Executive Magazine

Lamia Moubayed: At society’s service

by Nabila Rahhal March 13, 2015

written by Nabila Rahhal

For this month’s special report on women in the workforce, Executive chose to profile a selection of seven successful, upper managerial level, Lebanese working women. Read more profiles as they’re published here, or pick up March’s issue at newsstands in Lebanon.

Lamia Moubayed, head of the Institut des Finances Basil Fuleihan (IoF), believes that there is de facto discrimination against women in top management roles. “I personally avoided, as much as possible, work related social functions because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to manage my many duties. This affects your prospects for advancement or promotion to higher duties as you are seen less in circles of power and probably miss on some good ‘introduction’ opportunities,” says Moubayed, explaining that this is one reason why quotas are crucial to stop top positions being filled only with men.

Moubayed was selected as head of the IoF by the French Ministry of Finance in 2000, when it was still a private French–Lebanese initiative. She led the IoF’s transformation from a bilateral cooperation project into an independent public agency under the tutelage of the Lebanese Ministry of Finance. Today, Moubayed heads a team of 26 at the institute, whose main services are capacity development of civil servants, training and documentation services.

The Institute of Finance has predominantly female employees (19 out of the 26), but Moubayed says this was not their aim. “When we talk about female employment it is not at the expense of male employment, there should be diversity where each person brings to the organization a different perspective. In public affairs, diversity is a sign of health because if you want public servants to be responsible, efficient and attentive to citizens’ needs, they have to be representative of their society. In IoF, we have this very nice way of making the best out of our difference. We work for gender to become a non issue, and here, diversity is the key,” she says.

[pullquote]”Women in the public sector enjoy a number of benefits set by law that no supervisor can deny or ignore”[/pullquote]

Moubayed believes that there are very few barriers facing women, in general, in the public sector. “As far as I am concerned, the discrimination in pay between genders in the public service is rather rare, as you are paid according to a well established scale as per your grade. Also, women in the public sector enjoy a number of benefits set by law that no supervisor can deny or ignore, including maternity leave, convenient working hours [until 2 pm in administrations], pension and so on. They have a legal system and an institutional framework that guarantee their rights, protect them from abuse and allow for retaliation in case of abuse. Moreover, they enjoy two most important privileges: job security and non interruption of their pay,” explains Moubayed.

March 13, 2015 0 comments

Christine Sfeir: Quite the balancing act

by Nabila Rahhal March 12, 2015

written by Nabila Rahhal

“My mother is very important to me. She raised four children while working when most of her friends didn’t work. This is something I definitely admire and I feel that if she could do it with four children, I should be able to do it with my two daughters,” says Christine Sfeir, CEO of Treats Holding and Meeting Point, which holds the Dunkin Donuts franchise in Lebanon.

With such a role model and upbringing, it was no wonder that Sfeir took her career seriously, starting her first big project bringing the Dunkin Donuts franchise to Lebanon at the age of 22. Sfeir says the idea of bringing Dunkin Donuts to Lebanon first came to her when she was doing her masters in food science in McGill University and spent a lot of time between classes in coffee shops, something that was not common during her undergraduate years at the American University of Beirut in the early 1990s.

[pullquote]“Don’t put limits on yourself and don’t let anyone convince you that you are not up for the task”[/pullquote]

Sfeir came back to establish Dunkin Donuts in Lebanon and opened the first shop in Zalka, north of Beirut, in May 1998, and several other shops opened soon after. At that time, Sfeir says the main challenge she faced with people’s perceptions was her youth, not her gender. “Sometimes people didn’t take me seriously at first which led to some humorous incidents or reactions but it was my age more than my gender that was the issue.”

Sfeir moved on in her career and in 2008 her company established Semsom, a Lebanese cuisine concept, which is currently operational in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman, and opening in New York next month.

Even now with her company’s growth, Sfeir does not feel discriminated against as a woman. “As an entrepreneur, I run my own business instead of being an employee so, for instance, there is no issue of glass ceiling,” she explains.

Balancing the running of a company with a family requires a lot of effort, combined with an encouraging family network, Sfeir says. “I always say I have a very supportive husband who is very proud of what I am doing and does not have a problem with me not being present as much as we would both like me to be. Also, my mother helps a lot as she stays with my daughters in the afternoon until I come back from work,” says Sfeir.

She advises women who want to become entrepreneurs to choose something they are really passionate about. “Don’t put limits on yourself and don’t let anyone convince you that you are not up for the task,” concludes Sfeir.

March 12, 2015 0 comments

Finance Women in the workplace

Hayat Nader: Making it count

by Nabila Rahhal March 12, 2015

written by Nabila Rahhal

“I’m very comfortable with numbers and I love to work with them,” says Hayat Nader, head of compliance at Credit Libanais Group since 2013.

She was one of only three girls among 60 students in the Baccalaureate with a specialization in mathematics at the International School of Choueifat. Later on, at the Lebanese University, where she majored in finance and accounting, she was once again one of only five girls in the entire faculty. “Now, if you go to the school of business [at the Lebanese University], it is mostly girls that major in business, but I’m talking about back then,” says Nader.

[pullquote]“The private sector … saw woman as secretaries at that time”[/pullquote]

When her soon-to-be-husband’s job as branch manager at the Orient Credit Bank took him to Tripoli, Nader says she moved there with him and started her career as accountancy controller at the Ministry of Finance in 1974. “It was better for me as a woman to work in the public sector. In the public sector you are assessed and assigned to a post based on an exam, but in the private sector they didn’t give you a good post — they saw woman as secretaries at that time,” says Nader. She then started working in the ministry in tax auditing and was promoted to head of the audit division in Tripoli.

In 1987, Nader and her husband moved back to Beirut where she was made head of the auditing of banks for the ministry. “When I used to go with my team to audit a bank, they used to look first at the men but they would soon realize that I was the head,” recounts Nader, adding that her dedication to her career is what makes others respect her.

In 2002, Nader was promoted to head of the department of inheritance tax in Lebanon and in 2010, when the government commissioner left, she seized the opportunity and asked to be promoted to that top level position.

When she reached the mandatory retirement age for public sector officials, in 2012, then Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi asked her to stay on as his advisor, which she accepted, remaining in that post for a year. Having worked on many projects with the Ministry of Finance, Nader found it easy to move on to her current post with Credit Libanais Group, where she is in the process of building a new career at age of 66.

While working at the same time, Nader bore and raised a son. She believes that an ambitious and hard working woman can balance her personal life with a fulfilling career that certainly does not have to stop at the official age of retirement.

March 12, 2015 0 comments

Business Women in the workplace

Rana Salhab: Breaking the glass ceiling

by Nabila Rahhal March 11, 2015

written by Nabila Rahhal

“When I travel for work, people ask me how I have the heart to leave my child, whereas when my husband travels, even my mother says he is suffering to bring prosperity to his family,” says Rana Salhab, Talent and Communications partner at Deloitte Middle East.

Salhab’s career path had its own share of difficult choices and she believes risk taking, having a thick skin, taking leadership roles and displaying confidence are characteristics that have helped her forge her way forward. Her first job in the early 1980s was in the education sector in the Gulf. “At that time in the Gulf, education was among the only career options available to women so I took it, though I did not see myself growing in that field,” she recalls.

With 12 years of experience in education under her belt, Salhab’s husband’s job took them to Cairo where she decided to switch careers. “I was offered a starting position in Andersen so I went back to them and said that I would work for free for three months after which they can decide to either offer me a management position or I leave with no hard feelings. Despite the obstacles, they made me a manager and offered me more than triple what they had at the beginning,” says Salhab.

[pullquote]Salhab became the first woman to be made partner in Deloitte Middle East[/pullquote]

Three years later, Salhab accepted a global post at Andersen, before eventually moving to Deloitte and becoming the first woman to be made partner in the company’s Middle East branch. “Percentage wise [of women in executive positions globally] that is nothing, but the fact that we got to shoot the glass ceiling is an achievement by itself,” says Salhab.

Her career — and her husband’s — involved a lot of moving from country to country and traveling. It was a challenge to balance family life alongside her career. “I’ve had to call my mother many times, and she even flew in to stay with me in Geneva when there was nobody to take care of my daughter who was then seven,” recalls Salhab.

Salhab believes her real value professionally is her pragmatism and an ability to be priority oriented while also displaying the skills she believes women excel at over men, like consensus building and diplomacy.

Throughout her career, and especially with her role in Deloitte, Salhab has been an advocate for women’s economic advancement. She says she would like to be described as a coach and a leader who facilitated the advancement of women.

March 11, 2015 0 comments

Economics & Policy

A refugee on paper

by Maya Gebeily March 11, 2015

written by Maya Gebeily

The unprecedented rate at which the number of Syrian refugees in the region has grown has caught the world’s attention. After nearly four years of unrest, roughly 1.17 million Syrians are currently registered as refugees in Lebanon — and the number continues to creep up. But an often underreported and misunderstood figure is the number of those who have had their refugee status deactivated. During 2013 and 2014, at least 137,000 Syrians lost active refugee status with UNHCR, the agency managing the international response to the refugee crisis. Vague and noncommittal statements to the press by UNHCR, coupled with sudden and at times brash government announcements on the topic, have added to the confusion. With growing government involvement in registration and deactivation, human rights agencies have expressed concern that Syrian refugees will not continue receiving appropriate protection in Lebanon.

Deactivation in Lebanon

Deactivation of refugee status happens when someone registered as a refugee is removed from UNHCR’s active registration lists. As a result, that individual can no longer receive support from the refugee agency or its partner organizations in Lebanon. The process is part of normal UNHCR procedures around the world: as the situations of refugees change — as they head back to their country of origins, are resettled or are no longer in need of international protection — UNHCR removes them from their registration lists.

UNHCR began registering Syrians as refugees at the end of 2011 in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, and deactivation procedures began in 2012. The year 2013 saw a significant rise in refugee numbers in Lebanon. In that year alone, 690,399 Syrians were registered as refugees in Lebanon — and 36,000 files were deactivated. Lebanon ended the year with 805,835 registered Syrian refugees.

[pullquote]Although many fewer refugees were registered in 2014, those that were deactivated tripled[/pullquote]

In 2014, refugee numbers continued to rise, albeit more slowly. Roughly 441,684 new refugees were registered but 107,250 had their files deactivated. The difference is notable: although many fewer refugees were registered in 2014, those that were deactivated tripled. These deactivations have led, according to UNHCR’s online public portal, to a net decrease in refugees registered in Lebanon.

According to the UN agency, refugee files can be deactivated for a number of reasons, including death, leaving Lebanon and failing to keep in contact with UNHCR offices as required. Agency spokesperson Dana Sleiman tells Executive that this policy is communicated to refugees through counseling sessions during the registration process. To reactivate their status, Syrians can approach UNHCR to request an interview — but reactivation isn’t an automatic process, she says.

The first trigger for deactivation — death — is self evident, but the rest are slightly more complex. Failing to keep in contact with UNHCR offices includes regularly neglecting to appear at distribution appointments and failing to renew UNHCR registration documents within two months after their expiry. UNHCR’s staff declined to specify how many distribution meetings had to be missed before refugees would have their files deactivated.

Leaving Lebanon also meant risking potential deactivation. If registered refugees are found to be going back and forth into Syria, UNHCR brings them in for an interview to determine the nature of their visits. The agency declined to specify whether it utilized a numerical threshold for how many visits back and forth to Syria would warrant an interview with UNHCR, but deactivation occurs “based on the reasons for return and duration of their stay in Syria,” spokesperson Sleiman says. Reasons for visiting Syria considered acceptable by UNHCR are, for example, visiting a sick relative, checking on property and “go-and-see visits” — trips to Syria to check if it’s safe enough to return permanently.

[pullquote]“If there’s no fear of return, then a Syrian national should not be registered with UNHCR”[/pullquote]

As UNHCR conducts these interviews with refugees, Sleiman says the rule of thumb is whether or not these refugees were afraid to travel to Syria. “It boils down to the fear of return. If there’s no fear of return, then a Syrian national should not be registered with UNHCR,” she clarifies. “There is no mathematical equation to figure this out.” According to Bill Frelick, refugee program director at Human Rights Watch, UNHCR Lebanon’s “fear” clause is in line with definitions on refugee status.

“We think that people fleeing conflict ought to be protected on a complimentary level, but the refugee definition itself is a well founded fear of being persecuted,” Frelick tells Executive. As such, UNHCR has to constantly make “judgment calls” on who should be deactivated, he adds.

Because of the proximity and relatively open borders — at least, until the beginning of this year — Syrians could cross back and forth into Lebanon fairly easily. Many, whether registered refugees or not, would go back into Syria periodically for the “legitimate” reasons listed above. One Syrian–Kurdish refugee told Executive in September 2014 that despite the fraught situation in his hometown in Aleppo, he would make the dangerous journey there every year to check on his old family home. Additionally, Syrians with residency in Lebanon who could not pay the $200 yearly residency renewal fee would travel back to Syria, so that they could get a renewal for free upon their entry into Lebanon.

[pullquote]The government’s ultimate aim is “negative growth”[/pullquote]

But a government announcement in June of 2014 changed that. As Ministry of Interior representative Khalil Gebara told Executive in December, the government’s ultimate aim is “negative growth” — more deactivations and fewer refugees coming in because of tighter border controls, so that the number of active refugees is constantly decreasing. To that end, Minister of Interior Nouhad Machnouk declared last June that any refugees who went back to Syria would have their refugee status revoked. In reality, the process for deactivation was more nuanced than that.

During June and July 2014, Lebanon’s General Security Office provided UNHCR with the names of all Syrians who had traveled into and out of Lebanon. UNHCR then cross referenced these names with its registration lists. Registered refugees who had traveled into or out of Lebanon were interviewed by UNHCR to determine whether or not they feared returning to Syria.

By the end of June 2014, according to a source close to the subject, 12,345 Syrians had lost their refugee status specifically because of their commutes into Syria. UNHCR declined to provide Executive with data on how many refugees had their status deactivated this way, but said that it was a minority of the total number of deactivations. An emailed statement by UNHCR noted that the cooperation mechanism with General Security on this matter was no longer active at the time of writing.

UNHCR registration: growing importance

How a refugee’s status changes has a lot to do with how that refugee was registered. Syrian refugees in Lebanon are registered under a temporary protection regime, based on criteria that UNHCR has agreed upon with the government. Lebanon is not party to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, which defines refugee rights and state responsibilities towards them. Consequently, when refugees in Lebanon are registered, their status is recognized by UNHCR and its partner organizations, but not officially by the Lebanese government.

[pullquote]Syrian refugees who are seeking to renew their residency in Lebanon are now required to present their UNHCR paperwork to a General Security office[/pullquote]

Nevertheless, Lebanon — in practice, if not in law — has afforded value to registration with UNHCR. According to Ministry of Interior representative Gebara, Syrian refugees who are seeking to renew their residency in Lebanon are now required to present their UNHCR paperwork to a General Security office. This new requirement comes as a consequence of Lebanon’s new regulations on the entry and residency of Syrians into Lebanon, which came into effect on January 5. The result, from Lebanon’s perspective, is a semi recognition of refugee status; although the country does not legally assign it, it requires UNHCR documentation to provide legal residency for Syrian refugees. From a Syrian refugee’s perspective, it makes registration with UNHCR all that more important — as it is now increasingly demanded by the government in order to live in Lebanon legally.

Whether registered or not, refugees are entitled to a level of protection in Lebanon. The Lebanese state “has an obligation under customary law not to forcibly return refugees who have a real or perceived risk of persecution,” says Khairunissa Dhala, researcher and adviser on refugees at Amnesty International. “Doing so would amount to a violation of the principle of non-refoulement, which is binding on all states.”

Aside from the limited benefits afforded by the Lebanese state, refugees receive significant support from UN agencies if they are registered. This aid includes everything from food and healthcare to education and psychosocial care. Registered refugees are also eligible to access UNHCR’s resettlement program to be resettled in a number of Western countries.

The growing importance of holding UNHCR refugee status makes deactivation all the more significant. But with the government requiring proof of registration in order to renew residencies, deactivation also has legal consequences for Syrians seeking to stay in Lebanon legally.

In the government’s hands?

The process of registration and deactivation will see more involvement by the Lebanese government in the coming months. Lebanon has recently been seeking greater control over the presence of Syrian refugees on its territory, as exhibited by its decision at the end of 2014 to require that Syrians entering Lebanon obtain visas, which Executive reported on in its February issue. The next step, according to Ministry of Social Affairs representative Hala El Helou, involves UNHCR sharing its information on registered refugees with the Lebanese government.

[pullquote]UNHCR and the Lebanese government are still in talks to determine the exact nature of their future prerogatives[/pullquote]

“Transfer of data is for the government to be able to have the data of the people who are present on its territory,” Helou explains. “We’re working very closely as the government with the UN. The data has to do with mapping and just having the numbers and figures of who is present, and to build on that.”

Helou adds that the effort stems from a need to make assistance to refugees more efficient by identifying those who are most in need. “Because the assistance is becoming less and less, we need to work on rationalizing it … we need better targeting,” she says.

UNHCR and the Lebanese government are still in talks to determine the exact nature of their future prerogatives, but Helou says the government will be more involved in registering new cases. Amnesty International’s Dhala says it’s unclear how the government will use the information shared with it by UNHCR and what criteria it will use to determine refugee status. Whatever Lebanon decides, Dhala says, it should continue to provide Syrians with “international protection in accordance with international law, as they have a well founded fear of persecution in Syria due to the nature of the conflict.”

The government has already asked UNHCR to stop registering new refugees without the Ministry of Social Affairs’ approval, Helou tells Executive. She adds that Lebanon will also have a hand in the “possible evaluation of the registered cases.” The mechanisms have yet to be established, but government influence on them may be cause for concern for human rights NGOs.

[pullquote]“At the end of the year, the calculations should show more deactivations than new refugees”[/pullquote]

“The Lebanese government has a policy regarding Syrian refugees and asylum seekers which we do have a lot of concerns about,” comments Lama Fakih, Human Rights Watch’s Syria and Lebanon researcher. Based on government statements, including Interior Minister Machnouk’s statement mentioned above, Lebanon sees refugees visiting Syria for any reason as de facto forfeiture of their refugee status.

When asked whether the government had pressured them into tougher measures on registration or deactivation, UNHCR representatives told Executive in an emailed statement that “the government of Lebanon has always and consistently respected UNHCR’s role and responsibilities,” and declined to comment further.

Nevertheless, the government’s objective remains the same: decreasing the number of registered refugees in Lebanon. “At the end of the year, the calculations should show more deactivations than new refugees,” says Gebara, the Ministry of Interior representative. With stricter regulations on Syrians entering Lebanon, more deactivated cases year after year and growing government involvement in registration and deactivation, the government’s goal of “negative growth” doesn’t seem so far away.

March 11, 2015 0 comments

Business

Serving peace of mind

by Nabila Rahhal & Thomas Schellen March 10, 2015

written by Nabila Rahhal & Thomas Schellen

When Lebanon’s health ministry last year embarked on a proactive national food safety campaign, it disrupted industries that by all indications had been complacent for far too long. Inspections of establishments in all parts of the citizens’ food supply chain revealed practices ranging from bad to repulsive to outright criminal — such as unsafe storage of perishables, non separation of waste bins from food preparation areas, and sale of spoilt foods.

Whether such violations of both official standards and common sense are concentrated in specific segments of the food industry, and whether the longstanding laxness of supervision caused the entrenchment of potentially disastrous practices in food sector establishments, are questions that cannot be answered conclusively at this point.

It also has yet to emerge whether the personal crusading of Minister of Health Wael Abu Faour, laudable as the act is, can be solidified into a regulatory and supervisory presence that will award the Lebanese consumers with a universally enhanced level of food safety.

What can already be said, however, is that some brand owners in the Lebanese hospitality industry are now paying much greater attention to the need for crisis readiness. This increased attention, claims the chief executive of Roadster Diner Donald Daccache, at his firm entails both a new food safety plan and reputation management in case of a crisis.

[pullquote]“We didn’t have a crisis management team at the time and, as we were very surprised [by the situation], tended to be reactive”[/pullquote]

Roadster Diner, a successful local chain of casual restaurants, was among the handful of branded companies that were named by Abu Faour in November as safety violators. According to the minister’s publicized list, a tested chicken product from one Roadster Diner was in violation of standards. Daccache admits management was hit unprepared by this. “We didn’t have a crisis management team at the time and, as we were very surprised [by the situation], tended to be reactive,” he says.

Immediately, the reactive method did not perform all that well for the company. There were some blips and misunderstandings in communication. Negative word of mouth spread faster than the positive one and Daccache says, “we felt that we were hit financially and at a reputation level.”

Reputation risk is a paramount issue for any company that derives most of its value from brand equity — and according to Daccache the brand and the people represented “at least 70 percent” of the (double digit) millions of dollars he paid for a controlling stake in Roadster Diner in 2013 in an intra-family takeover.

Despite the expanded importance of brand reputation and heightened impact potential of associated risks, crisis management is not yet a common capability in Lebanon, says Nadine Yehya, professor of marketing at the American University of Beirut. She explains that the lack of plans or teams for crisis management is due to the infrequency at which local companies and business owners have been challenged by media or consumers.

“Whereas companies in the US have strategies in place to deal with all crises that might arise in their line of work, reactions [of Lebanese companies] are more responsive to crises and sometimes they are quite emotional, even though that is not the case with large well structured corporations but more with smaller restaurants,” Yehya says. She adds, however, that consumers are becoming more attuned to challenging corporations and demanding their rights from them alongside increased attention that the media is giving stories related to corporations and brands.

How to react

Yehya explains that there are several responses which are most commonly used by crisis management teams to protect a brand’s image after negative news has been shared through media outlets. Shes adds that, today, with the prevalence of social media, consumers can reach a corporation directly, which is an aspect that crisis management has to take into consideration.

[pullquote]“At first, people were impressed with the minister’s campaign but with time, they got tired or ‘burnt out’, from a consumers’ perspective”[/pullquote]

One response, according to Yehya, is the “no comment” approach, where the corporation keeps a low profile until the negative news is forgotten by the consumer. Speaking about Lebanon’s recent food safety scare, Yehya says: “At first, people were impressed with the minister’s campaign but with time, they got tired or ‘burnt out’, from a consumers’ perspective. They don’t want to overthink every aspect of their lives and want to go back to their comfort zones, away from high agitation. That’s why many corporations use the ‘no comment’ approach and wait until the storm has passed.”

According to Daccache, this method of stepping back from emotional and reactive responses worked for the company and as the negative buzz subsided, the year-on-year contraction in revenues moderated to about four percent by February, compared to the nearly 10 percent contraction in the first month after accusations made the rounds in November.

As Yehya also points out, however, not commenting has its own dangers. She warns that one of these dangers is that consumers would come to believe that corporations have something they are trying to hide, especially when communication is via social media where ‘no comments’ are perceived as shirking.

[pullquote]“Through our social media channels, we communicated with our customers directly, assuring them that we were investigating the issue”[/pullquote]

Another restaurant chain, Kababji, which offers traditional Lebanese food, says that it countered being mentioned in Abu Faour’s list of food safety violators head-on via social networks. “Through our social media channels, we communicated with our customers directly, assuring them that we were investigating the issue. This was very important to us because sometimes there are misperceptions or misinformation,” says Boudy Boustany, head of marketing at Kababji.

According to him, Kababji received minimal negative comments from consumers and the brand was barely affected by the uproar over the food safety campaign launched by Minister Abu Faour. As Boustany describes it, “The first thing we did was validate the information from the source, getting the details from the ministry on what exactly the issue was. Then, we went through our entire supply chain to see if there was a glitch in our system and set a marketing strategy with our team. Finally, we communicated with our customers in a transparent manner and moved on with our usual strategy of focusing on quality and customer experience.”

Kababji’s approach mirrors what Yehya lists as best practices in crisis management, where a corporation should start its response with self examination, assessment of what changes are needed, development of a change strategy and then communication of the improved processes to stakeholders, along with giving reassurance that the company’s primary concern is about quality and the consumer.

Learning from the crisis

Both Kababji and Roadster stand out as brands in an environment where the vast majority of restaurant operators are much less defined. Each of the two eateries has invested in building a community, and loyal consumers defended them on social media channels when the allegations against them were first aired.

Roadster, which has more restaurants and which according to Daccache started thinking in brand development terms about 10 years ago, has an edge in the brand journey when judging from the number of its social media followers on Facebook — over 168,000 — about three times that of Kababji.

This in turn implies that Roadster would have more to lose than many other hospitality companies if its brand sustains significant damage from a food safety crisis or other reputation impediment.

Daccache claims that in addition to the lack of crisis management preparedness a second surprise factor in Roadster’s experience with the food scandal was that the company had previously felt rather secure in their food safety standards, as it had established and certified processes in place and maintained ISO 22000 certification, a derivative of ISO 9000 dealing with food safety.

The main lessons that Roadster internalized from the recent crisis, according to Daccache, were to avoid reactive behavior and always have an up to date crisis management plan and communications strategy. The company addressed these needs by bringing a public relations company on board with a reputation for crisis management skills.

Besides these insights, he and his team felt a “definite push” on the food safety level. “We have a very solid strong system but, in Beirut, you have lots of challenges, and so we have to personally do the job of carrying out safety checks on many levels,” Daccache says. He cites problems of water pollution all throughout the food chain and suppliers with fake certification as examples of such challenges.

[pullquote]“I think what the minister did is quite good in terms of shaking the people up”[/pullquote]

Procedures for checking the safety of fresh produce have been stepped up and Roadster is looking into establishing its own food safety laboratory for its current and eventual incoming brands, he adds. However, a plan for donating a food lab to the government was a miscommunication, Daccache explains. He even puts a positive angle on the health ministry’s new vigor for inspections by saying, “I think what the minister did is quite good in terms of shaking the people up.”

In dollar terms, Roadster has dedicated 40 percent of its marketing budget — $500,000 — since November to communicate about food safety. However, the food safety and communications program are still in the planning phase. “Getting back on track needs a lot of time and we are getting prepared for full communication,” Daccache explains. He adds that full implementation of all planned new controls at the intended pace will take one to two years.

In the end, the exposure to food safety problems suffered by sizeable local brands such as Roadster and Kababji may help the entire sector — including many unbranded players — understand the seriousness of the need to improve. “We will react to this professionally,” Daccache emphasizes, “and we take our business extremely seriously. Whatever tips this crisis could give us to become better, we are open to critiques and learning.”

March 10, 2015 0 comments

Economics & Policy Women in the workplace

Laure Sleiman: A news worthy woman

by Nabila Rahhal March 10, 2015

written by Nabila Rahhal

When Laure Sleiman was first appointed as director of the National News Agency (NNA) in 2008, the official news agency under the Ministry of Information, a criticism she heard was that “this job needs a man.” Eight years into the post, handling the broadcasting of many delicate political news items in a timely and efficient manner, Sleiman says: “I proved them wrong. I showed them that what this position needs is determination and hard work, regardless of gender.”

Within days of graduating from the Lebanese University’s faculty of media and documentation in 1992, Sleiman had landed a post at Voice of Lebanon as a news broadcaster and correspondent after having demonstrated her skills during an interview for a university project with then president of the Kataeb party, George Saadeh. She stayed in that post for three years while simultaneously working with the Al Markaziya News Agency, an independent news agency, and the Al A’mal newspaper, which later shut down.

After getting married, Sleiman left these jobs and accepted a position in the NNA in 2004. “I preferred working with the NNA as it was a better position with more flexible working hours, which was important to me at that time,” explains Sleiman. She rose up the ranks in the NNA, getting promoted from secretary of the news division to the director of that same division. She was finally promoted director of the whole agency, becoming the only woman in the Arab region to be a director of a national news agency, according to her.

[pullquote]“It takes an open minded and flexible partner to bear all this”[/pullquote]

Sleiman explains that she often gets work related calls at night or during weekends when a newsworthy event occurs. Balancing a family life with that sort of pressure is not easy and “comes at the expense of my health and comfort,” she says. “I have three children and when I first started at NNA, in 2004, they were still at the age when I was helping them study at home. I put in a lot of effort to balance these two roles and didn’t get the time to rest even at night,” she says.

Still, Sleiman says she loves her career and the thrill that comes with it and attributes part of the strength she has to move forward with her work to her husband and children. “It takes an open minded and flexible partner to bear all this.”

Sleiman advises young women to not look at their job as just a paycheck at the end of the month, as “success comes through dedication and motivation in what you do.”

March 10, 2015 0 comments

Business Women in the workplace

Nesreen Ghaddar: All alone at the top

by Nabila Rahhal March 9, 2015

written by Nabila Rahhal

For most of her academic life, from her years as a student to teaching as a professor, Nesreen Ghaddar, associate provost and Qatar Chair of Energy Studies at the American University of Beirut (AUB), has been the only woman around.

[pullquote]”Sometimes people are afraid of your success, especially when you are the only woman”[/pullquote]

But Ghaddar has always viewed this as a learning experience. “Sometimes people are afraid of your success, especially when you are the only woman. People don’t know how to respond at the beginning and what to expect, but this changes with time when you prove yourself. You need to always keep your focus on the end goal.”

Ghaddar received her bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Kuwait University, in the country of her birth. She says her parents were supportive of her choice of major but the challenge was in convincing them to allow her to continue her studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). “I was the first woman in my family to leave home to study abroad so my father was resistant but I convinced him by working out the funding on my own and by showing him the acceptance letter and scholarship together.’”

Ghaddar went on to complete both her master’s and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering at MIT in the 1980s. In 1992, she accepted the position of professor of mechanical engineering at AUB. She remembers that there was never more than one woman in mechanical engineering classes at the time, but when there was one, she was usually the top of her class.

Things started changing when Ghaddar became department chairperson in 2002. “First, [with me as chairperson] women had a role model in that field. At the same time, our labs became softer with more programming courses and connections to sustainability and environment issues, which are of interest to both genders. We started having more women in the department and though it is still the lowest [gender ratio] in the faculty, it is better than before,” says Ghaddar.

Ghaddar finds her experience as a chairwoman both difficult and enriching, and explained that she had targets and goals to achieve regardless of people’s reactions. “I had to make hard decisions and bear their consequences … but the culture changed and engineers changed.”

While Ghaddar admits that it is never easy to balance one’s personal life with work, she feels that living in Lebanon helps a lot. Here, she says, women can enjoy the invaluable support of their extended family when it comes to taking care of children.

March 9, 2015 1 comment

Economics & Policy Women in the workplace

Mona Abdul Latif: A real life superhero

by Nabila Rahhal March 9, 2015

written by Nabila Rahhal

For this month’s special report on women in the workforce, Executive chose to profile a selection of seven successful, upper managerial level, Lebanese working women. Some of these women work in the private sector, others are in the public sector, but for all the differences in their job titles and roles, they share some commonalities. They are all ambitious, hard working and were able to build up their careers despite the obstacles that most working women face. They were all raised in supportive families who fostered their ambitions, and they all now credit the family they have built, their husbands and children, and the motivation and support they offer, for helping them achieve this success. In these profiles, we ask them how they managed this balancing act, what drives them to succeed and what lessons they would give to the young women who are just entering the workforce.

Read more profiles as they’re published here, or pick up March’s issue at newsstands in Lebanon.

Above the desk of Mona Abdul Latif, the director of buildings at the Ministry of Public Works, is a drawing by her 10 year old daughter depicting her as a superhero. “It means a lot to me that my daughters are proud of my achievements and see me as a role model for their future career choices,” she says.

[pullquote]”When we graduated, we were among the first women engineers in the country”[/pullquote]

Abdul Latif, who has seven siblings, says her parents were very open minded compared to others of their generation in the 1960s. They insisted that all their children, regardless of their gender, get a competitive higher education and so she studied civil engineering at the Arab University. “There were very few women majoring in civil engineering at my time and when we graduated, we were among the first women engineers in the country. But today, there are many.”

Upon graduation, Abdul Latif joined the Ministry of Public Works as an engineer and says she proved herself through her hard work and perseverance, focusing on bettering her skills by taking voluntary computer and AutoCAD design courses. She rose up the ranks over the course of eight years until she was made director of buildings at the ministry, one of the few, if not only, “first level” female directors in the public sector.

To Abdul Latif, being a successful woman is all about balance. “It is not enough to only succeed in your personal life, in society and at home and be a failure when it comes to your career, nor is it enough to have an outstanding career but have your personal life in shambles. A balance is great.”

Key to achieving this balance, says Abdul Latif, is dedication and devotion in both the private and public spheres. “I always complete my work with the government to the best standards, complying with all policies and procedures at the risk of upsetting people. And I show this same dedication to my family life.”

She also attributes part of her success to the partnership she has at home with her husband, which she compares to managing a company. “My husband, a general in the Internal Security Forces, and I collaborate in raising our three daughters. He takes on some tasks such as helping them with their schoolwork and driving them to school, whereas I take on other tasks such as cooking,” says Abdul Latif. She adds that, as a couple, they also encourage each other to move forward in their careers.

Abdul Latif was among the 15 shortlisted for the Lebanese Outstanding Women Award 2012, a recognition which she says she was honored to receive. “This nomination meant that I was recognized for my achievements and that my career has a meaning to people, that I did not just pass by unnoticed.”

March 9, 2015 0 comments

Business Women in the workplace

In a man’s world

by Greg Demarque March 6, 2015

written by Greg Demarque

This article is part of Executive’s special report on women in the workplace. Read more stories as they’re published here, or pick up March’s issue at newsstands in Lebanon.

Najwa Layan — Police officer

Journey and motivation

Ever since she was a child, Najwa Layan has been attracted to military life. She says that three years ago she heard there was a call for women to join the Internal Security Forces, so she applied. There were specific criteria for entering, and she met them all.

Others’ perceptions

Layan notes that her entire family supported her decision, telling her she had a strong personality that would fit perfectly with the job. Her male colleagues have also been extremely supportive, helping her with training in the street and teaching her many things.

Obstacles

Layan notes that in the past people were surprised to see a woman working as a police officer in the streets. Now, however, after the government began encouraging female applicants, the public has gotten used to the sight of a female police officer. She says that many people are actually happy to deal with a policewoman.

Future plans

Layan says she enjoys every moment spent on the job, and thus doesn’t imagine herself leaving it to do something else. She wants to work on developing herself and hopes to rise as far in the field as possible.

Advice

Layan encourages other women to join the ISF, saying that the job helps to develop a strong personality.

Elsy Abou Zeid — Mechanical technician at Volvo

Journey and motivation

Elsy Abou Zeid was raised with three brothers and 10 cousins, all boys. She grew up playing boys games in order to fit in and have a chance to spend time with them. As she grew older, her interest in things traditionally reserved for men only grew.

After earning her baccalaureate degree she held several internships, but it was one she did at a garage that interested her most. This is why she decided to become a mechanical engineer and begin her studies at the Lebanese branch of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM).

Others’ perceptions

As the only girl in her class, Abou Zeid felt like an intruder in the beginning, but things started getting better for her.

Her father, having seen where her interest lay from a young age, was supportive of her chosen career path. Her mother, however, was reluctant because she viewed the job as harsh. As for her colleagues, Abou Zeid notes the younger ones are the most accepting.

Obstacles

The only difficulty Abou Zeid faces is the physical constraints. She explains, for instance, that it is hard for her to move a 100 kilogram engine. However, she strongly believes that being a woman sparks some welcome curiosity among employers’.

Future plans

Abou Zeid is intent on continually working to evolve in this job, and hopes to some day open her own auto repair shop.

Advice

To women still hesitating on whether to pursue this path, Abou Zeid says that if a woman has a passion for automotive work, she shouldn’t think twice.

Cynthia Bitar — Owner and executive chef at Nazira Catering

Journey and motivation

Cynthia Bitar’s mother, Nazira, was one of the first women to enroll in the hospitality school in Dekwaneh, graduating in 1967. Nazira then worked in the restaurant at Al Bustan Hotel in Beit Meri, and later gave cooking classes for years. Thanks to her mother, Bitar grew up immersed in the world of cooking.

In 1997, Bitar decided to study at the Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, a school specializing in culinary arts and hospitality. She came back to Lebanon in order to develop the family catering company, which Bitar explains was the first one in Lebanon.

Others’ perceptions

Bitar says that in France, men are more accepting of women working as chefs, whereas in Lebanon she sees a lot more sexism.

Obstacles

According to Bitar, there are several obstacles for female chefs, compared to their male counterparts. First, there are the physical constraints, with the heavy lifting required and the long working hours. Women, says Bitar, need to work more and do more in order to prove their professionalism.

Future projects

Bitar has plans to begin working on her first book, as well as give cooking class. She also would like to expand her catering company outside of Lebanon.

Advice

Bitar believes that women should be confident and professional. For her, cooking is not just an ordinary job, it’s a passion, and chefs should fully immerse themselves in their work.

Rola Hoteit — Pilot at Middle East Airlines

Journey and motivation

While still a mathematics student at the American University of Beirut, a friend jokingly showed Rola Hoteit a newspaper advertisement for a pilot position at MEA. She took it as a challenge and she sat for the exam and passed.

Others’ perceptions

Hoteit believes that men’s perception of women pilots is changing with time, even though there are still less female pilots in the Arab world than in Europe. Twenty years after joining MEA, she is still the only female pilot in the company. She explains that some aircraft operators still call her “sir” when communicating with her.

Obstacles

At first, Hoteit’s father disapproved of her career choice, hoping she would continue her mathematics studies. However, she eventually succeeded in convincing him it was the right choice and now he is very proud of her. As for her colleagues, Hoteit says that her first two years as copilot were difficult, as others weren’t used to seeing a woman in the cockpit.

Future projects

She plans to finish her master’s degree in philosophy, and hopes to open a bookstore in Lebanon.

Advice

Hoteit directs advice at men, saying, “Let women dream, they are capable of doing anything.”

Nancy Arbid — Aerospace engineer

Journey and motivation

While studying mechatronics at Hariri Canadian University, Nancy Arbid enjoyed her time as an intern with Middle East Airlines. So, after she finished her master’s degree, she applied to work there. Arbid is still the only female aerospace engineer at the company.

Others’ perceptions

Arbid explains that initially her parents did not know exactly what she was doing. Now, however, they are proud of her and her accomplishments.

Obstacles

She says that while it took some time for her male colleagues to accept her on the team, the work environment is currently much better and her colleagues now listen to her opinions.

Future projects

She hopes to obtain certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Advice

Arbid says it’s a very challenging job, but male colleagues should be given some time to get used to women making their way in this work environment that is traditionally occupied by men.

Diana Salameh — Winemaker at Domaine Wardy and others

Journey and motivation

Growing up under her grandparents’ grape vines, it felt only natural for Diana Salameh to study oenology at the Institut universitaire de la vigne et du vin in Dijon, France. She received her bachelor’s degree in 1992, and later earned a specialized diploma in oenology.

Others’ perceptions

Salameh says that at first her parents thought she had chosen to study oenology in order to leave Lebanon indefinitely, because the wine sector was highly underdeveloped in the country at that time.

Obstacles

According to Salameh, winemaking as a career choice is still relatively new in Lebanon, so a preference has not developed for male winemakers, compared to France where she says it’s been considered a job for men for a long time. As for the agricultural sector in general, Salameh claims that men still have problems with being led by a woman.

Future projects

Salameh wants to work on bettering the quality of wine in Lebanon, while at the same time make it available to everyone.

Advice

She says that someone should only choose this career if they have a passion for it, because it’s physically very demanding.

Christelle Yared — General Manager at MSCA – M. Special Car Armoring

Journey and motivation

When Christelle Yared was finishing her bachelor’s degree in business and management at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, she took the challenge to relaunch her father’s vehicle armoring company in order to upgrade the car of one of her father’s previous clients. In two months, she succeeded in building a team, finding a location to carry out work, identifying providers for the car parts and delivering the car to the client. For two years, the company was only working on one or two cars a year, which made it possible for Yared to focus on developing herself and learning different techniques.

Others’ perceptions

Yared notes that the team initially had trouble being led by a younger woman. With time, however, they ended up accepting her. She explains that even the suppliers questioned what a woman was doing in this field. Clients now only have doubts for about five minutes, as they are quickly convinced by her professionalism and passion for her work.

Obstacles

Her biggest obstacle has been gaining her clients and providers’ trust. Yared worked very hard the first two years, which kept her away from her family, friends and social life. But she says that it was her way of showing everyone her determination to succeed.

Future projects

She wants to develop and expand the company into Africa.

Advice

Yared advises women to be determined in whatever they do. Women can do anything, she says, and can even be stronger than men in fields considered “traditionally male”.

Clarification: Diana Salameh is also a winemaker and consultant at other wineries, like Atibaia where the picture was taken.

March 6, 2015 2 comments