Lubna S. Olayan served as the CEO and Deputy Chairman of Olayan Financing Company (OFC), the entity through which The Olayan Group manages its diverse operations in trading, real estate, investment, and industrial sectors across the Gulf region. In 2004, Ms. Olayan made history as the first woman elected to the board of a publicly listed company in Saudi Arabia when she joined Alawwal Bank, where she currently holds the position of Vice Chairman. Since 2011, she has been a member of the board of Schlumberger and became a board member of Ma’aden, a leading Saudi mining company, in 2016. Additionally, she served on the board of WPP plc from 2005 to 2012. Ms. Olayan is also involved with various international advisory boards, including those of Akbank, Allianz SE, McKinsey & Co, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She is a trustee at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as well as a member of the Asia Business Council. As chair of Alfanar, a UK-based charity, she leads one of the first venture philanthropy organizations in the Arab world. Recognized by Time as one of the 100 most influential people globally and consistently featured on Fortune’s list of Most Powerful Women, Ms. Olayan has also been acknowledged by Forbes as an influential business leader. Her accolades include an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) from Trinity College, Dublin, and the insignia of Member First Class of the Royal Order of the Polar Star from His Majesty King Carl Gustav XVI of Sweden. Ms. Olayan earned her BSc from Cornell University and an MBA from Indiana University.

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