• November 26, 2019
• By Ziad Abdelnour
• In Uncategorized
• No Comment
• 0

Life is certainly not all about business and professional achievements. Looking back in retrospect.

1. I was born with a major stuttering handicap… It took me over 10 years to overcome it. I guess this was the turning point in my life when I started seriously thinking I could do whatever I put my mind to and which led me to come to the United States with a burning desire to take over Manhattan in 1982 and became a citizen in 1995.

2. First, one in my family to emigrate to America wanting to break from the tradition and the status quo looking for bigger opportunities abroad despite the privileged background and schools I grew up in and have been accustomed to.

3. First, one in my family to get into an Ivy League College – the Wharton School of Finance – and earn a Masters Degree in Finance with Honors at the ripe old age of 23.

4. First, one in my family to write a book – “Economic Warfare” in the US by one of the major publishers in the world – John Wiley & Sons back in 2011 with another one “Start-up Saboteurs coming in in 2020

5. Founded and became Editor in Chief from 1995 till 2000 of the “Middle East Intelligence Bulletin”; a privately funded think tank whose main mandate consisted of gathering intelligence on leaders in business, finance and politics throughout the Middle East and advising US corporate investors on best means to deploying capital in the region. Got to unearth all the good, bad and ugly players operating in the region at a very early stage. Service got to be invaluable for individuals and companies alike and helped me build a network second to none.

6. Elected in 1995 – and at the precocious age of 33 – to be Chairman of the Arab Bankers Association of North America (ABANA); the youngest ever Chairman in the organization’s history. ABANA has been an important bridge between the financial sectors in North America and the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region for over thirty years. Pretty revolutionary then when people valued experience much more than youth…. Clearly earned the respect of all board members much more than anyone before to deserve being elected there at such a young age.

7. Co-Authored with Harvard Political Guru Daniel Pipes the Book ” Ending Syria’s Occupation of Lebanon: The U.S. Role…. THE book that triggered all the changes in the Middle East leading to the Arab Spring and which eventually led to my below accomplishment.

8. Founded in 1997 and led for 20 years the US Committee for a Free Lebanon; a coalition of 2,000 accomplished and powerful Lebanese Americans of all faiths, that – post my book publication – was successful in drafting and lobbying Congress in 2005 in making HR 1559 or the “Syria Accountability Act” into law leading the Syrian military withdrawal from Lebanon.  One of my biggest lobbying efforts ever on behalf of my homeland.

9. Founded in 2011 the Financial Policy Council, a New York based think tank designed to give its select group of supporters the opportunity to have direct face-to-face dialogue with the nation’s quintessential powerbrokers and policymakers along with members of the media at large while proposing alternative solutions designed to influence the decision making process when it comes to overall fiscal policy.

10. Major Event Organizer and Debater – every other month since January 2012 – of key events in NYC featuring as counterparty Congresspeople, policymakers from Wall Street, academia, news anchors, the intelligence community, etc…  informing and empowering constituents and supporters about the state of affairs our great nation is going through.

11. Major contributor since 2013 to a number of political and other think tanks such as the Middle East Forum, the Center for Security Policy and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies that seek to define and promote American interests in the Middle East and protect the Constitutional order from Middle Eastern influences.

12. Regular speaker on Private Equity, Physical Commodities trading and Middle East geopolitical analysis at industry conferences, Universities & TV outlets nationwide including but not limited to Fox News, Newsmax, World Net Daily, Freedom Fest Conference, etc….

By: Ziad K Abdelnour

Ziad Abdelnour is also the author of the bestselling book Economic Warfare: Secrets of Wealth Creation in the Age of Welfare Politics (Wiley, 2011) and of the upcoming book  Startup Saboteurs: How Incompetence, Ego, and Small Thinking Prevent True Wealth Creation coming out in May 2020.

Mr. Ziad Abdelnour continues to be featured in hundreds of media channels and publications every year and is widely seen as one of the top business leaders by millions around the world.

He was also featured as one of the 500 Most Influential CEOs in the World.