OdaySomali Posted January 25, 2012 We need a positive thread in these forums. This thread will focus on past and present succes stories of somalis either at home or in the diaspora, examples include those running successful businesses, achieving high positions in other fields such as academia or research, excelling in humanitarian work or even in arts, have contributed tangible change for the better to the Somali community, are recognised for their talents etc. You get the drift Contribute and add more. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OdaySomali Posted January 25, 2012 Hussein Samatar , Executive Director, African Development Center; Member of Board of trustees Aethlon Capital LLC, Minnesota. Mr. Samatar is the founder of the African Development Center , a nonprofit that works to start and sustain businesses, build assets, and promote community reinvestment within the African communities of Minnesota . Previously he worked as a senior lender of the Neighborhood Redevelopment Center and a commercial lender with Wells Fargo and Norwest Banks. Mr. Samatar was recently named to the Board of The Minneapolis Public Library, and serves on the advisory board of Payne-Lake Community Partners, and the board of directors for the Emerging Markets Homeownership Initiative, the Citizen's League, and the Minneapolis Consortium of Community Developers. A Hubert Humphrey Institute Fellow in 2003-04. He holds an MBA from St. Thomas University and speaks five languages. .. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OdaySomali Posted January 25, 2012 Hagar Samatar Director of Operations at Accor Saudi Arabia & Sudan Number of hotels: 12 Number of rooms: 3961 Number of associates: Over 1700 associate Segments: Luxury Upper scale Upper Mid scale Mid scale Acting GM Zamzam Hotel (1350 rooms) Previously: Group Operations & Development Director at Qatar National Hotels. Group Operations Director at Four Points by Sheraton Canada Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OdaySomali Posted January 25, 2012 Ayaan Adam Portfolio Manager, Private Equity & Investment Funds Department, International Finance Corporation Ayaan Adam is currently the Head/Manager in charge of International Finance Corporation's (IFC) Private Equity and Investment Fund Portfolio. She also heads new business opportunities in infrastructure funds, distressed assets, listed funds and other single sector funds. She is responsible for US$2.5 billion portfolio involving 160 different relationships with private equity and venture capital funds invested or investing in Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East and Latin America. Prior to this position, Ayaan held a number of leadership positions in IFC's Global Financial Markets Department, including the position of Manager of the Global Transaction Group; and Head of New Business with responsibility for the development and the delivery of the financial sector and private equity programs in two key regions: Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Prior to joining IFC in 1996, Ayaan had six years of experience in the US financial service industry, namely commercial banking, insurance, and management consulting. She holds a Master's of Science in Management from MIT's Sloan School of Management. International Finance Corporation The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, creates opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives. We foster sustainable economic growth in developing countries by supporting private sector development, mobilizing private capital, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. Our new investments totaled $16.2 billion in fiscal 2008, a 34 percent increase over the previous year. IFC has a portfolio of investments in emerging market investment funds representing a commitment of over $2.5 billion in around 160 funds. While the corporation has been investing in private equity in emerging markets since the 1990s, in 2000 it created a department to specialize in Fund investments and adopted a structured approach to investing in Funds which has produced solid results in terms of both development impact and returns. Investee companies of Funds backed since 2000 have generated job growth substantially higher than the relevant regional averages, creating over 162,000 jobs. 53% of the investee companies were SMEs at the time of investment and 78% of funds are deemed successful in achieving their development goals. Many of the funds of which IFC was an early supporter have developed into major players in their regions, such as CDH China, Baring Vostok, Advent and GP Investimentos. As funds we support become successful enough to easily attract support from commercial investors we say goodbye, and seek emerging managers who need our support. IFC has a good record in selecting first time fund managers. We have been increasing our willingness to work with first time managers and in FY08 74% of the funds we supported were first time funds. ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OdaySomali Posted January 25, 2012 Amina Moghe Hersi (Somali: Aamina Mooge Xirsi, Arabic: أمينة موجي هرسي) (b. 1963) is an award-winning Somali entrepreneur and the wealthiest woman in Uganda. She has launched several multi-million dollar projects in Kampala, Uganda, such as the luxury mall the Oasis Centre and the Laburnam Courts. She also runs Kingstone Enterprises Limited, one of the largest distributors of cement and other hardware materials in Kampala. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OdaySomali Posted January 25, 2012 Mohammed Abdillahi Kahin 'Ogsadey (Somali: Maxamed Abdulaahii Ogsadeey, Arabic: محمّد عبدالله عغساديي) (b.1920s-2006) was a Somali business tycoon based in Ethiopia, where he established MAO Harar Horse, the first African corporation to export coffee :cool:. There is a great deal of debate as to how much Ogsadey's net worth is, though most estimate it must have been a minimum of $275 million U.S. Dollars (over 3 billion Ethiopian Birr) at the time of his death. At one point in the 1980s, he was the richest person in Ethiopia . Ogsadey's net worth could easily surpass that, since the above estimation comes from his ready to see properties around the Horn of Africa and North America. He is believed to have owned numerous companies, factories, oil companies and gas stations around the world. Throughout his long career, he had become a dominant figure in different industries including coffee, real estate, gas stations and banking to name a few. Ogsadey has given generously for the past 60 years, building schools, hospitals, and a mosques in every city he has stayed in Province 5. ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dervish Posted January 25, 2012 Somali Companies & entrepreneurs active in Africa http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1300633 Check that link out, pretty cool list of Somali business men/women Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OdaySomali Posted January 25, 2012 Omar Abdi Ali (Somali: Cumar Cabdi Cali, Arabic: عمر عبدي علي) is a Somali entrepreneur, accountant, financial consultant, philanthropist, and a leading specialist on Islamic finance. From 1986 to 1999, Omar was CEO of Dar al-Maal al-Islami Trust (DMI Trust), a Middle Eastern financial and banking group, which under his management increased it assets from $1.6 billion USD to $4.0 billion USD . He is currently the chairman and founder of the multinational real estate corporation Integrated Property Investments Limited and its sister company Quadron Investments. Omar graduated in 1964 as a certified accountant from the Leeds College of Commerce in the United Kingdom. He returned to Somalia, where he joined the Ministry of Finance and became a Deputy Accountant General. He also assumed the role of Director of Finance in the African Development Bank Group, where he took part in transforming the pilot project into a multi-regional project. .. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dervish Posted January 25, 2012 I'm not worried for somalia's future to be honest. 5 years of peace is all we need to get a head start in redeveloping our broken nation. Can you imagine the positive effect all those successful entrepreneurs will have when they come back to their country. Free to do business in their own land and amongst their own people. Nope I'm not worried about somalia's future I'm looking forward to it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
