This document provides an agenda for an event on gender diversity and inclusion hosted by BLC Bank in Beirut, Lebanon on March 20, 2012. The event features four keynote speakers and two panel discussions on related topics. The first panel focuses on gender diversity and inclusion in the workplace, while the second panel addresses challenges faced by small and medium enterprises and women in business. The event concludes with a keynote speech by Cherie Blair and closing remarks.

1. www.we-initiative.com
HILTON GRAND HABTOOR - BEIRUT, TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2012

2. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Mr. Maurice SEHNAOUI, Ms. Cherie BLAIR, Ms. Tania MOUSSALLEM, Ms. Toyin ADENIJI,
Chairman, General Manager, BLC Bank. Founder and Patron of Assistant General Manager heading Head of Women in Business - IFC.
the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. the Strategic Development and Financial
Management Group at BLC bank-
Board Member in USB Bank, Cyprus.
Mr. Maurice Sehnaoui is the Chairman of the Board of Directors Ms. Cherie Blair is an active campaigner on equality and human Ms. Tania Moussallem joined BLC bank in 2008 where she Ms. Toyin Adeniji heads IFC’s Global Women in Business Program
and General Manager of BLC Bank since 2008, and Chairman of rights issues. She has spoken across the world on both issues initiated, headed and implemented several strategic and innovative (WIN) in the Sustainable Business Advisory Department, charged
the Board of Directors of USB Bank PLC (Cyprus) since 2011. and also on the need for improved work/life balance for both development projects involving external and organic growth for with creating opportunities for women in business in the developing
He holds a degree in Economics (June 1967) from Saint Joseph women and men. In 2008, Cherie set up her charity, the Cherie the bank. Areas covered include acquisitions, finance, technology, world.
University of Beirut. He was a former Minister of Energy and Blair Foundation for Women. She believes that by empowering corporate social responsibility, etc. latest of which is the We Ms. Adeniji is a Financial Services professional with experience in
Water from 2004 to 2005. Mr. Sehnaoui was the Chairman– and supporting women around the world, they can play an Initiative, subject of today’s conference. She had started her carrier international development, microfinance, and small and medium
General Manager of Société Générale de Banque au Liban from increasingly important role in their economies and societies. at Société Générale de Banque au Liban where she held several enterprise development. Prior to leading the WIN program, Ms.
1984 to 2007, the Chairman of Société Générale Cyprus Ltd. The Foundation works with women in Africa, South Asia and managerial positions and headed among others Investment Banking, Adeniji conceived and promoted Susu Microfinance Bank Ltd
from 1990 to 2008 and the Vice Chairman of Société Générale the Middle East, helping them generate their own income Specialized Financing and SMEs Departments. In parallel, she acted in Nigeria: one of the first five microfinance banks to obtain an
Jordan from 2000 and until 2008. He is a Board member and and developing projects which encourage them to become as Deputy Head of the Corporate and Investment Banking Division. operating license from the Central Bank of Nigeria. She established
holds participations in a number of companies and owns a large successful and self-sustaining entrepreneurs. She developed as well an extensive experience in privatization of Susu Microfinance Bank Ltd. after having previously worked
real estate portfolio including prestigious buildings in the Beirut Cherie is also closely involved with over 20 charities. She is the energy and water and waste water sectors including a 6 months at IFC as an investment officer for 12 years. While serving as an
city center. He is Chevalier of the French “Légion d’Honneur” Honorary Vice President of Barnados, President of the Loomba period as member of the Minister of Energy and Water Cabinet. investment officer for the African Enterprise Fund, she gained
and Officer of the French “Ordre National du Mérite”. Foundation, Patron of Scope and Patron of a number of charities, She holds a Masters degree in Finance & Communication from extensive experience in providing financial assistance to small and
including Breast Cancer Care. Cherie is also Vice-Chair of the US Ecole Superieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales medium scale enterprises in Nigeria. Ms. Adeniji has an MBA from
Secretary of State’s International Council for Women’s Business ESSEC, France and a degree in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.
Leadership and Honorary Chair of the World Justice Project. American University of Beirut.
•3

3. PANEL 1:
GENDER DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MODERATOR
Mr. Najib ANWAR CHOUCAIR, Ms. Rana GHANDOUR SALHAB, Ms. Kristin HETLE, Mr. Xavier REILLE,
Executive Director and Head of the Regional Talent & Communications Partner, Director,Strategic Partnerships, Manager, MENA Financial Market Advisory.
Banking Department at Banque Du Liban. Deloitte Middle East. Advocacy, Civil Society, Communications
High Impact Analytics: Integrating Diversity A case study: The Deloitte Middle East Retention & and Resource Mobilization Division in UN
and Inclusion into the economy. What are the Advancement of Women Initiative Women, a UN agency dedicated to gender
opportunities? equality and women’s empowerment.
Flexible, Inclusive, Integrative Change Models: Lessons and best
Mr. Choucair graduated with a degree in Business Management Ms. Rana has regional responsibility for talent and communications practices from leading companies applying the UN WEPs Mr. Xavier joined IFC in 2011 to lead its Financial Market advisory
from the Lebanese American University. Mr. Choucair is also at Deloitte in the Middle East. Before joining Deloitte, she was at program in the Arab world. He has been a senior manager with
an active member of the open market committee and the Basel Andersen, an HR Director in the EMEIA (Europe, Middle East, India Ms. Hetle, a national of Norway, has her background from the UN the World Bank for 10 years. He is at the origin of the Microfinance
committee and a contributor to Doing Business -World Bank. & Africa) regional management team. During her career, she worked system, government service, the private sector and media. Before Information exchange and he is also the founder of the Microfinance
Mr. Choucair organized and participated in a number of conferences in the education and corporate sectors, in different countries and joining UN Women she served as Director of Communications Gateway, the knowledge platform of the microfinance industry.
and seminars held jointly with IMF, World Bank, EIB and IFC and has provided human capital consulting services to multinational and for the Ministry of Labour in Norway. Until 2008, she was Chief of Xavier managed the G8 access to finance for MENA from 2005
Launched initiatives to promote micro-credit, lending to SMEs and leading companies in the region. Rana is a co-chair of the MENA Communications in UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, to 2008 and lead CGAP/World Bank transparency and technology
the establishment of Registry for movable Assets, and the financial Entrepreneurship Action Group of the World Economic Forum where she spearheaded several public awareness campaigns for programs from 2000 to 2005.
Statement Center for Corporate. (WEF). She is actively involved in women advancement, corporate women’s health . Prior to that, Ms. Hetle was CEO of Media Lion Before joining CGAP, Xavier set up several microfinance investment
responsibility, and youth skills building initiatives, and is a frequent Inc., a company she co-founded, specializing in communication funds in Southeast Asia. He also worked for SIDI, a venture capital
contributor to regional conferences and has spoken at Harvard strategies and media training for corporate leaders. She was also company focusing on SME. Xavier has been a board member of
University, and other leading institutions in the Middle East and a media advisor for the President of the Norwegian Red Cross. Ms. several banks and investment companies. He has authored over
abroad. Rana launched and is leading the Deloitte ME women Hetle is a journalist by training, and anchored a variety of programs 20 publications on access to finance topics. Xavier graduated from
initiative, DRAW (Deloitte Retention and Advancement of Women) in Norwegian Public Radio for almost 20 years. Ms. Hetle studied French Grande Ecole ENSIA and completed a banking certificate
which aims at championing women advancement in the region and Human Geography and Romance languages at the University of with CEFEB.
creating solutions, programs, networks and processes to advance Oslo, and Journalism at the Oslo University College.
women to leadership positions in the MENA region.
•5

4. PANEL 2:
CHALLENGES OF SME’S AND WOMEN IN BUSINESS MODERATOR
Ms. Randa ABOUSLEIMAN, Ms. Marcela NAVARRO, Ms. Hanan SAAB, Ms. Mona CHEMALI KHALAF,
Managing Partner in Executive Business Manager to CEO Corporate Founder of Pharmamed. Economist and Independent Consultant on
Abousleiman and Partners. Banking Division at Royal Bank of Scotland. SMEs and Women in Business financing gap. Gender and Development Issues.
Overview of the Lebanese Legal Framework and Challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in
its challenges affecting SMEs, in particular Women developed countries. What are the similarities
in Business. with Lebanon?
Ms. Randa Abousleiman holds an LL.M. degree in Corporate Ms. Marcela plays an active role as part of the CBD ExCo Ms. Saab’s main focus is the importation and marketing of medical Ms. Mona Chemali Khalaf is a former Professor of Economics
Law from New York University School of Law, a Masters team. She is responsible for identifying and developing new supplies and novelty pharmaceutical products, based on exclusive and was the Director of the Institute for Women’s Studies in
of International Affairs with a specialization in Finance from ventures, working closely with CBD CEO and Executive. She representation from renowned foreign companies. Over the years, the Arab World at the Lebanese American University. She is
Columbia University School of International Affairs, a Maîtrise joined RBS in 2010. Marcela worked for ABN AMRO, where she worked on enhancing her skills by attending courses and on the Advisory Board of the Gender Economic Research and
en Droit from Saint Joseph University- Beirut and a B.A. in she progressed from local to regional to global responsibilities, workshops as a speaker and participant on subjects related to Policy Analysis Initiative (GERPA), established by the World Bank
Political Science from the American University of Beirut. Ms. leveraging her innovative and entrepreneurial approach, as well business, Women Empowerment, Gender Issues, Pharmaceuticals and CAWTAR in 2006. She is on the editorial board of Al-Raida,
Abousleiman is a member of the Beirut Bar Association and a as her her strong knowledge and experience of international and others in Lebanon and abroad. These workshops and a magazine that addresses women’s issues in the Arab world
member of the legal committee of the Association of Banks propositions and flow business. In the last two years, she has conferences were organized by MEPI, OECD, World Bank, and has authored several publications that focus on women’s
in Lebanon where she is working on various amendments to made a significant contribution to the Chief Executive Office. Woodrow Wilson, MEDA Forum, The Economist and others. Ms. empowerment through education and work. She is presently
the Lebanese Banking Laws. Ms. Abousleiman is also part Marcela has recently joined WeConnect Europe as Chair, and Saab is one of twelve founding members of the Lebanese League undertaking research on migration and its impact on women and
of the team instituted by the World Bank and the office of is an advisor to the Board of RBS Foundation India. She has for Women in Business (LLWB) that was incepted late 2006 and the family. Ms. Khalaf was the coordinator of the World Bank’s
the Prime Minister in order to reform the investment climate an MBA of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (among the serves currently as the president of the organization, a founding and Gender Consultative Council in the MENA Region and was
in Lebanon and a member of the Steering Committee that is top 2 Universities of Colombia) an Advanced Management board member of the MENA Business Women Network (MENA member of the Lebanese NGO Commission for the Preparation
currently negotiating and drafting the law on Public- Private Programme at IESE (University of Navarra) and recently BWN) and the executive of the Lebanese Hub. of the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women; the Lebanese
Partnerships in Lebanon. Ms. Abousleiman has been awarded completed an Executive Banking Programme at INSEAD. National Commission for Women Affairs; and the Board of
the International Financial Law Review National Law Firm of the Trustees of the United Nations International Research and
Year Award in 2006, 2008 and 2010. Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW).
•7

5. Registration and Welcome Drink 3:00PM - 4:00PM
Opening Speeches 4:00PM - 4:30PM
Ms. Tania Moussallem, Assistant General Manager - BLC Bank
M
s. Toyin Adeniji, Head of Women in Business - IFC
Panel 1 - Gender Diversity and Inclusion 4:30PM - 5:30PM
Moderator: Mr. Xavier Reille, Manager Financial Markets Advisory - IFC MENA
Panelists: Mr. Najib Choucair, Director - Banking Department, Central Bank of Lebanon
Ms. Rana Ghandour Salhab, Regional Talent and Communications Partner - Deloitte Middle East
Ms. Kristin Hetle, Director of the Strategic Partnerships Division - UN Women
Panel 2 - Challenges of SMEs and Women in Business 5:30PM - 6:30PM
Moderator: Ms. Mona Khalaf, Member of the Advisory Board - Gender Economic Research and Policy Analysis
Initiative (GERPA); Assistant Professor of Economics - LAU
Panelists: Me. Randa Abousleiman, Partner - Abousleiman Partners Law cabinet
Ms. Marcela Navarro, Executive Business Manager - Corporate Banking Division, Royal Bank of Scotland
Ms. Hanan Saab, Managing Director - Pharmamed; Founding Member of LLWB
Keynote Speech 6:30PM - 6:50PM
Ms. Cherie Blair, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women
Closing Speech 6:50PM - 7:00PM
Mr. Maurice Sehnaoui, Chairman General Manager - BLC Bank
Cocktail Reception 7:00PM
we@ b l c b an k . c o m • w w w . b l c b a n k . com • 1510
managed by