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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Jury President, Asia
Minister of Foreign Trade, United Arab Emirates
First woman to assume cabinet position
Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi is United Arab Emirates' Minister for Economy. In November 2004, she became the first woman in the country's history to assume a cabinet position, appointed to manage the UAE's newly merged economy and planning portfolio. Sheikha Lubna was also the Chief Executive Officer of Tejari ( www.tejari.com), the Middle East's premier electronic businessto- business marketplace. (Now Serving as a board member of Tejari).
After honoring Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi as the "Distinguished Government Employee Award" in 1999, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Defense Minister appointed her as the head of Tejari at the launch of the marketplace in 2000.
Prior to managing Tejari, Sheikha Lubna was the senior manager of the information systems department at the Dubai Ports Authority (DPA), a position she held for more than seven years. Before joining DPA, Sheikha Lubna acted as the Dubai branch manager for the General Information Authority, the organization responsible for automating the federal government of the United Arab Emirates. She has more than twenty years of information technology & management experience in the Middle East region.
In 2001 Sheikha Lubna headed the Dubai e-government executive team responsible for instituting e-government initiatives throughout the public sector. Sheikha Lubna holds a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University of Chico, and an Executive MBA from the American University of Sharjah.
Humanitarian and Board members
She volunteers extensively with the "Friends of Cancer Patients" Society and serves on the Board of Directors for the Dubai Autism Center.
- She also serves as a Board Member for the following organizations:
- Board of Directors for Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Dubai.
- Trustees for Electronic-Total Quality Management College, Dubai.
- Trustees for Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management, Phoenix Arizona.
- Trustees for Zayed University, UAE.
- Emirates Foundation-Abu Dhabi.
Personal Recognition and Awards
Forbes.com Recognizes Seikha Lubna Al Qasimi as one of the women to watch in the Middle East. She was also recognized in May 2005 by Women News in New York as one of 21 leaders in the twenty first Century.
She is a recipient of many awards for her personal achievements, to name a few:
- Premio Minerva International Award for her outstanding contribution in the politics & Economy - 2005
- ITP- Arab Technology Awards for 'Outstanding Contribution to E-Commerce' - 2005
- American Business Council of Dubai & the Northern Emirates: American Business Award 2004
- Great Britain's House of Lords: Entrepreneurship Award 2004
- Commonwealth of Kentucky: Honorary title: "Kentucky Colonel" 2003
- Datamatix: Outstanding Contribution year 2002
- Datamatix: IT Woman of the year 2001 Business.
- Com: Personal Contribution Award year 2001
- Dubai Quality Group: For Support to Leadership, Quality, and Change year 2000
- ITP: The Best Personal Achievement Award year 2000
Under her leadership, Tejari has been recipient of the following awards:
- UAE Super Brands Council "“ Super Brand of 2005,2004,2003
- Gulf Marketing Review: Gulf Brand of the Decade Award (E-Commerce & IT Category) in 2003.
- World Summit for Information Society Geneva "“ Best eContent Provider in e-business "“ 2003.
- MEED Awards: IT Project of the Year 2002.
- PC Magazine D.I.T: Awards of Excellence year 2000.
- Business.Com/Visa: Best B2B Marketplace site www.tejari.com year 2000.
- World class education
Bachelor of Science California State University of Chico
Executive MBA American University of Sharjah
BANGLADESH
President and CEO of the Asian University for Women Support Foundation
www.asian-university.org
A career in private transactional law and international development
Kamal Ahmad currently serves as the President and CEO of the Asian University for Women Support Foundation. Educated at the Phillips Exeter Academy, Harvard College, and the University of Michigan Law School, Mr. Ahmad has combined a career in private transactional law practice and international development. He focused on corporate mergers and acquisitions as well as US federal securities laws while at the New York offices of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson (1996-2000) and the London office of Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw (2001-2002). Immediately prior to joining the Asian University for Women Support Foundation, he was on the staff of the General Counsel of the Asian Development Bank based in Manila, Philippines. He has also worked with the World Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation and UNICEF.
Passion for education
In 1998 he helped launch the World Bank/UNESCO Task Force on Higher Education and Society and co-directed it with Professor David Bloom of Harvard University. As a freshman at Harvard College, he founded and directed the Overseas Development Network"”a consortium of campus organizations devoted to international development. As a teenager growing up in Bangladesh, he founded a series of primary schools for working children in Dhaka.
Awards and recognitions
Mr. Ahmad was named as "one of the 20 outstanding undergraduates in the nation" by Time magazine in 1987. The Paul G. Hoffman Awards Fund, created to honor the first Administrator of the United Nations Development Program, gave him a UN Gold Peace Medal and Citation Scroll for his "outstanding contribution to national and international development." In 2002, the World Economic Forum based in Davos, Switzerland elected him as a "Global Leader for Tomorrow." Over the years Mr. Ahmad's work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor and other major publications.
ISRAEL
CEO of Almedia Group
Business woman and talk-show host
Galia Albin is one of Israel's most powerful women and her mission is to influence and empower other women throughout the world.
She hosts the popular talk show, The Club, for Israel's fifty-plus demographic.
At 57, Albin holds a slew of titles and positions in both public and private sectors in Israel and beyond. She serves as company director of at least ten publicly held Israeli/international giants including Marks & Spencer Israel, United Steel Mills and the Koor Industries Group, she chairs the Business Forum Women's advisory to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the National Council for Children, The Center for Economic Development Among Jewish & Arab Women and serves as Director of the Israel Women's Network.
Supporting the Women's Forum
Most recently, she was invited to the 2nd annual International Women's Forum in Deauville, France to address global concerns over health care, education and demography. Bringing together world leaders and prominent businesswomen, the conference attendee list included Jordan's Queen Rania, Kuwait's premier female minister Maasouma Al-Mubarak, Lucent CEO Pat Russo and US State Department Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes.
The turning point
Albin's empowerment experience is broad. She holds four degrees - two in psychology, one in law and another in acting - has produced and executive produced three films, owned the Globes and Monitin business publications.
It was her husband's sudden death in the mid-1980's that prompted a tremendous shift. "I had a business career until then but mostly I stayed home with my children. When he died, I inherited seven public companies and other holdings and I had a choice: Sit back and spend the money or learn how to 'work it'. It took four years to become chairwoman and some of my husband's closest associates didn't like me being there. I made mistakes but ultimately I was the winner."
Find the complete story on Galia Albin on www.israel21c.org.
A dynamic business leader in the real-estate and hospitality industry
Rattawadee is an MBA graduate from Chulalongkorn University (SASIN) and was educated in the United Kindgom from Royal Holloway, University of London.
Her business interests span a number of diverse industries including real estate and hospitality both in Thailand and overseas. A dynamic business leader whose entrepreneurial drive has helped create successful new ventures, Rattawadee has led the transformation of Challenge Hospitality into a thriving new holding company, lebua Hotels and Resorts, the company behind one of Thailand's most successful hospitality brands, The Dome. Under her leadership The Dome now enjoys a worldwide reputation for excellence in fine dining and hospitality. She is also a strong advocate for the development of Thailand tourism and seeks every opportunity to promote the country at overseas forums.
Melbourne-born Michelle Garnaut is a restaurateur and trained cook with a culinary career that spans 25 years, several continents and positions that have ranged from pot-scrubber to waitress to cook to caterer and, finally, proprietor.
Pioneer Restaurateur in Hong Kong and Shanghai
After traveling (and cooking) the world, Michelle arrived in Hong Kong in 1984, where she worked in the restaurant business on both sides of the kitchen and then started a catering firm. With very little money, but on the strength of a solid business plan and her reputation as a caterer, she raised the funds to open M at the Fringe in 1989. Located in the historic Ice House, the restaurant became one of the earliest pioneers of independent fine dining in the city.
After a guest chef stint at The Peace Hotel in Shanghai in 1996, Michelle felt that Shanghai was ready for something similar, and took an enormous financial risk to do so. Risking M at the Fringe, she opened M on the Bund in 1999, when the rest of the Bund was a culinary desert, and Shanghai wasn't yet the global superstar that she is today. M on the Bund was the city's first independent, international-standard restaurant, and became an instant hit, recouping the initial investment within three years -- a remarkable achievement, especially for a business in China
In 2006, Michelle opened the Glamour Bar, a very 21st century Shanghai blend of cool sophistication and urban chic that has quickly become the talk of the town.
Both restaurants and the Glamour Bar continue to receive awards and accolades, and even after 18 years (the Fringe) and eight years (the Bund), are consistently named as one of their respective cities' favourites by both critics and diners "“ a testament to the strength of Michelle's commitment to maintaining the standards of quality and consistency that first won her restaurants acclaim.
A long-term commitment to community service
Michelle has a long-term commitment to the communities in which she works. She is the Hong Kong director of Care for Children, which works in partnership with the PRC government to provide long-term family care to orphaned and disabled children as an alternative to institutional care.
Michelle also encourages active participation by her company and staff in many community projects, and to that end, has sponsored Hong Kong's International Coastal Clean-up since 2004. Michelle and her team have also worked with the Heep Hong Society, Greenpeace Hong Kong, Amnesty International and the Jane Goodall Foundation, among others.
In 2004, Michelle founded the nonprofit Shanghai International Literary Festival, which has grown into the city's premier literary event. M on the Bund is the primary sponsor of the Festival, which has featured headliners such as Gore Vidal, Amy Tan, Thomas Keneally and Pico Iyer.
Michelle is a popular speaker, and especially enjoys speaking to organizations involved with the promotion of women in business.
her achievements, Michelle has been honored with awards that include the Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2003 International Woman of Influence Awards and the Business Entrepreneurial Award from the ANZ Australian Business Awards.
KOREA
Chairperson and CEO of Sung Joo Group & MCM Products AG
www.sungjoogroup.com
www.mcmworldwide.com
Fashion and retail guru
Sung-Joo Kim is the Founder of Sungjoo Group, which consists of Sungjoo International Ltd. (SJI), Sungjoo Merchandising Inc. (SMI) and Sungjoo Design Tech & Distribution Inc. (SDD). She is also Chairperson of MCM Products AG.
Internationally known and respected for her achievements in business, she has been involved in the fashion industry for more than 20 years, beginning her career at Bloomingdale's in 1985 under the direct supervision of Mr. Marvin Traub, the legendary retailer and ex-Chairman of Bloomingdale's.
Launching international luxury brands on the Korean market
Since 1990, she has successfully launched several globally renowned brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Sonia Rykiel, Marks & Spencer and MCM, acquiring exclusive franchise rights for the Korean market. Sungjoo Group currently operates more than 90 retail stores for MCM, Marks & Spencer, Lulu Guinness and Billy Bag. It also recently acquired MCM's global business based in Munich, Germany. Its gross annual sales in 2005 amounted to approximately US$100 million.
Ms. Kim holds degrees from Amherst College (BA in Sociology), London School of Economics (MSc in International Relations) and Harvard University (MTS in Business Ethics & Economics). She was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree by Amherst College.
International recognitions
As one of the most celebrated businesswomen in Asia, she has received countless recognitions and has featured in numerous publications and media broadcasts including Forbes, Asiaweek, BBC, CNN and CNBC. She was selected as one of the "1997 Global Leaders of Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and was chosen to represent one of "The 20 Most Powerful International Businesswomen" by Working Woman (New York, 1999). Asiaweek also picked her as one of the "7 Most Powerful Women in Asia" (Hong Kong, 2001), while CNN nominated her as one of the "New Century Leaders" for its The Best of Asia news feature. In addition, she was counted among the "Top 50 Women to Watch" by the Wall Street Journal (Global Edition on Nov. 8, 2004).
A unique management style
As a successful businesswoman with a strong sense of corporate social responsibility, Ms. Kim considers serving society as one of her most important duties in life. This is reflected in her active involvement in many non-profit and charity organizations including Save the Children and Asia House UK. In addition, she firmly believes in the power of women to improve global society and is an International Planning Committee Member for the Global Summit of Women which supports the works and advancement of women worldwide.
A short collection of autobiographical essays (the English title being "Beautiful Outcast/Wake-Up Call") was published in Korea in May 2000. It quickly became a bestseller.
A successful entrepreneur serving the best coffees and teas in the world
Michelle Sassoon is the Chief Operating Officer of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Singapore) Pte Ltd, a business that she and her husband set up in 1996 when they chanced upon the company in California, USA. The Sassoons were the first to franchise the store outside California and it was an instant success. Today, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf employs about 700 people in Singapore and has a total of 78 outlets in Singapore and Malaysia.
Furthermore, rather than setting their sights on Asia alone, the Sassoons have taken over The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf business worldwide. It is the world's largest privately-held specialty coffee operation with over 475 stores globally including regions like Australia, Brunei, China, Egypt, Israel, Indonesia, Korea, the Middle East, the Philippines and Taiwan.
Broad entrepreneurial experiences
Apart from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, the Sassoons have been responsible for spearheading numerous lifestyle concepts in Singapore and Asia.
Michelle has dealt with a diversity of industries from entertainment and show business to lifestyle apparel and accessories retailing, right through to luxury watch retailing and distribution. In the early 1990s, under the SunVic Group, Michelle focused on entertainment and introduced over 50 acts in Singapore. These included big stars like Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson and Alanis Morissette. SunVic also launched its own production, the mammoth opera Aida in Singapore. In terms of fashion watch retailing, SunVic is responsible for brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Jennifer Lopez and Anne Klein. Under the family's Rubina Group, the Sassoons are involved in luxury names like Cartier, Rolex, LVMH and Richemont brands. They also have a stake in Corum Singapore, covering markets in Southeast Asia, South Asia and IndoChina. Michelle has also been at the forefront of luxury watch retailing and distribution in Indonesia through the company, Time Place International.
Entrepreneurial values at the heart of Michelle's work philosophy
As a highly successful entrepreneur and businesswoman, Michelle's work philosophy is based on integrity, hard work and consistency. She holds fast to the principle of treating others the way she would like to be treated and believes in giving her staff a sense of ownership in their work and helping them realise their fullest potential. Michelle is a dynamic, lively and positive personality and has been successful in achieving both a highly successful career as well as maintaining a rich family life.
Michelle's entrepreneurial spirit can be attributed in part to her family's business endeavours. Her grandfather started the clothing store Hilda's in Singapore and Malaysia. Michelle spent many long hours learning the ropes of the business and dealing with customers, despite the fact that she was just a young student then. Another strong influence in her life is her husband, Victor Daniel Sassoon, who is CEO of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Through her husband, Michelle has learnt how to grow from her mistakes and to cut her losses at the earliest opportunity. Michelle takes failures in her stride and believes there is always something to be learnt from every experience. Rather than to get emotionally attached to the experience, one must have the strength and ability to move on. This she believes is the mark of a true entrepreneur.
In order to succeed in business, Michelle believes in passion, creativity, a clear sense of direction and the ability to communicate clearly. She recognises that recruiting and training is an ongoing process and that the only thing constant in a business is change. As such, most important for Michelle is to be able to set up a system that can accommodate and thrive amidst change.
Michelle has been instrumental in the success of her family's business ventures to date and dares to try as many different things as possible. She believes that the lack of knowledge should not be an impediment to exploring new ground, because everything can be learnt and with perseverance comes success.
Personal life and achievements
Michelle has been recently nominated to the Young Presidents Organisation. She is an avid reader and prioritises her Saturday afternoons to reading a wide variety of books, from fiction to non-fiction, as well as management books and business articles. She enjoys cooking, music and travelling with her family, involving activities like skiing, snorkelling and diving. She has a deep appreciation for culture and the arts. But above all else, Michelle's greatest satisfaction in life is her five children. Through them, she has learnt to see things in different perspectives. She is forced to leave her cares behind and finds great joy in building a strong relationship with them.
Rebecca Wei is a Principal at McKinsey & Company and is a leader of their Asia-Pacific High Tech & Telecommunications practice. Ms. Wei is the first woman partner elected in McKinsey's Greater China office.
Ms. Wei has served many world-leading telecom operators and high tech companies in China and Asia in areas such as strategy, marketing and sales, operations, IT, organization and corporate finance.
Ms. Wei has also actively introduced advanced international management practices to China while facilitating the understanding among multinational firms of the rapidly evolving Chinese economic and business environment. She is a regular speaker at industry conferences and workshops, and has published several articles on management trends and issues in the Chinese press.
As one of McKinsey's most senior women in Asia, Ms. Wei is leading the firm's Women's Initiative in Asia. Ms. Wei has supported many McKinsey women consultants across the region as a mentor and coach, and is devoted to making McKinsey a better place to work for women and families.
Ms. Wei holds an MBA from INSEAD. Prior to joining McKinsey, she was an associate representative of SBC Warburg Dillon Read in Shanghai.