Noura Selim is the Executive Director of the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development. Prior to assuming her role at the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, Ms. Selim worked at McKinsey & Company in New York, Dubai, and Cairo. At McKinsey, she served public and private sector clients, particularly on health care and education topics. Her healthcare work spans the pharmaceutical and public providers in the US, Europe, and the Middle East, while her education work spans K-12 and technical and vocational training and education in the Middle East. Ms. Selim has also been involved in leading the implementation of a large scale transformation in technical education and training, focused on improving performance and employment outcomes, as well as leading a health care reform program aimed at increasing access and quality of care.

Ms. Selim holds a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard Business School, a Masters in Biotechnology from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelors of Science in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating Magna cum laude.

Ms. Selim currently serves as Treasurer on the Board of the Harvard Arab Alumni Association and Treasurer of the Arab Foundations Forum (AFF,) representing the Sawiris Foundation on the AFF Board of Directors.

Arab Human Rights Fund (AHRF) joined the AFF Board in 2013 and has served as Vice-Chair of the Board since 2016. More details to come.

John D. Gerhart Center joined the AFF Board in September 2016 and has served as Treasurer of the Board since September 2017. More details to come.

Dr. Imad Baalbaki is the Associate Vice President for Development at the American University of Beirut (AUB), and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Marketing at AUB’s Olayan School of Business.

Dr. Baalbaki has taught and published in the fields of Marketing and Research Methods in the US, Lebanon, and the Gulf. He is co-author of the Arab World Editions of two leading marketing textbooks: Marketing Management (Kotler et al., Pearson 2012), and Marketing Research (Malhotra et al., Pearson 2013). The original editions of these books are global best sellers in their respective fields.

Dr. Baalbaki has contributed to the development of academic programs at universities in the region, and has been consulted on higher-education development matters. He is a trustee of the Arab Open University, a trustee of Makassed Association, and serves as the Secretary of the Board of the Arab Foundations Forum (AFF).

The Office of Development at AUB is responsible for the fundraising efforts of the University. The University has two development offices, one in New York and one in Beirut. The New York office area of responsibility extends over North America, while the Beirut office covers the rest of the world. Dr. Baalbaki heads the Beirut development office.

Sallama Namani is a graduate of the American University of Beirut (AUB) holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Sciences, Diploma in Agricultural Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Entomology. She started work as a research assistant and instructor at AUB, then established her own business in the field of ornamentals and landscape design. In 1990 she was in charge of the local and foreign affairs department at Makassed Association then in 1997, was among the founding members of Makhzoumi Foundation (MF) where she worked in the fields of the Environment, Awareness, Fundraising and is currently the Development Program Manager. She represents MF locally and abroad and has worked on its membership at the United Nations Convention for Combating Desertification (UNCCD); Founding of the Arab Foundations Forum (AFF); The Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE) and other networks. She is also a Founding member of the Lebanese NGO Better Together that aims at spreading positive thinking.

After thirteen years in the private sector in the US and Palestine as a project and consultant engineer, and then in academia at Birzeit University, Ziad Khalaf’s growing interest in socio-economic development led to a post-graduate diploma in development management and subsequently to a career in development work in Palestine that extends to the present. He directed the Human Resources Development Programme at the Welfare Association for four years, and in 1998 led the launching of the A. M. Qattan Foundation in Palestine which has since become one of the major organizations working in education, culture and the arts in Palestine and the region. Throughout his work with the latter, he was instrumental in developing the Foundation’s three core programmes, the establishment of a number of strategic partnerships between the Foundation and leading developmental institutions in Europe and the US, and launching innovative projects including the Gaza Music School, the Performing Arts Network Program, and Selat: Links through the Arts.

Ziad Khalaf co-founded and has been active in a number of local and regional institutions including the Technical Development Corporation; Ramallah Municipal Council; Al-Haq Society; The Arab Foundations Forum, and Future Pioneers School.

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation joined the AFF Board in September 2016. More details to come.

Dr. Aida Essaid serves as the Executive Director of the Information and Research Center at the King Hussein Foundation in Jordan.

Oman Development Foundation (OLNG) joined the AFF Board in September 2017. More details to come.