OUR
PEOPLE
MANAGEMENT
team
Farid Chedid
Chairman and Group CEO
Starting with the launch of the group in 1998, Farid Chedid embarked on a two-decade journey, building a leading insurance and reinsurance powerhouse that operates across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Chedid Re, one of its strategic business unit, is recognized among the top 20 reinsurance brokers worldwide and a registered Lloyd’s broker.
Under Farid’s leadership, Chedid Capital Holding today includes Chedid Re, Chedid Insurance Brokers Network, Ascoma and Chedid Corporate Solutions, among others, and counts more than 1,600 employees across 64 subsidiaries.
In 2009, the Group established Seib Insurance in Qatar, 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 and Al Manarah Insurance Services in the UAE.
Farid’s growth philosophy has equally focused on investments in industry-wide education and knowledge exchange, among which was the launch of the Corporate Risk Management Institute (CRMI) in 2020.
In 2021, Chedid Capital acquired majority shares in Groupe Ascoma, the first and largest independent brokerage network in sub-Saharan Africa with 29 subsidiaries, head offices in Monaco and international operations offices in Paris. In 2022, the Group continued its digital transformation by acquiring BuyAnyInsurance, a leading aggregator in the UAE, and intends to expand in the territories it operates in.
His contribution to the insurance field has been recognized with many accolades over the years, including “The Middle East and Africa Industry Achiever of the year” by Global Re and Strategic Risk consortium in 2016. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, he was named among the “100 Arab Achievers” by Arabian Business, and among the “35 Most Influential Lebanese Businessmen” by Forbes Middle East in 2018.
Farid sits on the board of several leading MENA companies both within and outside the insurance sector and has been equally involved in philanthropic initiatives and organizations across the region. Today, he serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at Notre Dame University, 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 is also a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute of the UK and holds a master’s degree in Risk Management from the NYU Stern School of Business; a master’s degree in Finance from ESA/ESCP Europe; a master’s degree in Management from Université Paris IX Dauphine; and a postgraduate diploma in Maritime Law from London Metropolitan University.
Rana Hafda
Group Chief of Staff
Rana is providing strategic support to the CEO and other executives. She liaise with the CEO to ensure that the organization is operating effectively and efficiently while working towards achieving its strategic goals, coordinate with the Unit Heads, ease communication, and unite people across the organization to keep them moving forward.
Prior to that, Rana was a Risk Assessor at Middle East International Adjusters. Rana holds a Bachelor of Arts from the American University in Beirut.
Wassim Jawish
Executive Director Finance
Wassim Jawish is Chedid Capital Finance Executive Director. He is responsible for finance, accounting and treasury activities. Prior to joining Chedid Capital in 2010, Wassim was the Regional Finance Manager at Rotana Holding in KSA, Finance Manager at Syrian Kuwaiti Insurance company in Syria and Budgeting and Financial Reporting Manager at Arabia Insurance company in Lebanon.
Wassim is a member of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants USA, he holds an MBA from the American University of Science & Technology and a Bachelor of Science from the State University of New York.
Imad Jabbour
Chief Technology Officer
Imad Jabbour joined Chedid Capital in 2019 as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). He leads the group’s digital transformation strategy, and manages all technological resources and initiatives, including infrastructure, services, enterprise applications, and digital solutions. Prior to joining Chedid Capital, Imad worked close to 15 years in the fields of software engineering, product management, and technology innovation. He served as CTO of Mitsulift Group between 2015 and 2019. Prior to that, he held various leadership positions at eBay and Oracle in California’s Silicon Valley.
Imad holds a master’s degree in Information Systems from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a bachelor’s degree in Computer and Communications Engineering from the American University of Beirut.
Karim Zarka
Executive Director
With over 27 years in the media and communication fields, Karim holds a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Beirut University College. Prior to joining Chedid Capital, Karim was the CEO of Grey Group in Doha for a period of 12 years and is currently an Executive Director at Chedid Capital.
Beside his role of managing the Corporate Communication and Marketing department at Chedid Capital, Karim plays a role in the business development of the Group and was appointed recently Managing Director of Al Afaq Insurance Brokers.
Alain Jabbour
Director Corporate Finance & Investments
Alain Jabbour joined Chedid Capital in 2019 as Director, Corporate Finance & Investments. Alain has over 20 years of experience in corporate finance and investment banking, having worked in Canada for National Bank Financial and PricewaterhouseCoopers, in the UAE and UK for Citigroup and in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon for Saudi Oger Limited, MedInvestment Bank and Al Gihaz Holding.
Throughout his career, Alain advised and raised debt and equity for corporate clients on mergers and acquisitions. He also structured and arranged multibillion dollar corporate and project financing transactions regionally and internationally. During his various tenures, Alain sat on the boards of several venture capital funds and corporations in Lebanon and in Europe.
Alain holds a Master of Science in Administration (MSc.) degree with specialization in finance from the John Molson School of Business (Concordia University Business School) in Canada and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Nathalie Ghaoui
Legal Counsel
Nathalie is the Group Legal Counsel at Chedid Capital, with over 17 years of experience in real estate, financing, retail, labor, corporate & financial Law.
Prior to joining Chedid Capital, Nathalie held several positions in France and Lebanon and advised high profile property investment funds, banks and credit institutions on their real estate and corporate investments and financing.
Nathalie holds a Degree in General Private Law from Saint Joseph University - Lebanon, a Postgraduate Degree in Notarial Practice and a Higher Notarial Diploma (Diplôme Supérieur du Notariat) from Paris II Panthéon Assas University – France.
Layal Darwish
Director Human Resources
Layal is the Group Human Resources Director in the HR Division at Chedid Capital, with over 15 years of experience in improving business returns by innovative human capital strategies, and attracting, developing, engaging and retaining talents in MENA and Gulf regions for various industries.
Prior to joining Chedid Capital, Layal was the Global Head of Human Resources at IPM and previously the HR and Services Director at Averda Group, leading the HR and Services functions of Averda’s companies.
Layal holds a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Engineering and a master’s degree in Irrigation from the American University of Beirut, an MBA from ESA Business School, an ADP diploma from LBS, a Global Professional Human Resources (GPHR) certification from HRCI, a Team Roles accreditation from Belbin, and is an ICF-certified Leadership and Career coach
Edwin Hage
Director Digital Transformation
Edwin is the Digital Transformation Director at Chedid Capital, with over 12 years of experience in strategy setting, operating model design, due diligence, and private equity acquisitions.
Prior to joining Chedid Capital, Edwin was an Engagement Manager at Strategy& (formerly Booz & Co.), where he where he led a number of engagements including corporate strategies, national programs, large-scale change management & culture programs, and technology/innovation projects for MENA clients.
Edwin holds an MBA from INSEAD and a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University.
Marwan Kharsa
Group Internal Audit Director
Governance, Risk & Compliance
Marwan is Group Internal Audit Director at the Governance, Risk & Compliance department at Chedid Capital, with over 15 years of experience in Enterprise Risk Management and Corporate Governance. Prior to joining the group, Marwan served as Group Head of Internal Audit at Barwa Real Estate Group and Senior Manager at Deloitte. Marwan holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut and is a Certified Fraud Examiner.