Lubna S. Olayan is the Chief Executive Officer of the Olayan Financing Company (OFC), the holding entity for the Olayan Group's operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.  Founded in 1947 by Suliman S. Olayan, The Olayan Group is a private multinational enterprise engaged in distribution, manufacturing, services and investments. OFC operates or actively participates in more than forty companies, often in partnership with leading multinationals.  OFC is also one of the largest investors in the Saudi equity market.

Ms. Olayan is a member of the Board of Olayan Investment Company Establishment (OICE), the parent company of The Olayan Group, and the President of the Suliman S. Olayan Foundation. She is also a board member of Egyptian Finance Company, a Cairo-based investment company, and Capital Union, an investment bank with offices in Bahrain and Dubai. Ms. Olayan serves as a non-executive director of Chelsfield plc in the UK.

Ms. Olayan is a member of the “Arab Business Council” Executive Committee and a member of the “Women Leaders’ Initiative,” both of which are initiatives of the World Economic Forum. She also serves on INSEAD’s International Council and the World Links Advisory Council in the Arab Region, a World Bank educational initiative, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the “Arab Thought Foundation,” a think tank based in Beirut that focuses on the issues facing the Arab world today.

She is married to Mr. John Xefos, a partner in the law firm of Baker & McKenzie, and they live with their three daughters in Riyadh Saudi Arabia.

Ms. Olayan was the recipient of the 2004 ABANA Achievement Award, October 6, 2004.

Last updated 10/21/2004.