Faculty of Economics and Business Administration – Advisory Board

The Faculty's Advisory Board

Claude Bahsali »	Chairman and CEO for ITG Holding
Elie Abboud »	Former President of the Lebanese Association of Certified Public Accountants in Lebanon
Elie Abboud »	Managing Partner of UHY Andy Bryan – Auditing and Consulting Firm (Member of UHY International)
Joanna Kassab Abou Jaoude »	Deputy Director Corporate Banking Division at BLF
Joanne Sarraf Chehab »	CEO and Board Member of Malia Group
Mario Maacaron »	VP Country Legal and Human Resources at TotalEnergie Marketing Lebanon and its Ethics Officer
Raed Khoury »	Former Minister of Economy and Trade/ Chairman of Cedrus Invest Bank
Simone Tamer »	Chief Commercial Officer and Board Member of Tamer Frères SAL

Claude J. Bahsali

Born on June 12th 1961. He received his Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering from the American University of Beirut in June 1982 and joined Mideast Data Systems (Lebanon) – affiliated to ITG – shortly after. Since then he took various responsibilities in the context of the group. Bahsali joined the Board of Directors of ITG (Holding) in 2001 and was appointed as Chairman & CEO in 2004. ITG combines an array of autonomous affiliates dedicated to providing a large portfolio of solutions and services in the Middle East and Africa region, in the areas of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) solutions, including computer hardware, system and application software, in addition to building automation, office solutions, renewable energy and power solutions.

Elie Abboud

Managing partner of UHY Andy Bryan – Auditing and Consulting Firm (Member of UHY International), Managing partner of Alpha Omega Consulting LLC specialist in the insurance sector (Middle East), and Former President of the Association of Certified Public Accountants in Lebanon. Holder of a BBA from the Lebanese University and an MBA from Notre Dame University (NDU). Mr. Abboud is a Certified Public Accountant from the United States of America (CPA). 35 years of experience in auditing and consulting for the banking and insurance sectors in Lebanon and the Middle East. Lecturer Professor at several Lebanese Universities and local and international forums, as well as at Basil Fuleihan Institute at the Lebanese Ministry of Finance and several Regulatory Bodies for the insurance sector, especially in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan.

Joanna Kassab Abou Jaoude

Deputy Director in the Corporate Banking Division at Banque Libano-Francaise SAL, brings over two decades of banking experience, starting as a Customer Service Agent in 1997 and steadily advancing to her current leadership role. With a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance from USJ and an MBA in International Business Administration from USJ in collaboration with Sorbonne Paris Dauphine, Joanna combines academic excellence with practical expertise. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and a commitment to client satisfaction through her commercial skills. Joanna’s appointment to the advisory board of Sagesse University reflects her dedication to promoting industry-academia collaboration and shaping future leaders.

Joanne Sarraf Chehab

CEO of Malia Group since January 2016. Prior to this role, she held various positions within Malia Group subsidiaries, encompassing diverse job functions such as Sales & Marketing, Human Resources, Procurement, and Finance, contributing to consistent year-on-year growth in both top and bottom lines. She is also a founding member of the Jean & Charlotte Sarraf Foundation and serves as a board member for several organizations. Joanne holds a BA in Economics from Saint Joseph University and a Master’s in Management from ESSEC. She is married with two children.

Mario Maacaroun

Vice-President of Legal & HR at TotalEnergies Marketing Lebanon and its Ethics Officer, has a versatile background in legal, HR, and Corporate Security fields. His professional journey includes significant exposure to corporate governance and crisis management. Mario holds a double major in Law and Political Science from USJ and has specialized in Security and Defense at Paris II – Panthéon Assas.

Raed Khoury

Chairman and General Manager of Cedrus Invest Bank and General Manager and Member of the Board of Directors of Cedrus Bank. Mr. Khoury was the Minister of Economy and Trade at the Lebanese Government from December 2016 till January 2019. Former Director at Barclays Wealth, Mr. Khoury has an extensive and diversified banking experience with a focus on Wealth Management and Brokerage. The last position he assumed, was as a Regional Manager at Audi Saradar Private Bank (ASPB), where he was also a member of the bank’s management and investment committees. Mr. Khoury also held a Senior Manager role at Banque Audi Suisse – the private banking arm of Audi Group at the time – where he played a key role in establishing and developing its Beirut Representative Office. Mr. Khoury is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and holds a BA in Economics and a Masters in Money and Banking from the American University of Beirut (AUB).

Simone Tamer

Chief Commercial Officer and Board Member of Tamer Frères SAL