Candidates for the position of President

Candidates for the 2015 Board of Directors

Ramsey B. Jurdi, International Partner Chadbourne & Parke (American Business Member)

Uncontested

Candidate for President - 2015President (2013 to Present)Vice President - Legal & Secretary (2011 - 2012)American Business Council of Dubai & the Northern Emirates Ramsey Jurdi is an attorney and the incumbent President of the American Business Council of Dubai & the Northern Emirates (“ABC”). Ramsey has been active in the ABC since 2008, having served as President since January 2013 and as Vice President - Legal & Secretary for two years prior to his election as President.

With the support of a distinguished Board of Directors and a capable administration, the ABC’s achievements in 2014 include:

• Raising the ABC’s relevance, credibility, and visibility in both the U.A.E. and the U.S. through active involvement in business and governmental programs, such as the U.S.-U.A.E. Economic Policy Dialogue; hosting Minister of Economy Al Mansoori’s delegation in the U.S.; speaking engagements at various member events; and representing the ABC at stakeholder and partner engagements.

• Building stronger ties with strategic partners and stakeholders such as the Dubai Economic Council, the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, AmCham Abu Dhabi, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Mission to the U.A.E., and Emirates Airlines;

• Increasing the quantity and quality of business-orientated events, such as the Knowledge Sharing series, in order to bring added value to ABC members and increase the opportunities that ABC members have to showcase their businesses to other members;

• Increasing engagement and alignment with the business agenda of the U.S. Mission to the U.A.E.;• Increasing engagement and participation by the ABC President’s and Vice President’s Club members;•Continuing development of the ABC Membership Rewards Program, bringing added value to ABC

membership; and• Improvingfinancialstabilitythroughgrowthinbusinessmembersgenerally,premiummemberships,andpositivefinancialresultsfor2014.

Ramsey’s goals for 2015 are to sustain the ABC’s achievements from the past two years by introducing new types of programming, bringing added value to the ABC members through exclusive programming and speakers; and improving the ABC’s engagement with the U.A.E. Government. Ramsey would also like to leverage the achievements from the past years to further drive ABC membership growth.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ramsey lived in Beirut for several years, where he learned Arabic while attending the American Community School at Beirut and the American University of Beirut. Ramsey was resident in Washington, D.C. before joining Chadbourne & Parke in Dubai in 2008, where he is currently an International Partner in the Commercial Litigation and Compliance practice group. Ramsey holds a Juris Doctor, with honors, from The George Washington University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from the American University of Beirut. He is admitted to practice law in New York State, the District of Columbia, and the DIFC Courts.

Candidates for the position of Executive Vice President

Bilal SabouniAmerican Individual Member

Uncontested

Mr. Bilal Sabouni is the current Executive Vice President of the American Business Council of Dubai & the Northern Emirates (ABC), and is a member of the organization’s Board of Directors.

Bilal was born & raised in the US, and began his college studies in Lebanon, studying Business Management in Beirut, before transferring to Dubai where he completed a Bachelor’s degree in IT from the American University in Dubai (AUD). He then continued his studies, gaining a Master’s degree in International Business from the University of Virginia (UVA) Executive Education program at the Darden School of Business.

Based in Dubai for over 15 years, Bilal has worked in roles that have had him manage territories and staff throughout the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, and Indian Subcontinent regions. With his US upbringing and Arab roots, Bilal has established a strong reputation as a trusted partner for both Western and Middle Eastern partiestoconfidentlyrelyon.

Bilal currently holds several leadership roles at organizations of key interest to the ABC membership. In addition to his current involvement with the ABC, Bilal is also the Vice Chairman of the American Chamber umbrella organization, the Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce (MECACC). With MECACC, Bilal has been advocating on US public policy for years and has liaised with American and regional governments on issues of vital importance to overseas American individuals and corporations around the world.

Further, Bilal also manages the business of PEOPLECERT International across the Middle East, Africa & Asia. PEOPLECERTisaleadinggloballicensureandcertificationorganization,creatinganddeliveringhigh-stakesstandardized assessments on behalf of government and corporate clients to millions of people around the world. In his role as Managing Director for the region, Bilal leads the company’s expansion plans into new emerging markets, building vital commercial relationships and driving organizational growth.

Finally, Bilal is also no stranger to our capitol, Washington, D.C., where he is well-positioned to represent Americans’ interests to senior policy makers and legislators. He has leveraged on his roles at the ABC and MECACC to push for policy change such as lowering or eliminating US taxation on foreign earned income and increasing exports, trade, and employment opportunities to Americans in and out of the US. Bilal continues to engage in regular meetings in Washington and has established close ties with members of Congress & Senate, the President’s Administration, and other pivotal US government departments. His meetings and activities allow him to drive the ABC membership’s collective agenda and make a positive impact on lives and livelihoods of all expatriate US citizens abroad.

Bilal can be connected with on LinkedIn via https://www.linkedin.com/in/bilalsabouni

Candidates for the position of Vice President of Membership

Antoine Tayyar, Director, Public Affairs and Communications The Coca-Cola Company (American Business Member & President’s Club)

Uncontested

Antoine Tayyar is the Director of Public Affairs and Communications for The Coca-Cola Company in the Middle East region.

Antoine has spent a total of 11 years with The Coca-Cola Company and is currently in charge of corporate communications, government and stakeholder relations, sustainability and community initiatives, crisis management and media relations in the Middle East region.

He has a total of 25 years of experience in advertising, public relations, corporate communications, public affairs and sustainability initiatives. He has worked with leading communications agencies and FMCG multinationals, as well as having assumed roles as Advisor in Communications with regional companies and semi-governmental entities in the GCC.

Antoine is a Board Member and Vice-President of Memberships for the American Business Council in Dubai and Northern Emirates, a Board Member of the Emirates Environment Group, Board member of Injaz Al Arab Middle East and North Africa and Founding Member of ‘Partners for a New Beginning’ (PNB) local Jordan Chapter.

Antoine has had a multicultural and multi-lingual education. He holds a BA in Political Sciences and Public Administration from the American University of Beirut and pursued the MA program in Political Sciences at the Universite St. Joseph in Lebanon, while working as Research Associate at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies,anindependentnon-profitmakingresearchcenterinBeirut.

“3 x E: Engage, Enlarge, and Energize”.Program by Antoine TayyarNominee for VP Membership 2015Current Board Member and VP Membership 2014

The program for VP Membership 2015 will focus during the coming year on:Engaging further existing members and their corporations, Enlarging membership base and diversify industries, and Energizing plans and reputation building.

On “Engage”,• Retain existing members and maintain their high interest and commitment through keeping a two-ways

communication with them, collecting their feedback and understanding their needs• Organise quarterly checks to identify any changes in members’ expectations and challenges facing

their business.• Incorporate feedback in white papers submitted during EPD

On “Enlarge”• Prospect and recruit new members from other industries/categories• Increase memberships and reach from within existing corporate members

On “Energise”•Contribute to awareness building about ABC and its goals• Be actively involved in the strategic planning and promotion of annual programs• Leverage ABC’s Board and team collective business and social network

Candidates for the position of Vice President of Programs

Sammy Bousaba, Managing Director Sales MEIAFedEx Express (American Business Member & President’s Club)

Uncontested

Sammy Bousaba is currently the Managing Director of Sales for FedEx Express responsible for 68 countries across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa and has been with FedEx for over 17 years (10 in the US and 6 in Dubai). Sammy is an American citizen of Lebanese origin and moved to Dubai in 2007 from Memphis, Tennessee. He holds an MBA with a concentration in International Marketing from DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business in Chicago, IL. Sammy’s work experience at FedEx includes Field Sales, Event & Promotional Marketing, International Marketing, Regional Marketing Management and Sales Management. He was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan and has worked and lived in Chicago, Memphis and most recently Dubai.

As VP Programs, my goal will be to develop programs and events that:•Add value to our membership base•Create a platform to further develop opportunities for American businesses in Dubai and the Northern

Emirates• Identify and address issues and opportunities in the business community leveraging Dubai as a regional

hub•Provide a social networking opportunity for our membership base •Additionally, I will be an active member of the Board, serving to help develop and implement the ABC’s

strategy and objectives for the year, which will be partly based on, and addressed by, the various programs and events we execute.

Sammy has been an ABC member for 6 years and has previously served on the ABC Board.

Candidates for the position of Vice President Legal Affairs & Secretary

Charles Laubach, Partner Afridi & Angell (American Business Member)

Uncontested

Charles has been a member of the American Business Council since its establishment in 1986. He is serving for the second time as the Vice President Legal Affairs and Secretary of the Council.

Charles was a founding member of the American Business Group in Abu Dhabi, which formally organized in 1990andwasformallyrecognizedbytheAbuDhabigovernmentin1996.Charlesservedasthatgroup’sfirstchairman, and thereafter served on the board of directors of that group for many years.

Charles is one of only 5 recipients of the Ambassador’s award, which Ambassador David Litt awarded to Charles in 1996 in recognition of his leadership role in support of American business interests and in the formation of the American Business Group in Abu Dhabi.

CharlesandAidaTabshouriweremarried in1994andhavetwochildren,Frank,afirst-yearstudentattheUniversity of Virginia, and Layla, a ninth grader at ASD.

CharlesisapartnerinthelawfirmofAfridi&Angell,anAmericanBusinessmemberoftheCouncil.HeholdsaJ.D. and an M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. from the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies, and a B.A. from Dartmouth.

Charles is a hard worker who gets things done, whether as a team member or as a leader. Charles looks forward to another year working with the other members of the Board and with the membership of the Council.

Candidates for the position of Vice President Financial Affairs & Treasurer

Matthew Ficco, Managing Partner NM Investments Limited (American Small Business Member)

Uncontested

Matthew Ficco is a career financial professional with more than 15 years of investment and financialmanagement experience. He is one of the Managing Partners of NM Investments Limited (“NMI”), which is a Dubai-basedinternationalfinancialadvisoryboutique.NMI’scorefocusiscreatingvalueforitsinvestmentsand clients through bespoke services, which can relieve the investee company and/or its managers/owners oftheday-to-dayfinancialmanagementburden.Asacoreservicetohisclients,Matthewroutinelyservesastheir CFO, Board Member, and general advisor.

Prior to co-founding NMI, Matthew led the private equity initiative of one of the largest banking groups in the Middle East. He was responsible for fund organization and setup, capital-raising, deal sourcing, investment analysis & execution, and portfolio management. Prior to this, Matthew was a member of the Direct Investments team of a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund. During this time, Matthew worked on several largeinvestmentsintheUS,Europe,theMiddleEast,andChina.BeforerelocatingtotheUAEfiveyearsago,MatthewwasaninvestmentprofessionalwithaUSprivateequityfirm.Priortoenteringtheprivateequityworld,MatthewspentseveralyearsinvariousfinancialmanagementroleswithinUnitedTechnologiesCorporationandBAESystems.AsMatthewgrewhiscareer,hemanagedavarietyoffunctionssuchas:financialandmanagementaccounting;treasury;financialplanningandanalysis;andmergersandacquisitions.

Matthew has developed and delivered corporate training programs for blue-chip multinational corporations in the US, Europe, and Asia. Currently, Matthew is an instructor for certified public accountant (CPA)and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) prep courses as well as an adjunct instructor for graduate and undergraduate classes in Finance and Accounting at the University of Wollongong Dubai. Additionally, Matthewisactiveindevelopinganddeliveringmanagementtrainingprogramsforlargeregionalfinancialinstitutions.Matthew’sareasofexpertiseare:corporatefinance,investments,accounting,banking,financefor non-financemanagers, strategy, executivemanagement, andpresentation& speaking skills.

Matthew received his Master of Science in Finance from Georgia State University and his Bachelors in International Business & Finance from San Diego State University. He is a licensed CPA in California and Illinois and is a level II candidate in the CFA program. He lives in Dubai, UAE with his wife, Sandra and two daughters, Sienna and Meila. He enjoys reading & learning, traveling, sports, and spending time with his family.

Candidates for the position of Board Member (5 positions)Huw A. Gilbert, PepsiCo Asia, Middle East & Africa (American Business Member & President’s Club)

Mohamad Itani, Hewlett Packard (American Business Member & President’s Club)Kathleen Keene Jones (American Individual Member)

Sai Pidatala (American Individual Member)Zubair Razzaq, AWGAL Investments (UAE Business Member)

Paul L. Smith, Emerson (American Business Member & Vice President’s Club) Sharon Stultz-Karim (American Individual Member)

Huw A. Gilbert, Vice President, Corporate AffairsPepsiCo Asia, Middle East & Africa (American Business Member & President’s Club)

Huw Gilbert is vice president of corporate affairs for PepsiCo’s Asia, Middle East & Africa (AMEA) sector. His responsibilities include developing and leading the strategic corporate affairs agenda for PepsiCo’s internal audiences as well as for external stakeholders including the media and NGO’s. He is also responsible for regional implementation of PepsiCo’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, sector-wide crisis management and executive communications support. In these capacities, he provides functional leadership to the local and regional corporate affairs teams across AMEA.

Huw joined PepsiCo in August 2008 as senior communications manager for PepsiCo International, based in Purchase, New York. In that role, he was responsible for aligning communications activities outside the U.S. with the global corporate communications strategy, including a special focus on issues management and digital media.

PriortojoiningPepsiCo,HuwworkedinavarietyofcommunicationrolesatglobalhealthcarecompanyPfizerin New York; highlights included leading crisis communications, managing digital and social media, and mostrecentlyservingasassistantdirectorofcommunicationstrategy.PriortoworkingatPfizer,Huwworkedat a number of public relations agencies, including Edelman Public Relations in Chicago where he started his career.

Huw is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Business Council of Dubai and the Northern Emirates, as well as a member of the Sustainability Network of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. Huw has a Bachelor’s degree in History from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Mohamad Itani, General Manager of OperationsHewlett Packard (American Business Member & President’s Club)

Mohamad Itani has over 25 years of experience in several key managerial roles and have maintained senior level positions with leading multinational companies.

Currently he is the General Manager - Operations, for Hewlett-Packard covering the Middle East. During the past 17 years with HP, Mohamad held several positions with HP (Business Operations, Global Operations, Enterprise Servers and Storage Manager and Interim Managing Director) and has been engaged in almost all aspects of the business including but not limitedtoHR,legal,commercialtrade,contractnegotiations,finance,supplychainanddifferentbusinessgroups.

Prior to Joining Compaq/Hewlett-Packard in Dubai, Mohamad was the Director of Operations at Solid State Optronics, Inc.(California).ASiliconValleycompanythatspecializedinwireassemblyforthethinfilmindustryrelatedtotheHardDisk Drives. During his 8 years with the company he looked after sales, marketing and operations including manufacturing and led the company to become the number 1 supplier worldwide within 6 years.

Mohamadspent thefirst8yearsofhisprofessionalcareeratPearleVisionCenter in theUSA,wherehestarted thereasanAmericanBoardcertifiedOptician,andwentontobecometheCaliforniaRegionalManagerwithin4years.Hewas responsible for the full P&L of their retail outlets in California covering the full operations including sales, marketing/ merchandizing, real estate, recruitment of Optometrists and Opticians.

Dear Members,

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the nomination to continue to serve as a Board Member for the American Business Council. I am excited to be recognized and look forward to using my skills to help the council reach its objectives.

I have been a part of ABC ever since I arrived in Dubai in 1997 to manage the operations for Compaq Computers, and now at Hewlett-Packard Middle East.

As a strategic leader with a successful background in building and leading top performing teams, I am focused on exceeding goals and can help with the success of ABC on several levels.

IhaveanexcellentrapportwiththegovernmentofficialsandthecommunityaswellaspreviousBoardexperienceintheUS and the Gulf. I have over 25 years of experience in several key managerial roles and senior level positions with leading multinational companies, including my current position as GM of Operations for HP Middle East.

IgetalongwithotherswhenworkinginagroupsettingandIhavetheabilitytohelpothersfindcommongroundiftheydisagree on what actions to take. Sometimes, it just takes a little negotiating to help reach a reasonable agreement that benefitsall.IamconfidentthatIhavetheskillsandexperiencetoholdthispositionandtobeagreatbenefittoABCandthe community.

My Priorities as a Board Member will continue to be:• ToensurethatABC’sinterestsareflaggedand/oraddressedwheneverpossible• Addressing the concerns of the American business community• Help keep the American “image” positive, promote success stories and share best practices• Make sure we adhere to local laws and customs so the local government continue to give its full support to American

business in Dubai and the Northern Emirates

Prior to moving to Dubai, we lived in San Jose, California for almost 20 years.

I am a US citizen of Lebanese origin and hold an MBA in management from a leading University in the US. I have been married to my wonderful wife, Rola, for over 23 years, with 4 lovely children; Abudy is a senior at UCSD and Malek is a junior at UCB in California, while the twins, Dany and Danya are 10th graders at ASD.

Kathleen Keene Jones American Individual Member

I have served on the American Business Council Board of Directors for two years and hope to serve again in 2015. I currently work for the UAE Government as an International Advisor at the Ministry of International Cooperation and Development (MICAD), headed by Sheikha Lubna. I am a team leader for the group that iscurrentlydraftingthefirstUAEForeignAidPolicy.

PriortoworkingfortheUAEgovernment,Iranasmallconsultingfirm,KeeneJonesConsulting.Thefirm,basedin Dubai, conducted geo-political analysis across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Our projects included analysis and outcome scenarios for oil concessions, as well as thought leadership pieces on UAE initiatives to build an innovation ecosystem and growth strategies to diversify the UAE economy. We also conductedsituationalanalysisandfive-yearforwardlookingforecasts(political&economic)for17countriesin the MENA region.

Before coming to the UAE, I served in a leadership capacity at the United Nations for over ten years. My work in the Political Affairs and Peacekeeping branches of the UN took me to Afghanistan, where I lived for two years, and Sudan, where I lived for one year. During my time in Afghanistan I served as chief advisor to the actingheadoftheUN,aswellasofficer-in-chargeoftheJointAnalysisUnit.InSouthSudan,Ileadateamof political analysts and specialized in the geo-politics of oil and gas between Sudan and South Sudan. I designed and implemented the political early warning systems used by the UN in both Afghanistan and South Sudan. During my time at UN Headquarters in New York, I worked in the UN’s Situation Centre, where I was a part of the team that initiated the crisis response for a number of emergency situations, including: the 2010 Haitiearthquake,the2009AfghanPresidentialelections,the2008GeorgiaWar,variousconflictsinLebanonand Palestine and the assassination attempt on President Ramos-Hora in Timor-Leste. I began my career in the private sector, working in management and partnership negotiations in the in technology sector.

After having served two years on the American Business Council Board of Directors, I have an in-depth understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the organization. I hope to be able to contribute my experience in 2015 to play a part in deepening the relevance of the American Business Council in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

Sai PidatalaAmerican Individual Member

MynameisSaiPidatalaandIamaU.S.qualifiedseniorlawyerbasedhereinDubaiwhereIampartofalarge,full-serviceU.S.-basedlawfirmwithofficesaroundtheworld.Myworkisprimarilyinthecorporatelawrealm,where I advise institutions, businesses and individuals with inbound and outbound investments, joint ventures and acquisitions/dispositions. In my current role I frequently advise management, Boards and government agencies with respect to business and regulatory matters in the UAE.

My practice also focuses on U.S.-UAE transactions, where I have spent the last four years trying to cultivate a stronger business connection between the two jurisdictions in the effort to highlight Dubai as a platform destination to establish and do business in the region.

Previously,IwastheFoundingPartnerofaboutiquelawfirmbasedinWashingtonD.C.whereIspecializedinadvising early-stage companies, investors (both VCs and angels) and a variety of other small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to do business domestically and internationally. I started my career in New York as a private funds lawyer on Wall Street after graduating from the Vanderbilt University Law School (J.D.) in Nashville, Tennessee, and Cornell University (B.A.) in Ithaca, New York.

Over the last year, I have spearheaded what is now becoming one of the UAE’s sole legal practices with a primary focus on providing sophisticated advice to early stage companies, startups, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. It is the hope that this work continues to attract fresh, outside capital to Dubai and increases the sophistication of Dubai as a hub for new, innovative talent and resources.

Having spent some of my formative years as an American expatriate in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, I am no stranger to the region. I have resided in Dubai since 2010 and my wife and I currently live in Dubai Marina where we enjoy the arts, international cuisine and our early-morning jogs down the Jumeirah shoreline.

Zubair Razzaq, President & CEO AWGAL Investments (UAE Business Member)

Dear American Business Council, I admire leadership, I exude leadership and I respect leadership. I’ve been taught to keep the company of those wholead.JoiningtheBODofABCtomemeansjoiningtheoutfitthatreflectsAmericanandUAEleadership,diplomacy and most of all business support and alliances. With that said, as an American businessman with an Emarati and American family – I have the pleasure of experiencing both worlds in almost all aspects. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, launched my professional career and begun building my portfolio in Chicago, Illinois – I humblyandresourcefullymaintainthemostinfluentialcirclesandcompanyinbothnations-USandUAE.Ihave the full ability of funneling my Emarati network and personnel resources to the ABC establishment in totality. I believe that navigating the UAE and US business terrain is a trait that will prove invaluable as an ABC board member – which I gratefully bring with me. IheadaprivateinvestmentfirmDubaiBridgeInvestments,LLCwhichisaUAEandUSAinvestmentvehiclethat deploys its own private capital exclusively to North America and the MENA region. Our focal markets are F&B, retail, tech and consumer goods. We’ve invested in brands such as Pappa Roti, London Dining Room, El AsadorDeArandaandNanoleaf.I’vealsoheadedandlaunchedprivatefirmssuchasAWGALInvestments-whichissubsidiaryofIMGGroup–a10billionAED/-developmentfirm.OuracquisitionstrackrecordincludeMOOYAH Burgers & Fries and WINGSTOP and others.

Over the past years we’ve accomplished business milestones of US & Middle East ties that we’re extremely proudof.Webuiltfinancialandbusinessbridgeswithourownresourcesthatcontributetobotheconomies(East and West) – and the growth continues! In summation;Re-joining the ABC board will give me a second chance to deploy my business and cultural ties to ensure the further expansion and diversity with the Emarati community and build new bridges of development whilst maintaining the existing ones! Yours truly, Zubair A. Razzaq

Paul L. Smith, Corporate Vice President, MEAEmerson (American Business Member & Vice President’s Club)

Paul is currently the Corporate Vice President for Emerson Electric Inc., Middle East & Africa and in that role, he is responsible for leveraging the Emerson strategic advantages throughout all of the Emerson business groups within the World Area to drive greater growth and penetration. He is also responsible for directing the provision of Corporate Shared services including Legal, HR, IT and Finance.

He was awarded his MBA from the Open University, UK and has studied management at Washington University, St Louis as well as Thunderbird School of Global Management, Phoenix, USA and Geneva, Switzerland.

His extensive global experience in International technical sales, mainly in Oil & Gas and Energy projects, includeshisfirstvisittotheM.Eastin1978.Sincethenhasrackedupmanyvisitstoeverypartoftheregionbefore moving to Dubai with his wife in 2012. Paul has been married to Carol for 36 years and they have two married daughters and a grandson.

Prior to joining Emerson in 2009 as the Director and General Manager for Emerson Process Management, UK & Ireland, he had also worked for two other Fortune 500 US Technology companies, Honeywell and Rockwell.

“I was privileged to have been appointed to the Board of the American Business Council in 2014 and look forward to serving a full term in 2015. With my background in General Management and Sales, I am particularly interested in focusing on the following strategic factors:•Driving increased business opportunities for American companies • ImprovingtheinfluenceofAmericanbusinessinterests• Increasing the awareness and membership of the ABC

Working in the corporate role for a broad, technology and customer solution centric company like Emerson withstaff,officesandfacilitiesthroughouttheregionaffordsmetheabilitytoexperienceawiderangeofissues that American organizations face when operating in this challenging part of the world. It would be good to share this valuable perspective with Emerson’s peers along with some of the solutions that we have discoveredinthetwentyfiveyearswehavebeenintheregion.”

Sharon Stultz-KarimAmerican Individual Member

I am an American citizen, call Northern California my home and Dubai my home away from home. I have lived and worked in Dubai since 2006.

I am a new member of the American Business Council having joined in 2014 as an individual member and must applaud the hard work of the Board and the staff that has succeeded in making the ABC such a dynamic organization for the American business community. If elected to the Board, I would like to place a greater emphasis on programs and policy development on American SMEs and in particular, UAE-US SME platforms for cooperation and growth.

During my Dubai career I have had the privilege of being a part of diverse, multicultural environments in both the Dubai International Arbitration Center (DIAC), an initiative of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, and anEmiratiownedmedium-sizedlawfirm,GlobalAdvocatesandLegalConsultants,whereIamtheHeadofArbitration. Both positions have provided me with the experience of working with a Dubai government entity and in the Emirati private sector which will bode well as a member of the ABC Board to promote UAE-US SME business development.

Thank you for considering me as you cast your vote in the election for the ABC Board.

Sharon Stultz-Karim