The CEO of Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Michel Accad, was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the CEO Middle East Awards 2019 in Dubai on Monday.
A veteran of the finance industry, Accad has served as leader across a number of well-known banks, including Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Gulf Bank Kuwait, Arab Bank and Citibank.
At ABK, he has led the bank to be voted one of the safest banks in the region and last year the lender passed the $329.6 million net operating income mark for the first time in its history. The bank now has a total of 42 branches in Egypt, 31 in Kuwait and three in the United Arab Emirates.
Sixteen winners were honoured at the gala black tie event at Waldorf Astoria DIFC, including Dr Azad Moopen, founder and chairman of Aster DM Healthcare. Dr Moopen has been the driving force behind the success of the healthcare sector in the Middle East and received the Visionary CEO of the Year Award in recognition of his contribution.
“Mention his name in healthcare circles, and this is what you will hear about him: hands-on and always willing to give his time to others. Humble to a fault, he is a committed philanthropist who has given away around a fifth of his wealth while also setting up a healthcare foundation and myriad CSR initiatives that support the disadvantaged in India and beyond,” master of ceremonies for the event, Tom Urquhart, said on the night.
Other winners honoured at the event include:
- Telecoms CEO of the Year: Ali Al Zahid, CEO of Zain Iraq
- Banking CEO of the Year: Sunil Kaushal, Standard Chartered bank’s regional CEO for Africa and the Middle East
- Turnaround CEO of the Year: Chris Roberts, CEO of Eltizam Asset Management Group
- Young CEO of the Year: Oweis Zahran CEO of OWS Automotive & Managing Partner and Managing Partner of Rafid Automotive Solutions
- Retail CEO of the Year: Mohammad A. Baker, Deputy Chairman & CEO at Gulf Marketing Group
- Aviation CEO of the Year: Adel Mardini, Founder and CEO of Jetex
- Media CEO of the Year: Maaz Sheikh, co-founder and CEO of Starz Play
- Legal CEO of the Year: Farah Zafar, Chief Legal Officer for Amaala – The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia
- Investment Banking CEO of the Year: Hisham Alrayes, CEO of GFH Group
- FM CEO of the Year: Jamal Abdulla Lootah, Group CEO of Imdaad
- Leadership Coach of the Year: Kelly Eide, Equus, CEO of TrueYouMe
- Transport CEO of the Year: Maitha bin Adai, CEO of the Traffic and Roads Agency
- Property CEO of the Year: Faris Saeed, CEO of Diamond Developers
- Automotive CEO of the Year: Ralph Debbas, founder of W Motors
The event partners included Dunhill, Exclusive Fashion Partner and the Waldorf Astoria DIFC Hotel, the ceremony’s Exclusive Hospitality Partner.
“We would like to thank our Gold Sponsors, Dubai International Financial Centre, Gargash Group and Enterprise Systems Analysis Technology (ESAT), and our Silver Sponsor STC, for joining forces with CEO Middle East this evening,” said Shane McGinley, Arabian Business’ Editorial Director.
“For over a decade, CEO Middle East has shone the spotlight on leadership in the region. Ten years is a long time in business, but feels a lot longer in a region where change happens at such a stratospheric rate,” Jola Chudy, Editor-in-Chief of CEO Middle East Magazine, said in a speech at the event.
“The purpose of CEO Middle East has always been about sharing inspiring stories of achievement in the business world and reporting on key issues, trends and challenges. Ten years ago, these trends were very different from those that leaders grapple with today, and CEO has evolved to reflect this.
“We delve into issues such as sustainability, artificial intelligence, crypto-currencies and the changing geopolitical landscape, which many of you will know from our recent interviews.
“Something that I don’t think has changed at all, however, are the characteristics of great leadership. Integrity, passion, courage, tenacity, creativity and vision have always been the hallmark that drives true success, and they are abundant in the room this evening,” she added.