BIOGRAPHY

As an expert in Managing Change, Transforming Culture, and Driving effective Strategy Formation, Dr. Nahla Bou Diab has been recognized as a credible leader, earning 11 awards for leadership excellence since 2015. Dr. Nahla is considered an expert in building organizational resilience, she has earned her Doctorate Degree from University of Liverpool, for her research on 'Spirituality in the Organization', which was recognized as an important contribution to both scholarly and practitioner knowledge. She is the Head of Women Empowerment for the World Union of Arab Bankers, and in that capacity, Nahla broke new grounds by launching the first charter for Gender Diversity in the Arab World, the charter was approved and formalized by WUAB's board of Directors, and has been featured by OECD in their June 2020 publication.

Recently the World Union of Arab Bankers accepted the proposal submitted by Dr. Bou Diab to change the group's name to Gender Diversity at the Executive Level.

Dr. Bou Diab has been featured in the media on multiple occasions to share her expertise on organizations, gender diversity, and managing change. Nahla has recently launched her first book in the US market.

With over 40 years of experience in Senior Management in Canada and Lebanon, Nahla led the restructuring of several organizations in Canada including her contribution to the reorganization of the Central Bank of Canada. Nahla moved to Lebanon in 1997 where she launched the Management Consulting Services for Ernst & Young Lebanon. She taught 'Change Management' in the Executive MBA program at American University of Beirut for 10 years, until 2017.

Dr. Bou Diab joined AM Bank s.a.l. in the year 2000 and is currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and an acting member of the board of the Bank. She is an active Mentor at Endeavor, and volunteers her time to support SME's by helping young entrepreneurs to effectively drive their business. She recently joined in 2022 the GCC Board Directors Institute and the Insitute of Directors (IoD) in the UK and became an official member.

Dr. Bou Diab was honored by many entities and publications. Most recently, she was featured in CIO Views Magazine's special edition on 'The 10 Most Empowering Women in Business 2022'.

Knowledge

  • 1
    Solid Educational Background:
    • Doctorate Degree in Business Administration 'University of Liverpool', UK
    • MBA 'Athabaska University', Canada
    • Certified Management Consultant 'Institute of Certified Management Consultants'
  • 2
    A True Believer in Continuous Learning:
    • IESE Business School University of Navarra
      The Global CEO Program: Module III- A Transformational Journey - 2019
    • Wharton University, Philadelphia, US
      The Global CEO Program: Module II- A Transformational Journey - 2019
    • CEIBS University, Shanghai, China
      The Global CEO Program: Module I- A Transformational Journey - 2018
    • IMD, Lausanne, Geneva
      Orchestrating Winning Performance - 2016
    • INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France
      AVIRA - 2014
    • IMD, Lausanne, Geneva
      Organizational Learning, - 2013
    • IMD, Lausanne, Geneva
      Orchestrating Winning Performance - 2012
    • Columbia Business School, New York, US
      Leading Strategic Growth - 2011
    • Columbia Business School, New York, US
      Finance for Non Financial Manager - 2008
    • Harvard Business School, Boston US
      Driving Corporate Performance - 2007
    • Harvard Business School, Boston US
      Finance for Senior Executives - 2005

Local, Regional and International Recognition

Despite the fact that one of Nahla's core life principles is that we were designed to live as a collective, and despite her belief that there is no such thing as an “individual” achievement, it is with gratitude and appreciation that she accepted the below awards as symbols of recognition. All awards received by the organizations that she has managed are owned by every employee in these organizations, on the personal level Nahla endorses her personal awards to every person she has ever worked with, because it is the interaction with them that has sculpted her beliefs, and to the many that she does not know personally because it is their energy that fuels her need to share her experiences and to learn so that we can, collectively, rise up to our potential.

    • WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP IN ENHANCING EDUCATION FOR HER SPECIAL TOPIC INTERVENTION AT USEK
      USEK HOLY SPIRITY UNIVERSITY OF KASLIK - 2021
    • VALUED MEMBER CONTRIBUTION
      ENDEAVOR - 2015
    • THE LEADING ARAB WOMEN INFLUENCERS IN ARAB ECONOMY AND BANKING SECTOR
      WORLD UNION OF ARAB BANKERS - 2015
    • GOLDEN SHIELD OF EXCELLENCE AWARD
      ARAB WOMEN COUNCIL - 2016
    • RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION AWARD- JURY MEMBER
      ROTARY CLUB OF ALEY - 2019
    • EXCELLENCE FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AWARD
      WORLD UNION OF ARAB BANKERS - 2018
      • EXCELLENCE IN THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN BANKING LEADERSHIP AWARD
        UNION OF ARAB BANKS - 2017
      • EXCELLENCE FOR INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP AWARD
        WORLD UNION OF ARAB BANKERS - 2019

Local, Regional and International Recognition

Despite the fact that one of Nahla's core life principles is that we were designed to live as a collective, and despite her belief that there is no such thing as an “individual” achievement, it is with gratitude and appreciation that she accepted the below awards as symbols of recognition. All awards received by the organizations that she has managed are owned by every employee in these organizations, on the personal level Nahla endorses her personal awards to every person she has ever worked with, because it is the interaction with them that has sculpted her beliefs, and to the many that she does not know personally because it is their energy that fuels her need to share her experiences and to learn so that we can, collectively, rise up to our potential.

    • WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP IN ENHANCING EDUCATION FOR HER SPECIAL TOPIC INTERVENTION AT USEK
      USEK HOLY SPIRITY UNIVERSITY OF KASLIK - 2021
    • VALUED MEMBER CONTRIBUTION
      ENDEAVOR - 2015
    • THE LEADING ARAB WOMEN INFLUENCERS IN ARAB ECONOMY AND BANKING SECTOR
      WORLD UNION OF ARAB BANKERS - 2015
    • GOLDEN SHIELD OF EXCELLENCE AWARD
      ARAB WOMEN COUNCIL - 2016
    • RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION AWARD- JURY MEMBER
      ROTARY CLUB OF ALEY - 2019
    • EXCELLENCE FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AWARD
      WORLD UNION OF ARAB BANKERS - 2018
    • EXCELLENCE IN THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN BANKING LEADERSHIP AWARD
      UNION OF ARAB BANKS - 2017
    • EXCELLENCE FOR INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP AWARD
      WORLD UNION OF ARAB BANKERS - 2019
Awards received by AM Bank https://www.ambank.com/english/awards

Sharing Thoughts


    • Mar, 2021

      INVEST IN SMALL BUSINESSES

    • Jul, 2020

      INTRODUCING THE E-1 DISEASE

    • Jun, 2020

      ARE DIVERSE IDEOLOGIES ALWAYS BENEFICIAL OR DO THEY HAVE A DARK SIDE?

    • Jun, 2020

      MY LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES

    • Jun, 2020

      ACTIVATE THEIR POWERS DO NOT TEACH THEM TO CONFORM!

    • Jun, 2020

      INSPIRE NOT INSTRUCT!

    • May, 2020

      WHEN WE ARE HERE FOR THEM, THEY WILL BE HERE FOR US!

    • May, 2020

      INNOVATE, CREATE, PRODUCE!

    • Apr, 2020

      THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO FIX OUR ECONOMY

    • Apr, 2020

      THE REAL PRICE OF A HAIRCUT

    • Mar, 2020

      CORONAVIRUS, YOU CHOSE THE WRONG SPECIES

    • Mar, 2020

      A POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON CONFINEMENT

    • Mar, 2020

      DREAM AWAY SADNESS AND NEGATIVITY

    • Oct, 2019

      DREAM OF A DIVERSE LEBANON

    • Sep, 2019

      DREAMS ARE ATTAINABLE

    • Jun, 2019

      UNCERTAINTY AND FEAR

    • Mar, 2019

      DO ALL ECONOMIC THEORIES MATERIALIZE?

  • Diversity, a Journey of Evolution Towards Oneness

    • Stemming from the belief that the true success of any country, society, or institution is the result of equally empowering all its members, Nahla was appointed as Head of Women Empowerment by the World Union of Arab Bankers.

      In her capacity, and with the support of WUAB, the first and only Charter for Gender Diversity in the Arab World was officially approved and launched. Below is the journey of the Charter.

      Read the Charter for Gender Diversity.



    • April 17, 2018: AM Bank's board approved The Charter for Gender Diversity and fully implemented it by virtue of an internal memo.

    • June 2020: The Charter for Gender Diversity was recognized and featured in OECD's Report 'Changing Laws and Breaking Barriers for Women's Economic Empowerment in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia' (see page 84, Box 2.3)
    • March 2021: Memorandum of Understanding was signed with American University of Beirut's Center for Inclusive Business and Leadership for Women, providing free support and consulting to implement the charter in Arab Banks.

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