CIMMO
Executive team
Operation
The team
Thanks to their generosity and dedication, CIMMO is making good the promise to make the world a better place through Marketing. A heartfelt Thank you!
Dr. Youssef A. Youssef
President and Chair
Dr. Youssef A. Youssef
President and Chair
Dr.Youssef is very passionate about marketing and is an international entrepreneur with a strategic focus, business vision, and mature professional judgment acquired during a successful business career as founder and CEO and CMO of high-tech companies in Canada and Brazil. His executive experience includes top strategic marketing management responsibilities, competitive intelligence, market, and product analysis, market strategy, International business administration, and operations. Dr. Youssef is the co-founder and vice-chair of the Federation of Canadian Brazilian Businesses.
- Email:youssef@www.cimmo.org
Dr. Alcely Barroso
Vice President Ethics and Sustainability
Dr. Alcely Barroso
Vice President Ethics and Sustainability
Alcely is a dedicated leader who works in the fields of education, technology, and corporate social responsibility. Currently, she is the Academic Manager at Toronto Business College. Her role involves overseeing the implementation of educational programs for international students and ensuring that they are in line with industry trends. In her previous position as the IBM Global University Programs leader for Latin America, Alcely played a key role in advancing academic relations strategy. She organized training programs on emerging technologies, which significantly contributed to the region's education progression. Earlier, Alcely worked as the Chief of Staff for the General Manager of IBM Brazil and as the Corporate Citizenship Executive at IBM Brazil. In both these roles, she fostered relationships with nonprofits, managed the IBM Volunteering program, and handled the company's CSR investments. She also worked as a Community Affairs Manager at Microsoft. Apart from her corporate career, Alcely actively contributes to community development. She serves on the Board of Directors at Instituto Ser+ and Parceiros Voluntarios. Previously, she was a volunteer Business Development Director at the Federation of Canadian Brazilian Businesses and led the Future of Work Committee for the Brazilian Association of Software Companies. Alcely holds a Ph.D. and a master's degree in sciences from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and an MBA in Social Entrepreneurship from Fundacao Instituto de Administracao. Additionally, she obtained an Instructional Design certificate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), demonstrating her commitment to enhancing educational methodologies. Her educational journey also includes a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the University of Sao Paulo, showcasing her diverse range of expertise.
Hatem Shashaa
Vice President Finance and Administration
Hatem Shashaa
Vice President Finance and Administration
Hatem Shashaa is the founder and CEO of Investway Canada. He has more than 15 years of experience as financial professional advising business owners and corporate executives on a wide range of transactions and opportunities, including merger and acquisition, debt and equity financing, working capital management and business restructuring. Before establishing Investway Canada, Hatem worked as a senior banker for several Canadian and international banks, where his comprehensive background and depth of experience in corporate and investment banking have brought value to a wide variety of M&A transactions and provided practical solutions to complex deals. Hatem is a CPA holder and has received his MBA degree in Finance from the University of Kansas, KS, USA.
- Email:hatem.shashaa@cimmo.org
Kal Salem
Vice President Digital Transformation
Kal Salem
Vice President Digital Transformation
Käl Salem is a highly accomplished business and technology leader who is recognized by world-class organizations for his achievements in digital and business transformation. In 2015, he founded OPEXCELLENCE, a top digital transformation consulting firm that has delivered value to over 100 customers in leading markets across North America and emerging markets worldwide. With 25 years of global experience, Käl has a proven track record in leading and delivering large-scale enterprise transformation programs for cross-industry organizations, with a focus on financial services. He has been awarded as a top executive for his excellence in planning and directing all levels of business affairs and for his outstanding business and people leadership. Käl has worked as an executive for several leading blue-chip organizations such as IBM, Microsoft, and Accenture, where he built core business, technology, and industry expertise to lead world-class business and technology transformation that enabled organizations to become high- performing businesses. Käl holds an Executive MBA, with honours and distinction, from Birzeit University in 2005 and a BSc in Electronics & Communications Engineering from Al-Quds University in 1999 in Jerusalem. He also graduated from Harvard Business School Executive Programme in 2019, specializing in leading professional services firms. As part of the 4th industrial revolution, Kål was one of the pioneers in the digital transformation space. In 2014, he published his first co-authored book that discusses Management Cases in the Arab Context. In 2005, he also published at the First International E-Business Conference in Tunisia, where he addressed the revolutionary e-business models as a foundational element to adopting digital transformation at large. Käl is known for his charity and active volunteering within his local community in Canada. He is the chairman of the board of multiple education institutions, wellness and fitness organizations, and not-for-profit organizations.
- Email:kal.salem@cimmo.org
Sergio Frias
Vice President Customer Excellence
Sergio Frias
Vice President Customer Excellence
Sergio Frias is a senior executive with experience in the Construction, Tobacco and Aerospace industries, where he held leadership positions in Supply Chain, Sales, Contracts, Business Development, amongst others, in companies such as British American Tobacco, Embraer, Bombardier and De Havilland, making extensive use of Marketing as a tool to develop business opportunities and to overcome market and business-specific challenges. Sergio's most successful career endeavour was the turn around of the business under his leadership, supporting airline Customers and other aircraft operators globally, changing from operations centric to Customer-centric relationships with multiple business partners. This turn around was possible due to the implementation of NICE (Nurturing Insights about Customers Experiences) which is a people and organizational development program, based on mapping Customers' experience journey, optimizing the resources, evaluating the teams' profiles to have the right people at the right place, using the right processes, to deliver world-class experience to Customers.
- Email:sergio.frias@cimmo.org
Bashaer Risheq
Vice President Legal Affairs
Bashaer Risheq
Vice President Legal Affairs
Bashaer Risheq is an internationally trained legal advisor with experience in advocacy, legislative and policy drafting, project oversight, institution building and advancing the rule of law. Responsible for establishing and operating two departments: The women's Unit within the Legislative Council, which is responsible for advocating for the rights of women, children and the marginalized, and the World Trade Organization Resource Center within the Ministry of National Economy. As Director-General of Legal Affairs within the Ministry of National Economy, Bashaer was responsible for the oversight of the directorate and the legal departments in 11 regional offices. As Head of the Economic Sub-Committee within the National Legislative Plan for the Government was responsible for bringing together diverse groups representing special interests to bring about consensus on the direction of legislation, regulation and government policy.
Shahzad Gidwani
Vice President Institutional Relations
Shahzad Gidwani
Vice President Institutional Relations
Shahzad is a seasoned marketing professional with a proven track record in marketing management, including brand management, sales management, marketing plan development & implementation, sales staff development, market research, strategic planning & development, and distribution development. Shahzad is a result-driven, self-starter, and a hands-on professional. In his 20+ of marketing leadership, Shahzad has been delivering sustained sales results while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction and building long-term strategic relationships with customers and partners. Shahzad has also used his expertise to generate innovative, strategic, and data-driven insights resulting in increased profit and growth.
Walid Kanafani
Vice President International Affairs
Walid Kanafani
Vice President International Affairs
Walid Kanafani has over 30 years of extensive experience across the spectrum of managerial leadership in Strategic Marketing & Media Planning, Account & Brand Management, Corporate & Integrated Marketing Communications, Product Launches & Activation, Professional Media Buying, Digital & Social Media implementation, Research & Analysis • Beyond Consulting Services (MENA) - Founder & Managing Director/2020 • Wavemaker (Kuwait) - Managing Director / 2003 - 2020 • Publicis Group (UAE) - General Manager/2000-2003 • Young Rubicam Y&R (Kuwait) - Media Director/1997-2000 • DDB Group (Kuwait) - Media & Production Manager/1993-1997 Client Experience Global Investment House, Commercial Bank of Kuwait, Land Rover, Jaguar, Landmark Group, Ford, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, LG, Al Shayaa Group, Toyota, Lexus, Chrysler Group, Boubyan Bank, Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), British Airlines, Nestle, Mercedes, The Promenade, Scientific Center, Australian College of Kuwait, KLM, Jashenmal, Peugeot, Samsung, Ahli United Bank, Etisalat, Volvo, Azadea Group, Singapore Airlines, Ericsson, L'Oréal, Audi, Carrefour & Tamdeen Group Education Qualification LAU - Lebanese American University / 1993 Bachelor of Science, Degree in Management & Marketing Years of Experience Added Professional Profile • IAA Kuwait Chapter President / 2012 onward • IAA Global Vice President MENA - Education / 2018 Onward • IAA Elections Committee Member MEΝΑ / 2018 & 2020 • IAA Inspire Awards Judging Council MENA / 2018 • Kuwait Advertising Creativity Awards Judging Council / 2015 onward • Arab Media Forum Board Member/2014 onward • Cannes Lions - Kuwait Representative / 2012 onward • Dubai Lynx - Kuwait Representative / 2012 onward Industry Recognition • IAA Global Compass Champion Award - June 2020 • Advertising Creativity Award - December 2018 & 2019 • Dubai Lynx Silver Award - March 2017 & 2019 • Cannes Lions Silver Award - June 2017 • Dubai Lynx Gold Award - Mach 2017
Sergio Loza
Chief Architect
Yuhao Wang
UX/UI Designer, Web Master
Yuhao Wang
UX/UI Designer, Web Master
Yuhao Wang has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in User Experience Design from the University of Toronto. He has over two years of diverse experience in the digital product design field. Yuhao started his career at the Ontario Digital Service, where he contributed to the redesign of several digital public services. He honed his skills in user research and experience design during this time. Later, as a UX/UI designer at African Impact Initiative, he was responsible for the design of the organization's first product, a SaaS venture-building platform. This experience enhanced his proficiency in rapid product prototyping. Currently, Yuhao serves as a UX/UI designer and web master for CIMMO. He is dedicated to revamping the organization's main web portal for more seamless user experience and a higher conversion rate. Yuhao is skilled in UX/UI design, web design, and product design. He leverages design thinking and agile approaches for quick design iteration and value delivery. Outside of work, Yuhao enjoys skiing, exploring museums, and reading golden age detective fiction.
Sylvia Jacobsen
Senior Advisor the President
Sylvia Jacobsen
Senior Advisor the President
Sylvia Jacobsen is passionate about sustainability and social responsibility with a successful business career as founder and CEO of a consulting company that focuses on a sustainable and volunteer-based NGO environment. Sylvia has served as an environmental manager at Hovefestivalen, the biggest music festival in Norway. The same year she developed and started the UN Student Norway. Sylvia is a co-writer and author of two books in Danish and Norwegian about volunteer leadership and recruitment. Since 2020 Sylvia are working with business development at Mobilise AS, helping to make a safe and compelling volunteer journey through the HRM (Human Resources Management) system. During her tenure, Sylvia has assisted many of Scandinavia's most prominent NGOs.
Marc Zirka
Senior Advisor to the President
Marc Zirka
Senior Advisor to the President
Marc is an experienced strategist and entrepreneur with long-standing experience in Corporate Strategy, Commercial Operations, Marketing & Sales Strategy coupled with a solid understanding of Corporate Finance and Strategic Investment. Before starting his own business, Marc assumed several executive roles, sitting on several international management boards and committees. To name a few, Marc has worked with France Telecom, KPMG, Digicel, Bakcell and Cable & Wireless. Marc has 21 years of international experience, including Lebanon, Sub-Saharan Africa, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the Caribbean, and Central Asia. As the founder of Strategy Up, he is now assisting his clients by providing consulting services in Strategic Planning, Corporate and Commercial Strategy within the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) industry. Moreover, Marc is offering a series of training programs in Leadership, Communication, Digital Marketing & Social Media Strategy, Strategic & Succession Planning, and has recently added Blockchain to the portfolio. Marc is a CIMMO Charter Professional Marketer and holds an MBA from Ecole Supérieure des Affaires (ESA - Beirut) and ESCP-EAP (Paris). However, this hasn't satisfied Marc's desire to keep nurturing his knowledge. He is continuously complementing his degrees by attending executive education courses at Harvard Business School and HEC. Marc is also an experienced trainer and educator, as the lead trainer for Strategy Up Academy. He collaborates with the Department of Labour and Advanced Education and the Association of Workplace Education in Nova Scotia (AWENS). Marc also received certificates endorsed by the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education (Nova Scotia) in the areas of Literacy Issues in the WEI Classroom (2019) and Foundational Skills for WEI Instructors (2020).
- Email:marc.zirka@cimmo.org
Larry Patrick Zolob
Senior Advisor to the President
Larry Patrick Zolob
Senior Advisor to the President
For this phase of his career, Larry's mission is to empower current and future generations to equitably succeed professionally. To that end, he has in 2020 formed a company named Zeedoc Digital Corp., whose purpose is to release software and create digital platforms in support of this mission. Zeedoc's first product went live in late 2020; upmarkit is an inclusive mobile web app that marries professional relationship building with peer advice and support, with income-earning features that effectively turn networking into a side hustle. Aside from this entrepreneurial venture - and consistent with his mission, Larry is applying his broad international and multi-sector experience in marketing, service operations, accounting and banking to a part-time teaching career. He teaches a variety of subjects in the Bachelor of Commerce program at Humber College (Toronto), while also teaching Design Thinking (BCom) and Creating Customer Value (MBA) for Royal Roads University's (Victoria, BC) distance education programs. Larry received his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Mathematics from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada, and his Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, USA.
• Beyond Consulting Services (MENA) - Founder & Managing Director/2020 • Wavemaker (Kuwait) - Managing Director / 2003 - 2020 • Publicis Group (UAE) - General Manager/2000-2003 • Young Rubicam Y&R (Kuwait) - Media Director/1997-2000 • DDB Group (Kuwait) - Media & Production Manager/1993-1997 Client Experience Global Investment House, Commercial Bank of Kuwait, Land Rover, Jaguar, Landmark Group, Ford, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, LG, Al Shayaa Group, Toyota, Lexus, Chrysler Group, Boubyan Bank, Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), British Airlines, Nestle, Mercedes, The Promenade, Scientific Center, Australian College of Kuwait, KLM, Jashenmal, Peugeot, Samsung, Ahli United Bank, Etisalat, Volvo, Azadea Group, Singapore Airlines, Ericsson, L'Oréal, Audi, Carrefour & Tamdeen Group Education Qualification LAU - Lebanese American University / 1993 Bachelor of Science, Degree in Management & Marketing Years of Experience Added Professional Profile • IAA Kuwait Chapter President / 2012 onward • IAA Global Vice President MENA - Education / 2018 Onward • IAA Elections Committee Member MEΝΑ / 2018 & 2020 • IAA Inspire Awards Judging Council MENA / 2018 • Kuwait Advertising Creativity Awards Judging Council / 2015 onward • Arab Media Forum Board Member/2014 onward • Cannes Lions - Kuwait Representative / 2012 onward • Dubai Lynx - Kuwait Representative / 2012 onward Industry Recognition • IAA Global Compass Champion Award - June 2020 • Advertising Creativity Award - December 2018 & 2019 • Dubai Lynx Silver Award - March 2017 & 2019 • Cannes Lions Silver Award - June 2017 • Dubai Lynx Gold Award - Mach 2017
- Email:Larry.Zolob@humber.ca
