The speakers are expected to share their take on the current situation as well as their respective visions and opinions about the future, specifically related to FDI’s, multinationals movements in or out of the affected states, as well as GDP, Debt, Unemployment and various other issues.

Agenda

Speakers

Nicolas Nahas was appointed Minister of Economy and Trade in the government of Lebanon in June 2011. He is also the founder of “EDAFI Value Partners”, a business development firm managing private equity investments focusing on several industries such as FMCG, construction material and clean energy in MENA region.
Mr. Nahas was the CEO of “Ciment de Sibline”, a prominent Lebanese cement factory and member of “Secil” Portuguese cement group, from 1980 until 2009 to become later a Board Member.
In his first ten years of career, Mr. Nahas joined “Amiantit”, member of the Swiss Amiantus Group, as Head of the Construction Department in charge of implementing Asbestos cement plant in many Arab countries. This role subsequently allowed him to become the CEO of Amiantit Jordan, a leading pipe manufacturing plant in Jordan.
Mr. Nahas has also played an active role in the economical public life of Lebanon in his capacity as vice president of the Lebanese Businessmen Association (RDCL) from 1991 to 1995 and also as Member of the Board of the Lebanese Industrialists Association from 1992 to 2002. Starting 2010 he has been elected the vice president of this association.
Mr. Nahas has been appointed as the Chief Economical Counsellor of the Prime Minister of Lebanon Mr. Najib Mikati during his mandate in 2005.
Mr. Nahas earned a degree in Civil Engineering from Saint-Joseph University in Lebanon (ESIB) in 1972
He joined the postgraduate ISMP program in Harvard Business School in 1992.

Professor Gonzalo Garland is Vice President for Development at IE Business School in Madrid, Spain, where he is also a member of the Executive Committee. Prior to this, he was Director of External Relations, Director of International Relations, Vice Dean for Faculty, and Director of the Economics Department. He studied economics at the Universidad Del Pacífico in Lima, Peru, Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania. At present he combines his management responsibilities with teaching courses on Managerial Economics, Country Economic Analysis, and Economic Development.

Mr. Hedi Larbi became Country Director of the Middle East Department, World Bank Group, on December 1, 2007, covering Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Mr. Larbi, a Tunisian national, joined the Bank in 1993 as a Transport and Urban Economist in the infrastructure division of the West Central Africa Department. He has since held various positions in Africa region as a lead specialist, then as Sector Manager in the Sustainable Development department of the Middle East and North Africa Region.
Mr. Larbi received his Baccalaureat in Mathematics from Bizerte College in Tunisia; a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering and Management from Ecole des Mines de Paris, France; and an Executive MBA from Harvard Business School, USA.