Advisory Committee
The Family Business Histories Advisory Committee provides strategic guidance and advisory support to the project leadership.
The Advisory Committee is composed of members with leading academic and business experience relevant to the project. Their expertise greatly contributes to supporting the mission and overall impact of Family Business Histories. The Advisory Committee fosters innovation and collaboration by serving as a bridge between our project and academic as well as private sector communities, both regionally and globally.
MEMBERS
Sheikh Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi
Founder, Barjeel Art Foundation
Instructor, American University of Sharjah
Research Associate, SOAS Middle East Institute London
Sheikh Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi is an Emirati columnist and researcher on social, political and cultural affairs in the Arab Gulf States. In 2010, he established an independent initiative “Barjeel Art Foundation”, to contribute to the intellectual development of the art scene in the Arab region. He has taught ‘Politics of Modern Middle Eastern Art’ at a number of US and European universities. Recently, he completed a Fellowship at Wissenschaftskolleg, the Institute of Advanced Studies in Berlin. Currently, Sheikh Sultan is a Research Associate at SOAS Middle East Institute in London, where he leads student workshops.
Tony Jashanmal
President & Member of Board of Directors
Jashanmal Group of Companies
Tony Jashanmal is the President and a Board member of the Jashanmal Group of Companies, which was founded in 1919 and operates in retail and consumer product distribution across the GCC and India. Throughout his career, he spearheaded the establishment of new ventures within the company across various sectors. He played a pivotal role in rebuilding the Kuwait operations post the Gulf War in the early 90s, expanded the Group into India, and facilitated numerous joint ventures that the Group is part of today. He believes strongly in the value of not-for-profit education, having previously been Co-Founder and Chairman on the Board of the new Indian School of Kuwait and has been a board member at other educational institutions.
Marie-Noëlle Fattal
Corporate Communication and Digital Director
Fattal Group
Marie-Noëlle Fattal is the Corporate Communication and Digital Director at Fattal Group, where she leads the communications strategy for internal and external stakeholders and supports the company’s strategic goals and CSR engagements. Her role, among others, involves building the company’s image, shaping the narrative, and maintaining the integrity of the organization’s brand across various media platforms and through different events. Today, in addition to her role as head of Corporate Communication, she oversees the group’s e-commerce platforms. Marie-Noëlle’s interest in history and archives, as she holds a Master’s in History from Nanterre University in France, naturally brought her to become the ‘historian’ of her family business. She also graduated with a degree in Communication from Sciences Po Paris.
Mohammed Abdulla A.J. Al Fahim
Group Head of Business Development
AL FAHIM
Mohammed Abdullah Abdul Jalil Al Fahim is a member of the third generation of one of the largest and most successful family businesses in the region, AL FAHIM. An EMBA qualified Group Head of Business Development, Mr. Al Fahim leads the acquisition of new ventures at AL FAHIM Group and oversees opportunities for all companies within the group covering automotive, real estate, energy, travel and hospitality. Prior to his joining the family business, he worked at the Private Department of His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, then moved to the Emirates Securities & Commodities Authority (ESCA) in Abu Dhabi as a Financial Analyst from 2004 to 2007. He also was promoted to Executive Coordinator for International Relations. Mr. Al Fahim serves as a board member of the UAE International Investors Council and Makhazen Investments. He obtained his Masters Degree in Business Administration from IMD Lausanne, Switzerland.
Dr. Andrea Schneider-Braunberger
Chief Executive Officer
Gesellschaft für Unternehmensgeschichte GUG
(German Association of Business History)
Dr. Andrea Schneider-Braunberger serves as CEO of Gesellschaft für Unternehmensgeschichte GUG (German Association of Business History) since 1996. GUG acts as a platform for connecting academia and business in the field of business history by offering workshops, congresses, journals and research as well as the creation of modern company archives. In addition, she has also been president of the European Business History Association (EBHA), serves currently as a member of the scientific board of Austrian Business History Society and the Hessian Business Archives. Dr. Schneider-Braunberger is the author of numerous books in the field, e.g. the automotive supplier Borchert, the Colors for Arts producer H. Schmincke, the family owned bank Metzler in Frankfurt.