Mr. Saad AZHARI
Member of the Board of Directors – Chairman
Mr. Saad Azhari holds a BS in Computer Engineering and an MBA in Business Administration from Michigan-Ann Arbor University in the United States. From 1986 to 1991, he worked at PBZ Privatbank, a subsidiary of UBS Group in Zurich, where he was promoted to run, from Zurich, the Bank’s operations in the Middle East and in its Hong Kong office. He joined BANORIENT (SUISSE) SA in Geneva in 1991 where he was appointed General Manager in 1997, then elected Chairman in 2001. Between 2001 and 2007, he held the position of Vice–Chairman and General Manager of BLOM BANK S.A.L. in Beirut (Lebanon) before occupying the position of Chairman and General Manager in 2008. He also assumes several functions on the Board of Directors of BLOM BANK Group’s entities. Since 2001, he is Vice President of the Association of Banks in Lebanon.
Board Of Directors
Mr. Saad AZHARI
Member of the Board of Directors – Chairman
Mr. Saad Azhari holds a BS in Computer Engineering and an MBA in Business Administration from Michigan-Ann Arbor University in the United States.
From 1986 to 1991, he worked at PBZ Privatbank, a subsidiary of UBS Group in Zurich, where he was promoted to run, from Zurich, the Bank’s operations in the Middle East and in its Hong Kong office.
He joined BANORIENT (SUISSE) SA in Geneva in 1991 where he was appointed General Manager in 1997, then elected Chairman in 2001.
Between 2001 and 2007, he held the position of Vice–Chairman and General Manager of BLOM BANK S.A.L. in Beirut (Lebanon) before occupying the position of Chairman and General Manager in 2008. He also assumes several functions on the Board of Directors of BLOM BANK Group’s entities.
Since 2001, he is Vice President of the Association of Banks in Lebanon.
Chairman of the Board
Me Oren-Olivier PUDER
Member of the Board of Directors – Vice-Chairman of the Board
Oren-Olivier Puder, attorney-at-law, LL.M., is a partner at Junod, Muhlstein, Levy & Puder law firm. He is a graduate of the University of Geneva (Law Degree) and of Georgetown University, Washington D.C. (Master of Laws/LL.M.).He was admitted to the Geneva Bar in 2003.
Oren-Olivier Puder advises both Swiss and international clients on regulatory, contractual and commercial matters, in particular banking and financial law, asset management and FinTech. He assists financial institutions (banks, securities firms, fund managers, managers of collective investments and pension funds, independent asset managers, FinTech companies) and represents them before regulatory authorities and the courts.
He specialises in financial product structuring (securities funds, hedge funds, real estate funds) and is involved in regulatory issues related to distributed ledger technology and blockchain. His other areas of expertise include corporate law, mergers & acquisitions and private clients.
Oren-Olivier Puder worked for several years at the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) in Bern, including as Head of Collective Investment Schemes (Asset Management) Department for French-speaking Switzerland. He has also worked for several years as legal advisor to the Chairman of the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA).
Oren-Olivier Puder serves as a director on the boards of several regulated financial institutions. He is a frequent speaker at seminars in his areas of expertise. He joined the Board of Directors Banque Banorient (Suisse) SA (formerly BLOM BANK (Switzerland) SA) in Geneva in 2021.
Vice-Chairman of the Board
Mr. Jean Paul DESSERTINE
Member of the Board of Directors – Director
Mr. Jean-Paul Dessertine holds a Bachelor in Science (geology, chemistry, physics) from the University of Strasbourg.
He is also a graduate of the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris and holds a Master’s Degree in Philosophy from the University of Paris-Sorbonne.
From 1966 to 1993, he was hired by the Bank of the European Union (Empain- Schneider Group and then CIC Group) as International Director and then Deputy General Manager.
He also rose to several positions as Chairman or Director of banks and companies within this Group, notably at BUE AG in Frankfurt, Banca Rosenberg Colorni in Milan, Creusot Loire Entreprise, then Technip and Locafrance-Locamur (Crédit Bail).
He was also appointed member of the Supervisory Board of the Caisse Centrale de Coopération Economique (Central Fund for Economic Cooperation -French Development Agency) and director of its subsidiary Proparco and Vice-
Chairman of the Commission of the French Banks Association.
From 1993 to 2005, he rose to the position of Director General and then Director of the National Committee of Foreign Trade Advisers of France and Chairman of the
Asian and CIS Commissions (ex-USSR).
From 2001 to 2009, he was President of Carto Funding Spa in Milan of the Group Management and International Securitization.
He joined the Board of Directors of BANORIENT (SUISSE) SA in Geneva in 2012.
Director
Dr. Werner FREY
Member of the Board of Directors – Director
Dr. Werner Frey holds a PhD in History, Constitutional Law, and Political Science from the University of Zurich.
From 1975 to 1997, he was hired by Bank Leu in Zurich and appointed from 1988 to 1997 as a member of the Executive Committee in charge of Treasury, Stock Market and Trading Activities. He established his own management consultancy firm in
1997 working in the field of financial market infrastructure and banks.
Since 2002, he has managed the “European Securities Forum” in London and its successor organization, the Post Trade Division of the Association for Financial
Markets in Europe (AFME).
He is also a member of several Boards of Directors in the financial sector. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of BANORIENT (SUISSE) since 2004.
Director
Mr. Jean-Marc REBOH
Member of the Board of Directors – Director
Mr. Jean-Marc Reboh holds a Master’s Degree in Private Law from the University of Nice in 1982 and the Swiss Accountant Certification in 1990 (banking option).
He began his career in 1983 at Compagnie Financière Tradition SA in Lausanne as an internal auditor. From 1985 to 1995, he was hired by Ernst & Young SA (formerly ATAG Fiduciaire Générale) in Lausanne as a banking auditor where he was subsequently approved by FINMA (formerly CFB) as “Auditor in charge” dubbed Assistant Director in 1990, then Deputy Director in 1993.
From 1995 to 1997, he took over the management of Arthur Andersen’s office in Lausanne as Director, where he developed its audit and banking advisory activities as well as the management of alternative funds.
From 1997 to 1999, he held the position of Head of Internal Audit at Crédit Lyonnais (Suisse) SA in Geneva and the Private Banking business line.
From 1999 to 2003, he rejoined Banque Edouard Constant SA in Geneva as Administrative and Financial Director.
In 2003, he took part in the merger of this bank with EFG Bank in Geneva where he took on the role of Chief Financial Officer.
From 2004 to 2012, he occupied the General Management of SIF Swiss Investment Funds SA, the EFG Group’s Swiss international fund manager in Geneva.
In 2012, he joined Banque Banorient (Suisse) SA (formerly BLOM BANK (Switzerland) SA) as Administrative and Financial Director with the title of Director and Member of the Management Committee.
In 2023, he joined the Board of Directors of Banque Banorient Suisse (SA).
Director
Mr. Ahmad G. SHAKER
Member of the Board of Directors – Director
Mr. Ahmad Shaker holds a degree in Political Economy, with emphasis on Finance, from the University of Geneva as well as several technical certifications in the Information Technology field.
He has also completed several training courses from the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (Practical Applications of Futures and Options), from ESA Beirut (Corporate Governance Program for Board Members of Lebanese Banks) and from IMD Lausanne (Executive Programs, Family Business, High Power Boards, Family Office, Digital Strategy) .
He began his career in a multinational group active in the international trade of raw material, thus climbing the ladder of the agro-industrial sector to rise to the management of the said-department.
He then established his own trading company and oversaw, for several years, the running of a fruit juice factory in France. After settling in the Middle East, he remains active in several companies working in the field of telecommunication, new technologies, and information technology.
Also active in real estate trade, he participated in several international agro-industrial and real estate development projects.
With several years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, he also acts as advisor to several computer companies, including a listed company. In 1992, he became a member of the Board of Directors of BANORIENT (SUISSE) SA and in 2017 a member of the Board of Directors of BLOM BANK S.A.L in Beirut (Lebanon)
as director.
Director
* Membre indépendant / Independent member
