The Believers

Madiha Raslan Chairwoman, Jazzmin.co

Coming from a business background, Madiha leveraged her knowledge in retail to drive her business growth. At the age of 23, Madiha established Trends International as a manufacturer and supplier of women’s fashion accessories. Her Darling’s Touch concept store is a franchisor of women apparel with a portfolio of 7 brands.

Madiha collected many accolades throughout her career, including being chosen as Businesswoman of the Year by the Almal wal Alam Magazine in 2020. She was also selected among the 50 Most Influential Women in the Middle East and Gulf by Retail Middle East.

She went on to establish the Women Leaders Council of Lebanon, which currently presides, with the goal to involve them in various activities to consolidate their position in the national economy and decision making process.

She was VP of the Lebanese Franchise Association where she headed the Beirut International Franchise Forum and Exhibition - BIFEX Committee, launching an annual landmark event that attracted huge international participation.

Her guiding light is a quote by Mahatma Gandhi: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. Madiha is known for her boldness and ambition to advance women’s society in the Arab world. Madiha spends whatever is left of her free time at the beach.

Rindala Kassem Board Member, Jazzmin.co

Highly innovative and out of the box thinker, Rindala always found new solutions for her plastics business considering the consistent economic turmoil. She is the Executive Partner and Marketing Director at Pandaplast, Lebanon’s leading company in plastic production.

With a Bachelor’s in Marketing & Accounting from the Lebanese American University and a certificate in Body Language and Leadership, Rindala brings the whole package. Known for her dynamic approaches and fresh outlook, Rindala successfully led Pandaplast to earn the ISO 9001/2009 & ISO 9001/2015 and achieve consistent revenue growth.

She managed the development of more than 500 locally manufactured products and launched three showrooms that included more than 20,000 imported products, enabling the company to build a thousands-strong client base across the Arab region.

Because plastic is one of the environment’s worst enemies, Rindala made sure to only produce sustainable, recyclable, and durable products that have the least possible environmental damage.

Zakia Alti

Zakia is a professional banker representing Access Bank in the MENA region. Having graduated from the Lebanese American University with a Bachelor’s in Business Management, Zakia dedicated her career to banking. One of her many achievements is establishing the Representative Office of Access Bank PLC and liaising with clients from all over the world, including UK, West Africa, and MENA region.

When she is not strengthening relations with correspondent banks, Zakia uses her free time to go on hiking trips or spend time with her mother, whom she considers to be her role model. Her favorite quote is: “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”

Driven by the unrelenting pursuit of customer-driven focus and ideals, Zakia understands that listening to customers is the single most valuable asset an organization can have.

Nadine El Khoury Board Member, Jazzmin.co

It is rare to find women at the helm of leading agricultural companies. Nadine is one of those few, having been raised amidst a family that was a major contributor to the lebanese agriculture sector for many generations. Nadine is the COO at Robinson Agri, which offers a complete range of agriculture solutions and operates a greenhouse factory and a nursery.
In addition to her work at Robinson Agri, Nadine is the Business Development Manager at Elysee WISE, a factory for irrigation, potable water, energy and sewage PE pipes, a joint venture with Elysee- Cyprus.

Her focus on innovation projected Khoury Group to the forefront of advancing agriculture in Lebanon and branded it as the only local socially responsible agricultural company.

Nadine is also president of the board of QOOT, the first agri-food innovation cluster in Lebanon.

Nadine is known among her friends for her can-do attitude and passion . When she’s not busy giving agricultural advice, Nadine enjoys occasional hiking escapes with her friends.

Nadine holds a Bachelor’s in Agriculture Engineering from the American University of Beirut.

Suzanne Talhouk Board Member, Jazzmin.co

Suzanne holds a Master’s in Physics but has built her career as a Communications and Public Relations expert, and writer. She is a speaker at TEDxBeirut as well as international forums such as Harvard, McGill and others and has been featured on CNN, BBC, and France24 among others.
She is the founder of local NGO Feil Amer فعل أمر and is a published poet with two books under her belt.

She was the first ever Arabic speaker to be featured on Ted.com. Suzanne established a Human Communication company called Cachoeira s.a.r.l to serve the Levant region, growing her business exponentially to cater to some of the most renowned corporations in the region. Not only is Suzanne an international award winner and a Canner Jury member back in 2019, but she is also a proud climber of the Himalayas!

Suzanne wears many hats: In addition to her work in the PR and communication industry, she is also a certified Sophrology Practitioner. Known in her inner circle as the meditator and the wise, Suzanne enjoys learning new spiritual and wellbeing techniques in her free time.

Her ultimate ambition is aligning her purpose in life with her actions, words, and thoughts.

Mireille Korab Abi Nasr Board Member, Jazzmin.co

Mireille is known to be vocal in an industry traditionally governed by men: real estate. She heads Corporate Communication at FFA Private Bank Group and Business Development at the Group’s real estate subsidiary. Mireille also serves as the Vice President of the Real Estate Developers Association of Lebanon.
In addition to raising three beautiful boys, Mireille enjoys lobbying and advocating for a prosperous corruption-free Lebanon.

She is highly experienced in real estate investments, government relations, corporate social responsibility, and policy making. In fact, Mireille is a founding member of the Beirut Institute policy making think tank and sits on its advisory board. Mireille holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut.

Dr Joumana Zayan Alameh

Ever since she was a little girl, Joumana dreamt of becoming a doctor. She wanted to help sick kids feel better. While growing up, Joumana excelled in her biology classes, adamant to become a pediatrician. She pursued her medical diploma in Ukraine, then specialized in pediatrics at the American University of Beirut. Dr. Joumana was academically successful, receiving a host of specialized diplomas within a short span.

Dr. Joumana’s determination and strong resolve were the key to achieving her dreams. She now helps many sick babies and kids. She has been the Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Clemenceau Medical Center for more than 15 years.

She is an expert team builder, leading the division to be one of the best in the Middle East. Dr. Joumana plans to continue her humanitarian mission with the same fortitude she had since she was a little girl.

Ingrid Raad Dahdah

Ingrid received a Bachelor’s degree from Saint Joseph University and a Master’s in Economics from Paris-Dauphine. An entrepreneur at heart, Ingrid established her own staffing and hostessing company, Diffa, at the age of 21 just for fun!

She juggled her hobby alongside a very secure and rewarding career at a local alpha bank. With time, Diffa group grew into passion as she was able to cater to thousands of the most prestigious events in Lebanon and abroad.

Ingrid resigned from her stable full-time job after having been selected for the 2009 IVLP Women Entrepreneurship Program by the US Embassy. It gave her the courage to fully invest herself in her company despite the country’s instability, with one objective in mind: shaping a positive future by empowering thousands of youth through continuous training and job creation in the hospitality and corporate worlds.

Ingrid is known for her sense of humor and wittiness. She admires people who demonstrate prowess, energy and kindness.

Isabelle Mansour

Isabelle is a creative communicator, a sustainability practitioner, a passionate listener, and a believer in positive social impact. During her journey spanning over 25 years in communication, Isabelle discovered her passion for transforming organizations into sustainable ones. This vision steered her path and changed her perception to become a human-centered communicator who believes that talent is a core asset. She is committed to supporting corporations in aligning their social purpose with their values and core business functions.

Isabelle is particularly proud of her active board membership in the Global Compact Network Lebanon which works closely with the UNGC to promote the Ten Principles of responsible conduct and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the private sector.

She is curious about learning new things that bring innovative thinking to her field. Isabelle ran her first marathon at the age of 49, setting her mind on continuing this annual habit. When she wants to wind down, Isabelle enjoys sipping organic coffee and reading at her favorite coffeehouse.