Lubna Olayan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lubna Olayan
|
|
|---|---|
Olayan in 2013
|
|
| Born | 4 August 1955 Saudi Arabia
|
| Occupation | CEO, Olayan Financing |
Lubna Suliman al-Olayan (Arabic: لبنى سلیمان العليان), born on August 4, 1955, is a very successful businesswoman from Saudi Arabia. She used to be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and deputy chairman of a big company called Olayan Financing Company.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Lubna Al-Olayan was born in Khobar, a city in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. She is the youngest child of Sheikh Sulaiman Al-Olayan. Her father was the person who started the Olayan Group.
Lubna studied in the United States. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from Cornell University. Later, she received a Master's degree in Business Administration from Indiana University.
After her studies, Lubna worked at Morgan Guaranty Trust Bank in New York City. This was from 1979 to 1981. Then, she returned to Saudi Arabia to work with the Olayan Company, which her family owned.
Her Amazing Career
Lubna Al-Olayan has had a very important career in business. She was the Chief Executive Officer of Olayan Financing Company (OFC). This company manages the business activities of The Olayan Group in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. She held this role until May 1, 2019. After that, Jonathan Franklin took over as CEO.
Lubna is still a member of the Olayan Group's board of directors. Her brother Khaled and sisters Hayat and Hutham are also on the board. The Olayan Group was started in 1947 by her father, Sulaiman S. Olayan. It is a large private company that works in many areas. These include distribution, manufacturing, services, and investments. Olayan Financing Company works with over 40 other companies. It is also one of the biggest investors in the Saudi and regional stock markets.
In April 2019, Lubna announced that she would be retiring from her CEO role.
Leading a Bank
On June 16, 2019, Lubna Al-Olayan made history. She was named the Chairwoman of the Saudi British Bank (SABB). This made her the first Saudi woman to lead a bank. She was reappointed in January 2020 for a three-year term. She continued in this position after SABB merged with Alawwal Bank. In January 2023, she was re-elected as the Chair of the Board of Directors for another three years.
Other Important Activities
Lubna Al-Olayan is involved in many other important organizations. She joined the Board of Directors of INSEAD in December 2005. She has also been a member of its International Council since March 1997.
In April 2007, she was chosen to be a member of the Board of Trustees for Cornell University. She also joined the Advisory Board of Effat College in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in April 2006. This is a private college for girls.
Lubna is also a board member at Alfanar. She has been on the Board of Trustees of the "Arab Thought Foundation" since January 2002. In June 2005, she was elected to the Board of the Down Syndrome Charitable Association. This is a non-profit group in Riyadh.
She was also appointed to the Board of Trustees of King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST). In June 2018, she became a member of the MIT Corporation.
In 2010, she received the Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year award. Forbes magazine listed her as the 86th most powerful woman in the world in 2014. Lubna also serves on the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum.
Personal Life
Lubna Al-Olayan is married to John Xefos. He is an international lawyer from the United States. They have three daughters. All of them live in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Her father was the Saudi billionaire businessman Sulaiman S. Olayan.
