Board of directors
Chairman Group Chief Executive Officer
Farid Chedid is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of the Chedid Capital Holding group of companies.
Starting with the launch of Chedid Re in 1998, Farid Chedid embarked on a two-decade journey building one of the region’s premier insurance and reinsurance group across the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Europe. Chedid Re is recognized among the top-20 reinsurance brokers worldwide and registered as a Lloyd’s broker.
Today, Chedid Capital Holding includes Chedid Re, Chedid Insurance Brokers, and Chedid Corporate Solutions. In 2009, the Group established Seib Insurance Company, as a Qatar-focused company dealing with corporate and complex risks. In 2015, Chedid Capital acquired a major stake in City Brokers, the leading insurance provider in Mauritius and East Africa. The same year, the group acquired Al Manarah Insurance Services, one of the leading insurance provider in the UAE.
In 2016, Global Re and Strategic Risk consortium selected Farid Chedid as “The Middle East and Africa Industry Achiever of the year”. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, he was selected among the 100 Arab Achievers by Arabian Business publication and among the 35 Most Influential Lebanese Businessmen by Forbes Middle East 2018.
In addition to his many company board memberships, Farid Chedid is active in support of many non-profit organizations, serving as a member of the Board of Trustees at Notre Dame University, Lebanon; a Member of the Board of Endeavor, Lebanon; a member of Human Rights Watch, Beirut Committee; a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador and a Fellow of the Middle East Leadership Initiative (MELI), member of The Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN).
Farid Chedid is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute of the UK, he holds a Master’s in Risk Management from NYU Stern School of Business; a Master’s in Finance from ESA/ESCP Europe; a Master’s in Management from Universite Paris IX Dauphine, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Maritime Law from London Metropolitan University.
Vice Chairman
A former Senior Vice President of Booz Allen Hamilton, Charles El-Hage has 25 years of worldwide management consulting experience, covering a wide variety of industries and functional areas. In particular, Charles established the Booz Allen business in the Middle East in 1993, and led it until retiring from consulting in 2009.
During this period, Charles has worked on a broad spectrum of industries including Banking, Insurance, Automotive, Health Care, Telecoms, Petroleum, Chemicals, Information Technology, and Construction. In addition, he has assisted a number of Middle Eastern governments on national policy and governance matters.
He is currently a Director on the boards of a Middle Eastern companies and non-profit organizations. These include Chedid Capital Holding, Group One, Quantum Group, Chalhoub Group, Debbas Group, Libanpost, and Lebanon Renaissance Foundation.
Charles is also currently advising SME Private Equity funds, and is actively involved in companies in the Agribusiness, Hospitality and Rural Development areas.
Charles received a Master in Industrial Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management from Purdue University, USA. In addition, he is a graduate of the INSEAD Young Managers Program.
Member
With over 45 years of experience in the insurance industry in Lebanon and the Middle East, Sami Chedid is the founder and Managing Director of La Nationale SAL, a leading life and non-life insurance brokers.
Mr. Chedid is one of the founder of Chedid Re and he is a member of the strategic committee of Chedid Insurance Brokers network.
Mr. Chedid holds a law degree from La Sagesse University in Lebanon.
Member
Before joining the Rashed Al Rashed Group of companies as Executive Manager, Abbas Al-Brahim was a banker for Saudi French Bank for 25 years.
Mr. Al Brahim is a board member in several companies representing AL Rashed group. He is the Executive Director of RICO Holding KSA, Chairman of Chedid Re KSA and Chedid Insurance Brokers KSA, Executive Director of Al Rashed Real Estate Investment Holding, Saudi Vetonite SAVETO S.A. and Managing Director of DARMCO Ltd among others.
Mr. Al Brahim holds a bachelor degree in general accounting and an MBA from Columbia University.
Independent Member
Ziyad Baroud is the former Minister of Interior and Municipalities (MoIM) of the Republic of Lebanon; he served in two consecutive cabinets, from July 2008 until June 2011. The MoIM was awarded under his leadership the 2010 United Nations Public Service Award First Prize. In 2010, Mr. Baroud received the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) 2010 Manatt Democracy Award as a tribute to his commitment to freedom and democracy. In July 2011, he was awarded “Commandeur de Numéro de l’Ordre Civil du Mérite” by the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I. In October 2010, he was awarded “Officier de la Légion d'Honneur” by the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, for his achievements. And in 2009, he was awarded “Grand Officier de L’Ordre National du Mérite de la République Française”. In 2007, he was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Prior to his appointment as Minister, Mr. Baroud held a number of positions among which: Member of the Lebanese National Commission on Electoral Law (2005-2006). In 2004, Mr. Baroud was elected Secretary General of the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections to lead a group of more than 1300 domestic electoral observers. He has also served as a board member for the Lebanese chapter of Transparency International since 2006. Additionally, Mr. Baroud is on the board of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies and on the board of trustees of Notre Dame University.
A court lawyer by practice and managing partner at HBD-T Law Firm, Ziyad Baroud held a number of academic posts as lecturer in two prestigious universities in Lebanon, Université Saint Joseph and Holy Spirit University Kaslik. Mr. Baroud has a number of publications on subjects related to local governance, decentralization, human rights, and other political and legal issues. He also worked as a consultant to various UN Agencies in Lebanon.
Mr. Baroud is a graduate of College Saint Joseph, Mr. Baroud acquired his Master’s degree in Law from Saint-Joseph University of Beirut in 1992 and pursued his doctoral studies in Paris.
Independent Member
Romen Mathieu is the co-founder and Managing Partner of the EuroMena Funds, covering the Middle East and Africa and regulated under the AIFM directive in Malta (EU).
He is also a proud Board member of the International Chamber of Commerce – Lebanon, and an active member of eminent organizations supporting SMEs, entrepreneurship programs and corporate governance initiatives across the region.
Armed with more than 20 years of experience in corporate transactions and family owned businesses, covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Romen Mathieu also chairs and/or sits on the board of several companies in a diverse range of sectors and countries.
Previously, Romen Mathieu was a Partner of Ernst &Young Corporate Finance and M&A in France. Prior to that, he worked with Lazard frères in M&A. He kick-started his career with Arthur Andersen, in its corporate restructuring and finance division in France.
Romen Mathieu holds two graduate degrees in Finance (DESS and Magistère) and a Master’s degree in Management from the Sorbonne University.
Among the multitude of functions he holds today, he is the Chairman of Khoury Home SAL (the leading household retailer in Lebanon), Chairman of ITWorx ltd (the largest software development and IT services company in the Middle East), and the Vice-Chairman of Al Oyoun Al Dawli Hospital (the largest eye care hospital in Egypt).
Furthermore, Romen Mathieu is an Independent Board Member of Chedid Capital Holding SAL (ChedidRe, one of its subsidiaries, is listed among one of the top 20 reinsurance brokers in the world), an Independent Advisory Board Member of MAN Entreprises SAL (one of the largest contractors in the Middle East and Africa), a Board member of First National Bank SAL (one of the top 10 banks in Lebanon), and a Board member of Sakson Holding SAL (one of the top oil drilling companies covering the Middle East and Africa).
Independent Member
Aldo Cardoso is a management consultant, specializing in financial and management consulting.
Mr. Cardoso is Chairman of the Board of Bureau Veritas, a board member for Engie, Imerys, Worldline , AXA Investment Managers. Mr. Cardoso has also been previously a board member for Accor, Orange, Rhodia, Gecina, GE Corporate Finance Bank and Mobistar in Belgium.
He is Senior advisor at CVC capital Partner and Deutsche Alternative Assets Management in London as well as senior advisor at Euromena in Beirut. He also is currently the chairman of the scientific committee of Vigeo, the social and environmental rating agency. He was non-executive chairman of Andersen Worldwide from 2000 to 2003, president of Andersen for the Western European region from 1998 to 2002, and president of Andersen France from 1993 to 2002.
From 2007 to 2008, Mr. Cardoso was a member of the Lehman Brothers European strategic advisory committee and a senior advisor at 3i in 2006. Mr. Cardoso was Senior Advisor at Deustche Bank (2012-2105), a member of the Trilantic Capital PartnersAdvisory Committee. He was also a member of the strategic committee of Marsh France (2007-2015).
Mr. Cardoso also taught corporate governance at Institut des Sciences Politiques in 2003, Paris. He received his MBA in 1979 at ESCP (French Superior Commerce School) and a Master’s of Law from University of Sorbonne in 1980.
Independent Member
Mahomed Akoob brings unique insights in general risk and financial managements as a result of his nearly 20-year-long association with the industry.
Prior to joining the board of Chedid Capital, Mr. Akoob was the Managing Director of Bahrain-based Hannover Retakaful B.S.C., a position he steered since 2006. Before this, he was the Group Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of Hannover Reinsurance Group Africa (PTY), from 2002 to 2006. Mr Akoob served as the General Manager and Executive Director of Munich Reinsurance Company of Africa Limited between 1976 and 2002, where he assumed responsibility for four divisions: Non-life South Africa, Non-life International, Finance Investments and Strategy, and Business Development.
His technical skills encompass strategy-level influence in areas of insurance and reinsurance underwriting, and Takaful and Retakaful. He is an Associate of Insurance Institute of South Africa and a Fellow of the Institute of Risk Managers of South Africa. Furthermore, he is a director on several boards of insurance and other companies, including, currently, Hannover Retakaful B.S.C., Bahrain Institute of Banking & Financing (both in Bahrain), Noor Takaful General and Noor Takaful Family (both in the United Arab Emirates).
Earlier in his journey, Mr. Akoob served the directorships of South African Reserve Bank Captive Insurance Company Limited, Hannover Reinsurance Group Africa (PTY) Limited, Compass Insurance Company Limited, Credit Guarantee Insurance Corporation of Africa, New National Assurance Company Limited, Munich Reinsurance Company of Africa, Munich Mauritius Reinsurance Company, Hannover Reinsurance Company Mauritius, Takaful South Africa, and Bahrain Insurance Association.
Mr. Akoob has held numerous professional appointments and memberships, including stints at the Editorial Board of Cover Magazine; a specialist magazine for the insurance industry, and as a Ministerial-level advisor.