Salim Georges Sfeir is a Lebanese – Swiss banker and financier. He is the chairman and Chief Executive of Bank of Beirut S.A.L in Beirut,

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

since 1993 and the chairman of Association of Banks in Lebanon since June 29, 2019.

Early life and education

Salim

Sfeir Sfeir () is a Maronite Christian clan surname from Lebanon, which appears with the highest density in the mountainous Keserwan District. As a result of the Lebanese diaspora, the name has flourished in North and South America, Western Europe, Austr ...

was raised in

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

. He received his B.S.S. degree in economics from the

Université de Montréal The Université de Montréal (; UdeM; ) is a French-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university's main campus is located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce on M ...

and his Masters of Business Administration from the

University of Detroit Mercy The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Cath ...

. As an educator, Sfeir lectured at

Lebanese University The Lebanese University (LU; ) is the only state-funded public university in Lebanon. It was established in 1951. The university's main campus was originally located in Beirut, but a few satellite campuses were opened due to travel restriction ...

, Beirut University College,

Haigazian College Haigazian University (; , pronounced ''Haygazyan Hamalsaran'') is a higher education institution founded in 1955 in Beirut, Lebanon as Haigazian College. For a brief period starting 1992, the name was changed to Haigazian University College befo ...

, l’

Université Saint-Joseph Saint Joseph University of Beirut (; French: ''Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth'', commonly known as USJ) is a private Catholic research university in Beirut, Lebanon, founded in 1875 by French Jesuit missionaries and subsidized by the Go ...

and Le Centre d’études bancaires. In the years to follow, he was appointed trustee on the board of directors of the

Lebanese American University The Lebanese American University (LAU; ) is a secular private American university with campuses in Beirut, Byblos, and New York. It is chartered by the board of regents of the University of the State of New York and is recognized by the Lebane ...

(LAU), Beirut and Byblos; vice-chairman of the board of trustees of the University of the Holy Spirit (USEK); member of the board of trustees

AMIDEAST Amideast (the America-Mideast Educational and Training Services) is a United States, U.S. non-profit organization that works to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation between United States, Americans and the peoples of the MENA, Middle Ea ...

; and vice-chairman of the American Friends of the Middle East, Beirut. Sfeir has been associated with the newly commissioned Salim Sfeir Building at the School of Business Administration at USEK, the

Holy Spirit University of Kaslik The Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK; , ''Jāmiʿah al-Rūḥ al-Quddus – al-Kaslīk'') is a private, non-profit, Catholic university in Jounieh, Lebanon. The university was founded by the Baladites in 1950 and ratified under the new ...

, being awarded honorary degrees at both USEK and the

American University of Science and Technology The American University of Science and Technology (AUST; ) is a private, non-sectarian, and co-educational American university in Lebanon. It was established in 1989 in Beirut, under the name of the ''American Universal College'' through Decr ...

(AUST).

Career

Sfeir began his career in finance with the Bank of Nova Scotia. (Years later he would acquire the Bank of Nova Scotia branch in London.) By 1980, he joined Bankmed in Beirut as Deputy General Manager. Three years later, he formed Wedge Bank (Middle East) as General Manager, and in 1987 launched Wedge Bank Switzerland as Chief Executive and vice chairman. The turning point came with the management buy-in of Bank of Beirut in 1993. This local bank eventually expanded to nine countries on four continents. In close association with His Beatitude Bechara Boutros Al Rahi, the patriarch of the Maronite Church, Sfeir formed the World Maronite Foundation for Integral Development, whose mission is to harness the full potential of the Church and its adherents, to ensure funding from Lebanese nationals and the diaspora. In 2019, Sfeir was unanimously elected as chairman of the influential Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL). He was reelected for two additional mandates in 2021 and 2023

Honours and awards

Sfeir has been recognized through many honors internationally, including: *Inauguration of the Library of the

Pontifical Maronite College The Pontifical Maronite College (Italian: ''Pontificio Collegio dei Maroniti'') is one of the Roman Colleges of the Catholic Church. Founded originally in 1584 in order to educate Maronite Church, Maronite priests, the college provides now higher ...

in Rome *Medal of Saint Maroun by Mar Bechara Boutros El Rai, Patriarch of Antioch *Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters Honoris Causa,

*Knight Commander of the Pontifical Order of Pope Saint Sylvester *Medal of the

National Order of the Cedar The National Order of the Cedar () is the highest Order (honour), state order of Lebanon, established on 31 December 1936. It is offered in five grades. History The Order was created on the 31 December 1936, but is regulated by the Lebanese C ...

conferred by President Michel Suleiman *Medal of the Maronite Patriarchate, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch

References

External links

People:Bank of Beirut SAL (BOB.BY)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sfeir, Salim Living people People from Beirut Lebanese bankers Economy of Lebanon Université de Montréal alumni University of Detroit Mercy alumni Academic staff of Lebanese University Academic staff of Haigazian University Academic staff of Saint Joseph University Year of birth missing (living people)

Early life and education

Career

Honours and awards

See also

References

External links