Candidates for the position of President

Candidates for the 2016 Board of Directors

Ramsey B. Jurdi, International Partner Chadbourne & Parke (American Business Member)

Uncontested

In late 2012, just before I was elected President for the first time, the ABC underwent a thirdparty strategy review. The result was a five-year strategy that led to the introduction of the knowledge sharing program, improvements in external communications, profile-raising activities, and a shift to business and policy-orientated programming.

With the support of the sitting Board of Directors, I am seeking a fourth and final year as President to complete the objectives from the five-year strategy plan. Specifically, my objectives for the coming year are to introduce additional new and innovative programming (such as the American Business Forum), continue to grow ABC membership (which is at a record high), and continue to position the American business community as a key supporter and participant in the preparations for Expo 2020.

President (2013 to Present)Vice President - Legal & Secretary (2011 to 2012)American Business Council of Dubai & the Northern Emirates

Ramsey Jurdi is an attorney and the incumbent President of the American Business Council of Dubai & the Northern Emirates (“ABC”).

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ramsey lived in Beirut for several years, where he attended the American Community School at Beirut and the American University of Beirut. Ramsey was resident in Washington, D.C. before joining Chadbourne & Parke in Dubai in 2008, where he is currently an International Partner in the Commercial Litigation and Compliance practice group. Ramsey holds a Juris Doctor, with honors, from The George Washington University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from the American University of Beirut. He is admitted to practice law in New York State, the District of Columbia, and the DIFC Courts.

Candidates for the position of Executive Vice President

Bilal SabouniAmerican Individual Member

Uncontested

Mr. Bilal B. Sabouni is an active and well-respected member of the local and international business community. For over 16 years, Bilal has been based from Dubai working in roles that have had him manage territories and staff from Africa to Asia, with a special focus on the Middle East and Gulf territories. Bilal holds a wealth of experience with the American Business Council and has held several leadership positions on the ABC Board of Directors since his first involvement in 2006. Today, he serves as the Council’s incumbent Executive Vice President and continues his work to ensure the ABC maintains, and strives to improves upon, its position as a leading international chapter of the US Chamber of Commerce.

In 2008, Bilal also began working with the American Chamber umbrella organization, the Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce (MECACC). Bilal is Vice Chairman of MECACC and continues to advocate on US Public Policy issues by liaising with American and Middle Eastern governments on issues of vital importance to overseas American individuals and corporations.

Outside his roles at the ABC and MECACC, Bilal works with PEOPLECERT, a leading global certification and licensure company. In this role, Bilal deals with government leaders within ministries and regulatory bodies across AMEA to establish new industry certification programs, licensure frameworks, and their related standardized exams. In his role as Senior Director at PEOPLECERT’s office in Dubai, Bilal is integral to the company’s growth and expansion plans into new emerging markets across the region.

Bilal pursued an Associate’s degree in Business Management from the Lebanese American University (LAU) in Beirut, and followed with a Bachelor’s degree in IT from the American University in Dubai (AUD). He later went on and gained a Master’s degree in International Business from the University of Virginia (UVA) Executive Education program at the Darden School of Business.

Bilal can be connected with on LinkedIn via https://www.linkedin.com/in/bilalsabouni

Candidates for the position of Vice President of Membership

Sammy Bousaba, Managing Director Sales MEIAFedEx Express (American Business Member & President’s Club)

Uncontested

Having served on the ABC BoD for the past 3 years as VP Programs, I have had the pleasure of supporting the organization’s objectives by planning topical, relevant programs and events throughout the year. These programs create an outlet to address issues and opportunities facing the American business community in the UAE, ultimately adding value to our member base.

This year, I am running for VP Membership and plan to work on supporting the ABC in its endeavor to grow the membership base by demonstrating the value of the ABC. I plan to leverage my experience in Programs to show that value and attract new and potential members to join the council.

Sammy Bousaba is currently the Managing Director of Sales for FedEx Express responsible for 68 countries across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa and has been with FedEx for over 18 years (10 in the US and 8 in Dubai). Sammy is an American citizen of Lebanese origin and moved to Dubai in 2007 from Memphis, Tennessee. He holds an MBA with a concentration in International Marketing from DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business in Chicago, IL. Sammy’s work experience at FedEx includes Field Sales, Event & Promotional Marketing, International Marketing, Regional Marketing Management and Sales Management. He was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan and has worked and lived in Chicago, Memphis and most recently Dubai.

Candidates for the position of Vice President of Programs

Kathleen Keene Jones American Individual Member

I work as a Senior Advisor for the UAE Federal Government at the Ministry of International Cooperation and Development (MICAD) where I lead the team designing and implementing the first UAE Foreign Assistance Policy. Prior to working for the UAE government, I ran a small consulting firm in Dubai that conducted geo-political analysis in the UAE and MENA region.

Previously, I spent over ten years serving in a leadership capacity for the United Nations in both Peacekeeping and Political Affairs, during which I lived in Afghanistan, South Sudan and New York. My various roles included serving as the Chief Advisor to the Head of the UN in Afghanistan, Officer-in-Charge of the Research and Liaison Unit, Early Warning Team Leader, and in Operations for the UN Peacekeeping Situation Centre. I began my career working in management and partnership negotiations in the technology sector.

I gained a Master’s degree from Linkoping University in Sweden in International Relations and Cultural Anthropology and a B.A. from Trinity University. I grew up in San Antonio, Texas and currently live in Dubai with my husband.

I am running for the 2016 ABC Board of Directors as Vice President of Programs. I have served on the ABC Board of Directors for three years, in 2015 as VP of Membership and in 2014 and 2013 as a General Board Member. If successful in my bid for VP Programs, I will work with the organization to reinvigorate our current slate of events, with an aim to tailor events to better suit the changing needs of the ABC membership, identifying successful events and reinvigorating events that have become outdated. Specific ideas include: • Gathering of in-the-moment feedback at ABC

events via anonymous tablet surveys; • Introduction of thematic based roundtables,

around such issues as innovation, sanctions and Expo 2020; and

• Creation of an ABC Majlis for women in business.

Munish Mehta, Assistant Vice President Marsh & McLennan Companies/Marsh Emirates

Insurance Brokerage & Consultancy L.L.C.(American Business Member)

Market impacting senior relationship and business development professional with a global purview. I have over 7 years of experience in the insurance industry as a key account relationship manager bothin the broking side as well as the carrier side. My unique combination of international experience,insurance knowledge, people and management skills makes me a preferred candidate for clientcentric roles. Having rapidly progressed to a mid-management level, I am now seeking a seniorposition where I can aggressively leverage my past experience in a market moving position.

It would be my honor to represent the ABC organization in the country on an official level. Having worked for an American company in the region I feel I would be able to provide additional knowledge and assistance to the ABC via my servicing to the American business and the community. While, keeping the interest of ABC I would promote the programs vertical via various new and current initiatives. I feel by being part of the Programs vertical I would be able to see the overall efforts being made by the team and council. My participation would not only entail program planning but also feedback from members on our current and past programs.

As a brief background of myself, I have grown up in San Francisco and have lived in a very diverse community enabling me to understand and respect the multicultural society the US is made of. With an International Management degree I have crossed continents to obtain international experience via my current company Marsh. It’s great to see so many American companies and families in Dubai and share the experience back home. Based on my background and experience I am running in the 2016 Board of Directors elections. I have also attached a detailed Bio about my work experience.

Candidates for the position of Vice President Legal Affairs & Secretary

Sai PidatalaAmerican Individual Member

My name is Sai Pidatala and I am already currently serving as a Board member of the American Business Council (2014-2015). I am running for re-election.

I am a U.S. qualified senior lawyer based here in Dubai where I am part of a large, full-service U.S.-based law firm with offices around the world. My work is primarily in the corporate law realm, where I advise institutions, businesses and individuals with inbound and outbound investments, joint ventures and acquisitions/dispositions. In my current role I frequently advise management, Boards and government agencies with respect to business and regulatory matters in the UAE.

My practice also focuses on U.S.-UAE transactions, where I have spent the last four years trying to cultivate a stronger business connection between the two jurisdictions in the effort to highlight Dubai as a platform destination to establish and do business in the region.

Previously, I was the Founding Partner of a boutique law firm based in Washington D.C. where I specialized in advising early-stage companies, investors (both VCs and angels) and a variety of other small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to do business domestically and internationally. I started my career in New York as a private funds lawyer on Wall Street after graduating from the Vanderbilt University Law School (J.D.) in Nashville, Tennessee, and Cornell University (B.A.) in Ithaca, New York.

Over the last year, I have spearheaded what is now becoming one of the UAE’s sole legal practices with a primary focus on providing sophisticated advice to early stage companies, startups, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. It is the hope that this work continues to attract fresh, outside capital to Dubai and increases the sophistication of Dubai as a hub for new, innovative talent and resources.

Having spent some of my formative years as an American expatriate in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, I am no stranger to the region. I have resided in Dubai since 2010 and my wife and I currently live in Dubai Marina where we enjoy the arts, international cuisine and our early-morning jogs down the Jumeirah shoreline.

Myron LloydGeneral Consul, General Motors

(American Business Member & President’s Club)

Myron Lloyd is the General Counsel for General Motors Middle East overseeing all legal affairs across the Middle East region including the countries of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan and Lebanon. Myron has particular expertise in compliance, litigation, commercial transactions and labor. Additional areas of expertise include all aspects of intellectual property law. His breath of experience enables keen awareness of the legal needs of large multinationalcorporations in dynamically changing regions such as the Middle East. He currently serves on the General Motors Middle East Executive Team and advises senior leaders on matters affecting the business. In addition to his extensive corporate and transactional experience throughout the Middle East, Myron previously served as Lead Counsel to General Motors Global Research & Development having locations in the U.S.A., Middle East and East Asia. As Lead Counsel, he also served on the executive leadership team for GM Global Research & Development.

Throughout his career, Myron has placed high value on community and board service. Past Board experience include President, D. Augustus Straker Bar Association; President, Intellectual Property Law Section of National Bar Association; General Counsel, Creekside Development Corp; Board Member, George Washington Carver Charter School. Community Service continues to be of importance in the U.A.E. as he serves as a member of the Pro Bono Law Clinic at the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts.

Myron received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina and his Juris Doctor from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.

A resident of Dubai since 2011, Myron and his wife have two daughters and one son attending the American School of Dubai.

Candidates for the position of Vice President Financial Affairs & Treasurer

Mohamad Itani(American Individual Member)

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for those who nominated and asked me to run for the Board member/VP of Financial Affairs and Treasurer for the ABC. I am excited to be recognized and look forward to continue using my skills, expertise and network to help the council reach its objectives.

I have been a part of ABC ever since I arrived in Dubai in 1997 to manage operations for Compaq Computers (now HP ME). I became a board member few years back and was nominated for the VP Finance/ Treasurer in 2015.

As a strategic leader with a successful background in building and leading top performing teams, I am focused on exceeding goals and can help with the success of ABC on several levels.

I have an excellent rapport with the government officials and the community as well as previous Board experience in the US and the Gulf. Most importantly my experience with the ABC board over the years and especially the 2015 finance role.

I have over 25 years of experience in several key managerial roles and senior level positions with leading multinational companies, including my role as GM of Operations for HP MEA until January 2015 and the Separation lead for the region since then as HP Company is splitting into 2 separate companies as of November 1st 2015. I get along well with others when working in a group setting and I have the ability to help others find common ground if they disagree on what actions to take. Sometimes, it just takes a little negotiating to help reach a reasonable agreement that benefits all. I am confident that I have the skills and experience to hold this position and to continue to be a great benefit ABC.

My Priorities as a Board Member would be:

• To ensure that ABC’s interests are flagged and/or addressed whenever possible,• Keep the American “image” positive, promote success stories / share best practices,• Make sure we adhere to local laws and customs so the local government continue to give its full support

to American Businesses in Dubai and the Northern Emirates,

Prior to moving to Dubai, I was the Director of operations at Solid State Optronics, Inc. in San Jose, California (my home State) where I lived there for almost 20 years.

I am a US citizen of Lebanese origin and hold an MBA in management from a leading University in the US. I have been married to my wonderful wife, Rola, for over 24 years, with 4 lovely children; two are in California, while the two younger twins are still Juniors at ASD.

Candidates for the position of Board Member (5 positions)Nabil Al Ouf, American Individual Member

Alaa Alshimy, Hewlett Packard (American Business Member & President’s Club)Omar Bennis, Coca-Cola Company (American Business Member & President’s Club)

Huw A. Gilbert, PepsiCo Asia, Middle East & Africa (American Business Member & President’s Club)Anne Jafery, Channels (American Business Member)Edgars Karklins, MetLife (American Business Member)

Suzanne Ries, American Individual Member Karim Seifeddine, Citi (American Business Member)Sharon Stultz-Karim, American Individual Member

Nabil Al Ouf, Individual Member

I am an American of Syrian/Lebanese origin born in Beirut. I lived in the states for almost 20 years (1980-2000) during which I gained education and work experience. I am graduate of Portland State University in Oregon and hold a master’s degree in finance. I also hold a BA degree in business administration from Concordia College. Post-graduation, I worked 12 years for Nihon Kohden America, a global medical equipment manufacturing firm in beautiful Irvine-CA. I decided to make a return back to Middle East the region in the year 2000.

I am currently a board member at large for ABC. I was nominated to the board by one of my colleagues and have had the pleasure serving for almost 7 months. I would like to nominate myself as a board member at large for the upcoming 2016 year.

I came to the UAE in 2008 and since then have traveled within the GCC region extensively. I have been fortunate to hold senior positions throughout the course of my employment to include:

1. Vice President Finance with Al Ghurair Group, a world scale multi-diversification enterprise with over 3$ billion turnover, employing over 10,000 employees with activities in a number of countries and a market presence in over 50 countries. Today Al Ghurair group is among the top business groups in the Gulf and a major contender worldwide.

2. Group Head of Internal Audit with Dragon Oil Holdings, an international Oil and Gas exploration, development and production company. With over $2 Billion turnover and a targeted 2015 production scale of 100,000 Barrels Oil Per Day (BOPD), Dragon Oil continues exploring new opportunities by deploying technical and operational expertise in key regions of interests including Central and South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Throughout my employment, I was involved in strategic planning, restructuring, mergers and acquisition scenarios as well as providing key financial advice for decision making purposes. I further gained significant exposure to local banking industry and have solid exposure to local as well as global business organizations.

What I would like to bring to the ABC Board is my 25+ years of Strategic, financial and business experience plus sharing my current and previous exposure to markets that Al Ghurair group and Dragon Oil enjoys. My motivation in this is to help promote American interests in the region leveraging market intelligence, possible bi-lateral trade as well as providing a voice for American expats working and living in the region.

Alaa Alshimy, Vice President and Managing DirectorHewlett Packard (American Business Member & President’s Club)

Alaa Alshimy’s hallmark of success is his ability to build and translate sophisticated business strategy, market knowledge, and competitor insights into tactical business plans, sales strategies, and customer-centric solutions that have delivered substantial gains in revenues, profits, and ROI in intensely competitive technology markets.

With 27 years of leadership experience – more than a decade of which has incorporated P&L responsibility for multi-country business operations with combined turnover of multi billion dollars – Alaa has excelled over an extended period of time both as a Regional Managing Director and as the Transformation Catalyst for new business methodologies, new ventures, and new opportunities in large, geographically dispersed markets and regions. In the assignments he has accepted throughout his career, Alaa has held full strategic, operational, and P&L leadership responsibility. Since 2000, he has contributed to the success of Hewlett Packard across the Middle East, Africa, and the Mediterranean regions, with responsibilities as diverse as overseeing the set-up of new office locations, the delivery of large-scale transformation programs, and multi-country leadership of Business Units with multi billion dollars in annual revenue.

Without doubt, Alaa’s great achievement has been his unwavering ability to seamlessly lead through change, transition, revolution, evolution, innovation, and action. He and his teams have consistently outpaced and outperformed the competition.

His most notable positions include: Vice President and Managing Director – MEMA, Hewlett Packard, 2014–PresentServers business unit Director – MEMA, Hewlett Packard, 2013–2014Managing Director and General Manager – Africa, Hewlett Packard, 2012–2013Enterprise storage, servers and networking Director – ME, Hewlett Packard, 2010–2012Networking Business Unit Director – MEMA, Hewlett Packard 2008–2010Consulting and Integration Manager – ME, Hewlett Packard, 2004–2008Compaq Gulf General Manager& Services Manager – ME, Hewlett Packard, 2001–2004Channel Manager – Saudi, Compaq, 2000–2001

As can be seen above, much of Alaa’s career has been with the same organisation as it transitioned and repositioned itself, continually evolving its corporate vision, strategies, and goals. To each Business Unit and Region under his direction, he has delivered strong financial results by orchestrating a combination of organic growth, reengineering, consolidation, and diversification strategies. In acknowledgment of his remarkable leadership capabilities, he has been hand-chosen for several of his more recent high-profile executive positions.

Alaa has been characterized by others as an energizing and engaging business leader, equally successful in building collaborative partnerships with senior corporate executives, Boards of Directors, and investors as well as front-line operating teams around the globe. He is a unique combination of strategist, visionary, operating executive, turnaround specialist, and company advocate.

Alaa is a graduate of Harvard, London Business School, Central Pacific University and Cairo University, Alaa holds a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications Engineering and MBA. Alaa strongly supports developing the next generation of corporate executives in an organisation and plays an important role in acting as a lifelong mentor to aspiring business leaders in the teams he oversees. He is happily married, has three children, and lives in Dubai.

Omar Bennis, Public Affairs and Communication Directorthe Coco-Cola Company (American Business Member & President’s Club)

Omar Bennis began his career with The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia in 2006. After Atlanta, he was transferred to Istanbul in 2007 as Public Affairs and Communication Project Manager for the Eurasia &Africa group which includes 93 countries.

In July 2009, he was appointed as Public Affairs and Communication Director for Coca-Cola Morocco and Mauritania and in May 2015 he became the Public Affairs and Communication Director for the Middle East region based in Dubai.

Mr. Bennis is an active member of the local community, serving on different NGO boards across Africa promoting education for all.

He holds a Bachelor degree in Marketing from American University in Washington, DC and is a graduate of the CERAM Sophia Antipolis Business School in southern France.

Huw A. Gilbert, Vice President, Corporate AffairsPepsiCo Asia, Middle East & Africa (American Business Member & President’s Club)

Huw Gilbert is vice president of corporate affairs for PepsiCo’s Asia, Middle East & Africa (AMEA) sector. His responsibilities include developing and leading the strategic corporate affairs agenda for PepsiCo’s internal audiences as well as for external stakeholders including the media and NGO’s. He is also responsible for regional implementation of PepsiCo’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, sector-wide crisis manage-ment and executive communications support. In these capacities, he provides functional leadership to the local and regional corporate affairs teams across AMEA.

Huw joined PepsiCo in August 2008 as senior communications manager for PepsiCo International, based in Purchase, New York. In that role, he was responsible for aligning communications activities outside the U.S. with the global corporate communications strategy, including a special focus on issues management and digital media.

Prior to joining PepsiCo, Huw worked in a variety of communication roles at global healthcare company Pfizer in New York; highlights included leading crisis communications, managing digital and social media, and most recently serving as assistant director of communication strategy. Prior to working at Pfizer, Huw worked at a number of public relations agencies, including Edelman Public Relations in Chicago where he started his career.

Huw is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Business Council of Dubai and the Northern Emirates, as well as a member of the Sustainability Network of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. Huw has a Bachelor’s degree in History from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Anne Jafery, Managing DirectorChannels (American Business Member)

Anne  Jafery  –  Bio   Originally  from  Michigan,  Ms.  Jafery  has  spent  the  majority  of  her  adult  life  in  the  Middle  East,  which  has  provided  her  with  a  unique  understanding  of  both  Western  and  M.E.  business  practices  and  norms.  Ms.  Jafery  has  created  and  fostered  the  growth  of  multiple  companies  within  various  industry  sectors  in  the  Middle  East  since  her  arrival  in  the  UAE  in  1989.  Her  companies  have  included  a  regional  IT  distribution  firm,  a  publishing  and  creative  design  agency,  events  management,  retail  concept  stores,  a  regional  IT/electronics  lifestyle  distribution  boutique,  a  specialized  workforce  promotions  portal,  and  an  eCommerce  subscription  box  for  expat  women;  the  latter  four  which  she  continues  to  own  and  operate.    In  2008,  Ms.  Jafery  launched  Channels,  a  consultancy  company  assisting  US  businesses,  state  agencies  and  NGO’s  interested  in  developing  a  commercial  footprint  in  the  Middle  East.  The  company  provides  a  range  of  services;  vetting  joint  ventures  and  strategic  partnerships,  establishing  distribution  networks,  due  diligence  and  market  entry  strategy  development,  and  company  formation.  The  company  is  the  Arab  Gulf  States  Trade  Representative  for  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  Virginia,  Wisconsin,  Maryland,  and  Colorado.  Channels  has  contracted  with  the  Eastern  Trade  Council,  and  other  state  economic  development  boards  to  achieve  their  export  targets,  in  addition  to  hosting  inward  trade  missions  and  delegations.  Channels  facilitates  foreign  direct  investment  in  the  US  and  the  Gulf  region,  in  addition  to  reverse  engineering  its  regional  services  to  assist  GCC  companies  in  securing  key  distribution  partners  in  the  U.S.  In  2013,  the  company  expanded  its  footprint  earning  contracts  from  trade  agencies  in  several  European  countries.      Ms.  Jafery  has  been  a  member  of  the  American  Business  Council  of  Dubai  and  the  Northern  Emirates  since  1994;  the  first  and  only  female  president  in  the  history  of  the  organization,  in  addition  to  holding  several  executive  board  positions.    Anne  is  a  former  Trustee  of  the  American  School  of  Dubai,  and  was  an  instrumental  part  of  the  team  responsible  for  the  financing  and  construction  of  its  USD$  144M  campus.    Currently  the  Chairman  Emeritus  of  the  Middle  East  Council  of  American  Chambers  of  Commerce,  the  umbrella  organization  over  nine  American  Chambers  in  the  Gulf  Cooperation  Council  countries  of  Saudi  Arabia,  U.A.E.,  Kuwait,  Qatar,  Bahrain  and  Oman,  she  spends  time  in  DC  on  Capitol  Hill  as  a  policy  advocate  for  overseas  American  business  with  Congress,  the  Administration  and  other  trade  related  organizations.  In  this  capacity,  she  speaks  frequently  about  doing  business  in  the  Middle  East  to  state  government  organizations,  state  chambers  of  commerce  and  at  universities.      Ms.  Jafery  lives  by  the  belief  that  hope  is  not  a  strategy.  What  differentiates  an  entrepreneur  from  the  many  people  with  good  ideas  is  the  courage  to  act.    

Edgars Karklins , Manager – Government Relations, Europe, Middle East & Africa MetLife, Inc.

(American Business Member)

In 2013, Edgars joined MetLife as Government Relations Manager for Europe, Middle East & Africa. In 2015, he was relocated to Dubai to set up and develop MetLife’s Government Relations activities in the Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Eastern & Southern Europe (ESE) regions.

Prior to MetLife, Edgars spent five years with Nomura’s Public Affairs team responsible for representing the global investment bank’s capital markets business interests in front of governments across Europe. In 2011-2012, he was responsible for delivering Nomura’s engagement program at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Edgars graduated from Warwick Business School with a degree in Management. He is fluent in English, Finnish and Latvian.

As a nominee to the board, Edgars’ will aim to bring his experience from other markets to the ABC in Dubai by: 1. Regulatory: Providing input on how the regulatory environment in Dubai affects the insurance business,

in particular in healthcare financing; 2. Profile raising: Help identify high quality speakers and develop agenda items for upcoming ABC Dubai

events and major conferences, and;3. Government contact: Help develop high-level ABC Dubai board member delegation visits with U.S. and

UAE government officials in order to advance the interests of the U.S. business community.

Edgars can also bring institutional know-how from MetLife in the fields of long-term investment & financing, retirement policy, healthcare systems, regulatory design and consumer protection in financial services – some of which are also priorities for the UAE government. We believe that such knowledge could help expand ABC Dubai’s policy agenda and further advance the interests of the U.S. business community in Dubai.

MetLife is one of the world’s largest life insurance companies serving over 100 million customers in over 50 countries. As a major institutional investor, MetLife manages over USD500 billion of assets globally. Headquartered at DIFC in Dubai – UAE, MetLife’s Middle East & Africa region supports businesses in 10 countries. We have first entered Lebanon in 1953, before expanding to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait (1954), Jordan (1958), Bahrain (1961), United Arab Emirates (1962), Qatar (1962), Oman (1971), Turkey (1988), and Egypt (1997).

Suzanne Ries(American Individual Member)

I work as a Senior Director for the Emerging Markets Leadership Center (EMLC). EMLC is a thoughtleader and source for practical solutions when it comes to growing leaders in Emerging markets.My role is to focus on channel management of EMLC’s products and services to our customers.

Previous to joining EMLC, I spent over ten years in management capacity with a fortune 500-specialty retail company in the United States. I was recognized for my work by winning the GlobalInnovation award in business planning and strategy. In 2012 I was recruited to the Middle Eastregion to help start one of the first online ecommerce shopping platforms. After the launch I went onto consult for two other top regional ecommerce platforms in commodities and luxury market. I havespent my lifetime dissecting retail and brand experiences and finding ways to make them better andleave lasting happy memories for consumers.

I received my Executive MBA from Hult International Business School and my undergraduate degreefrom The Ohio State University in Marketing and Transportation and Logistics. I also speakPortuguese and Spanish fluently. I have lived in Dubai for the last 3.5 years with my fiancé.

Candidate StatementI am running for the 2016 ABC Board of Directors as a General Board Member. My goal of joiningthe ABC Board would be to help support the organization in all initiatives that would drive ABC togreater success in the UAE in 2016.

As a younger member of the board, my aim would be to increase the membership to a widerdemographic of industries within the UAE, with particular focus on the 35-45-age segment. Ipersonally have got significant value from being a member of the ABC, and want to evangelize thatvalue out to the many Americans in the UAE who have not tapped into the full potential of ABCmembership benefits.

The ABC is a networking and support organization and therefore I think a wave of new members willset the foundations of sustainability of the ABC for many decades to come

Karim Seifeddine, Director & Cluster Head for Middle East & North AfricaCiti

(American Business Member)

Karim Seifeddine is Citi’s Public Affairs and Government Relations Head for the Middle East and North Africa Division. For the past 13 years, he’s been responsible for Citi’s corporate communications practice in the region.

Between 2001 and 2002, he served as Public Relations and Communications Head at Banque Saudi Fransi in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

From 1994 to 2000, he held various editing positions in the Gulf with the regional Al-Iktissad Wal- Aamal Magazine in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Karim holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a Masters of Arts in Economics from Boston University.

I do represent the US financial sector on the board, given my role at Citigroup (present in UAE since 1964).

With good exposure to the Gulf banking industry, UAE government circles, regional and global community practitioners, as well as top media outlets, I can help ABC recruit new members and develop an advocacy and business promotion strategy in support of US businesses.

Furthermore, I would serve as a spokesperson for US financial corporates in the UAE, and can leverage my wide network of contacts to develop business events that can help promote ABC and take it to the next level.

Sharon Stultz-KarimAmerican Individual Member

I have had the honor of being a member of the Board of the American Business Council for 2015 and have worked in that capacity to further the objectives of the ABC in promoting the American business community. It would be an honor to be re-elected as a General Board Member to continue to contribute to the ABC’s objectives.

I am the Head of Arbitration at Global Advocates and Legal Consultants and have worked in Dubai since 2006.