebanon to be given permission to use this global designation. Nada is a professional banking executive with a career spanning over 30 years+ in multi-cultural environments in major multinational banks in the GCC and the Middle East. She enjoys strong leadership and management skills, with a proficient experience and familiarity with the entire spectrum of banking and finance businesses, including Islamic and investment banking. Nada is recognized for animating and turning visionary thinking to elevate corporate value and purpose in the Board Committees. She is a subject matter expert in Strategy, Enterprise Risk Management, Corporate Governance, and Compliance. Nada was recently named Regional Director – MENA for the DCRO Institute, where she will lead outreach and engagement to individuals, companies, and prospective partners on behalf of the DCRO Institute in the Middle East and North Africa. She will also serve as a member of the DCRO Institute Stakeholder Supervisory Board, which conducts a governance review of strategic plans and activities of the organization on behalf of stakeholders, including Qualified Risk Directors®. Nada is an IFC – Certified Corporate Director, facilitating risk and governance sessions to Board members, and successfully led the DCRO Institute’s first guided study cohort for current and aspiring board members in the MENA region pursuing the Certificate in Risk Governance®. Nada is also a Euromoney Country Risk Expert, assessing country risks. Nada was recognized in 2021 by IDC Middle East – Dubai in their Women Transformation Technology Summit among the top 50 Female Achievers that have played a key role in transforming business and Technology in the Gulf Region, based on their assessment of the region’s market. She is a member of the Lebanese League for Women in Business and the World Union of Arab Banks. She is an advocate of economic empowerment, corporate responsibility, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. “I am thrilled to see this joint recognition of Nada’s skills and strategic prowess,” said David R. Koenig, President and Chief Executive Officer of the DCRO Institute. “As I noted when she was named our Regional Director for MENA, her efforts have been a leading light for others as she brings the global best practices of the DCRO Institute to current and aspiring directors in the region, and this dual recognition furthers her credentials as a leading light in board service.” “I indulged with passion in the comprehensive Certificate in Risk Governance® program and enjoyed the practical business cases presented by a wide diversity of elite professionals and seasoned experts,” said Rizkallah. “The best takeaway from this program is to learn how to think like a director, how to embrace risks and transform them into a source of opportunities and corporate value creation. I would strongly recommend to any executives or board members to enroll in this program.” The Qualified Risk Director® is a professional designation conferred exclusively by the DCRO Institute. It recognizes the distinguished ability to link corporate strategy to the positive governance of risk-taking. We grant permission to use the designation to experienced board members and senior executives from diverse industries, experiences, and geographies who successfully complete an extensive evaluation of business experience, risk management and risk governance acumen, demonstrated leadership, and educational background. Candidates must have breadth and depth across all four areas to receive approval to be named a Qualified Risk Director®. The Certificate in Risk Governance® is awarded to those who have completed The Board Members’ Course on Risk® – an intensive 17-course education program and evaluation. The curriculum is designed for current and aspiring board members who seek to advance the governance of risk-taking at their organizations and those who interact with boards. Taught by some of the world’s leading figures in risk governance, the program features lessons by nearly 50 board members, c-level executives, and well-known authors from five continents. No course on risk for board members as robust as this – depth, practicality, and global expertise – exists anywhere else. The fundamental Duty of Care for directors around risk is to ensure that our organizations take risks well in pursuit of our goals and ambitions. This course furthers the fulfillment of that duty. Candidates may enroll in the Certificate in Risk Governance® program by visiting https://courses.dcroi.org/collections?category=CRG. Read testimonials about the program at www.dcroi.org/testimonials. About the DCRO Institute – The DCRO Institute is the home of the Qualified Risk Director® designation. We work globally to bring risk expertise to the boardroom and c-suite. Graduates from our programs are leaders in boardrooms and c-suites on five continents. Our goal, which is emblazoned on our logo, is to help organizations Innovate, Sustain, and Create Value. Visit www.dcroi.org to learn more.