Omar K. Alghanim

Omar K. Alghanim has for more than 15 years led Alghanim Industries, one of the Middle East's most important enterprises. With 19th century roots in pearl trading, timber and building materials, Kuwait-based Alghanim Industries has grown into a global enterprise with dozens of businesses in a range of industry sectors, including automotive, retail, industrial manufacturing and more. He is also Chairman of Gulf Bank, one of Kuwait's leading retail banks, and a Founding Investor of Perella Weinberg Partners, the New York advisory and asset management firm. These roles reflect his expertise in banking and international finance, which build on his prior experience in the investment banking division of Morgan Stanley. Omar is deeply committed to advancing the Middle East economy, and preparing its youth for successful careers and rewarding lives. In January 2018, he formed a partnership with the UN High Commission on Refugees to educate and train 100,000 Middle East refugee children by 2020. He chairs the World Economic Forum's effort to tackle joblessness and close the skills gap across the Middle East and North Africa. He is also a member of WEF's International Business Council. He is a co-founder and was the first chairman of INJAZ Al Arab, which supports education and entrepreneurship throughout the Middle East and has impacted over 3 million youth since inception. He is also chairman of Injaz Kuwait, the group's local chapter. He is chairman of the Family Business Council - GULF (FBCG), a nonprofit membership organization established to improve long-term governance among family-owned businesses, which account for 90 percent of the regional private sector economy. Finally, Omar is a dedicated advocate for Harvard University, serving on the board of the Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership and the Board of Dean's Advisors for Harvard Business School, his alma mater. For more information, visit www.omaralghanim.com.