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  1. NEWS
  2. Midyear Commencement Speakers

Midyear Commencement Speakers

February 21, 2024

Meet our keynote speakers for the undergraduate and graduate commencements, respectively: AUC Trustee Ahmed Galal Ismail '97, CEO and board member of Majid Al Futtaim Holding, and Nabil Fahmy '74, '77, dean emeritus of AUC's School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and Egypt's former minister of foreign affairs.

Ahmed Galal Ismail '97Man in glasses in front of a gray background

Ahmed Galal Ismail is the chief executive officer and a member of the Board of Directors at Majid Al Futtaim Holding, a leading organization in shopping malls, retail and leisure across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. With assets exceeding $18 billion and 44,000 employees, the company stands at the forefront of development in the region. 

Ismail's tenure at Majid Al Futtaim spans 16 years, during which he held multiple executive roles. He recently served as the chief executive officer of Majid Al Futtaim Properties, overseeing the company's diverse portfolio of shopping malls, hotels and mixed-use communities across multiple countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain and Lebanon. Prior to this, Ismail led Majid Al Futtaim Ventures, managing seven business verticals such as leisure and entertainment, cinemasa nd consumer finance. 

Before joining Majid Al Futtaim, Ismail worked with Procter and Gamble in Egypt and Germany, followed by a role at Booz Allen Hamilton as a principal, advising organizations in retail, media, tourism and transportation sectors. 

Ismail serves on the Board of Endeavor UAE and the Arab Investment Bank. He is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s CEO Alliance for Climate Change an AUC trustee. He holds an MBA with distinction from the London Business School and a BSc in computer science from AUC.

Nabil Fahmy '74, '77Man in glasses in front of a blue background

Nabil Fahmy, dean emeritus of AUC's School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and Egypt's former minister of foreign affairs, is a distinguished diplomat and academic leader. With over three decades of diplomatic service, he held key roles, including ambassador to the United States and Japan, focusing on international and regional security, disarmament, conflict resolution and Arab-Israeli diplomacy. 

Fahmy also served as chairman of the United Nations Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters and vice chairman of the General Assembly’s First Committee on Disarmament and International Security. He represented Egypt at numerous conferences, including Review Conferences of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the United Nations Conference on Promoting International Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy and the 1991 Madrid Middle East Peace Conference. He has been instrumental in both shaping Egypt's foreign policy and contributing to international security and conflict resolution efforts. 

At AUC, Fahmy established the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and served as its founding xean. He is also the founder and chairman of LYNX Strategic Advisors, providing support to international and domestic firms in pursuing best business practices. Fahmy is a member of the Supreme Advisory Board of the Beijing Forum and has received honorary recognitions, including the Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun from Japanese Emperor Naruhito. 

Fahmy's book Egypt’s Diplomacy in War, Peace and Transition was published in English in 2020, with an updated Arabic version titled At the Center of Events released in 2022. He holds a BSc in physics and mathematics and an MA in management from AUC. He regularly contributes syndicated articles on global and international affairs, Middle East politics and governance in both Arabic and English publications. 

 

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