Ahmed Abdulla M A Al-Khulaifi
Chairman
Al Afaq Insurance Brokers
With over 21 years of experience in the Public and Private sectors, Ahmad is the Chairman of Al Afaq Insurance Brokers since 2019. He holds an MBA from Oklahoma City University and a Bachelor degree from Qatar University.
Ahmed has occupied several functions in the Public and Private sectors mainly, Managing Director and member of the board of Al Jazeera News Network (2007-2009), Assistant Minister of Health for Administration and Financial Affairs (2009-2016), Board member of Al Mowasalat and Vice Chairman and Board member of Al Meera Group.
Farid Chedid
Chairman and CEO
Chedid Insurance Brokers Network
Starting with the launch of the group in 1998, Farid Chedid embarked on a two-decade journey, building a leading insurance and reinsurance powerhouse that operates across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Chedid Re, one of its strategic business unit, is recognized among the top 20 reinsurance brokers worldwide and a registered Lloyd’s broker.
Under Farid’s leadership, Chedid Capital Holding today includes Chedid Re, Chedid Insurance Brokers Network, Ascoma and Chedid Corporate Solutions, among others, and counts more than 1,600 employees across 64 subsidiaries.
In 2009, the Group established Seib Insurance in Qatar, dealing with corporate and complex risks. In 2015, Chedid Capital acquired a major stake in City Brokers, the leading insurance provider in Mauritius and East Africa and Al Manarah Insurance Services in the UAE.
Farid’s growth philosophy has equally focused on investments in industry-wide education and knowledge exchange, among which was the launch of the Corporate Risk Management Institute (CRMI) in 2020.
In 2021, Chedid Capital acquired majority shares in Groupe Ascoma, the first and largest independent brokerage network in sub-Saharan Africa with 29 subsidiaries, head offices in Monaco and international operations offices in Paris. In 2022, the Group continued its digital transformation by acquiring BuyAnyInsurance, a leading aggregator in the UAE, and intends to expand in the territories it operates in.
His contribution to the insurance field has been recognized with many accolades over the years, including “The Middle East and Africa Industry Achiever of the year” by Global Re and Strategic Risk consortium in 2016. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, he was named among the “100 Arab Achievers” by Arabian Business, and among the “35 Most Influential Lebanese Businessmen” by Forbes Middle East in 2018.
Farid sits on the board of several leading MENA companies both within and outside the insurance sector and has been equally involved in philanthropic initiatives and organizations across the region. Today, he serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at Notre Dame University, Lebanon; a member of Human Rights Watch, Beirut Committee; a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador and a Fellow of the Middle East Leadership Initiative (MELI), member of The Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN).
Farid is also a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute of the UK and holds a master’s degree in Risk Management from the NYU Stern School of Business; a master’s degree in Finance from ESA/ESCP Europe; a master’s degree in Management from Université Paris IX Dauphine; and a postgraduate diploma in Maritime Law from London Metropolitan University.
Karim Zarka
Managing Director
With over 27 years in the media and communication fields, Karim holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Affairs from Beirut University College. Prior to joining Chedid Capital, Karim was the CEO of Grey Group in Doha for a period of 12 years and is currently an Executive Director at Chedid Capital.
Beside his role of managing the Corporate communication and marketing department at Chedid Capital, Karim plays a role in the business development of the Group and was appointed recently managing Director of Al Afaq Insurance Brokers.
Mohamad Wazeh
Head of Operations
Al Afaq Insurance Brokers
With over 8 years in the Insurance and customer service fields, Mohamad holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from American University of Beirut.
Prior to joining Al Afaq Insurance Brokers, Mohamad was in the Key account management of Seib Insurance and Reinsurance Life & Medical Department in Doha for a period of 5 years and is currently Head of Operations at Al Afaq Insurance Brokers where he is in charge of Employee Benefits and business development among others.