Bandar Reda
Secretary General & CEO of Arab British Chamber of CommerceMr Bandar Ali Reda joined the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, on 1st March 2019, as Secretary General and CEO, becoming the fourth person to lead the Chamber since its foundation almost five decades ago.
As CEO, Mr Reda contributes his expertise by drawing on his wealth of experience as a diplomat and extensive time spent in the private sector to ensure the Chamber moves to the next level.
Mr Reda has a distinguished professional career of more than a decade in banking and corporate industry at SABB HSBC Saudi Arabia, prior to senior positions in the diplomatic service of his country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he served as Commercial Attaché in the UK & Europe, based in London, and in Italy and as part of the Saudi delegation to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris.
Mr Reda holds a BA in Economics and Business Administration from Orlando, USA. He has been an Executive Member of the Saudi-Italian Business Council, the Council of Saudi Chambers; a Member of the Business Youth Committee, Jeddah Chamber of Commerce; a Member of the Saudi Economy Association; and a Member of the Saudi Arabian legal accountants.
Mr Reda has demonstrated his experience and abilities in his roles in both public and private sectors.
Since taking up his post, Mr Reda has successfully steered the Chamber throughout the difficult months of the pandemic and lockdown, a period which presented unprecedented challenges for international trade and the business community. Under Mr Bandar Reda’s guidance and leadership, the Chamber not only continued all its activities uninterrupted but extended its services during this period and has reinforced its reputation as the leading strategic business services organisation in the UK dedicated to strengthening Arab-British trade and building closer business co-operation.
Abdeslam El-Idrissi
Deputy CEO & Secretary General of Arab British Chamber of CommerceMr Abdeslam El-Idrissi is proud to have served the best part of over 36 years with the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, serving both as Director of Trade Services, Acting General Manager and now his present position as Deputy CEO and Secretary General. During this time, he has cultivated strong relationships with British Chambers, Government bodies, educational institutions, NGOs across both the Arab world and the UK regions, as well as the UK-Arab business communities as a whole.
To this end, Mr El-Idrissi is in much demand across the regions as a keynote speaker and as one of the UK’s leading experts on UK-Arab trade relations.
He is also a key member of the Institute of Export where in the past he has held the position of Vice Chair of the Institute of Export, London Branch for a period of 7 years.
Alaref Hassan
CEO of Libyan Businessmen CouncilAlaref Hassan is the Chief Executive Officer of the Libyan Businessmen Council, a position he has held since December 2018. With over ten years of leadership experience, he is responsible for developing high-quality business strategies and ensuring their alignment with short- and long-term objectives. He also plays a critical role in overseeing the council's operations and activities, ensuring they align with the organization's mission to advance and enable Libya's business environment as the official representative of the Libyan private sector.
Before his role at the council, Alaref co-founded Fly Nawras, where he served as the PR Manager from 2014 to 2018, shaping the company’s vision and establishing service standards that meet international criteria. He also managed long-term relationships with clients and partners, promoting the company’s values. Additionally, Alaref was CEO at Tassili Media from 2013 to 2014, managing events and media services within the Libyan market, which was undergoing significant changes at that time.
Mohamed Kara
Chairman at Ajwad Almoharekat – Kia Libya and Founder & Chairman at E-Zad for E-CommerceMr. Kara is a leading visionary Libyan entrepreneur with a proven track record of 20 years experience in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector and in real estate investment.
Apart from being a real estate investor, Mr Kara is an environmental advocate.
He received his education from the University of Tripoli and the International Leadership University of Florida, USA.
Peter Millett
Chairman at Libyan British Business CouncilPeter Millett was appointed as Chairman of the LBBC on 2 March 2022.
He served as British Ambassador to Libya from June 2015 to January 2018. During that time he played a role in supporting the UN’s efforts to negotiate and then implement the Libya Political Agreement. He met and built relationships with all the key political, security and economic players in Libya and in the international community. He also managed the return of the British Embassy from Tunis to Tripoli.
Before Libya, he was British Ambassador to Jordan from 2011 to 2015 and High Commissioner to Cyprus from 2005 to 2010. Earlier in his career he had diplomatic postings in Venezuela, Qatar, Brussels and Athens.
Baroness Symons Of Vernham Dean
Chairman at Arab British Chamber of CommerceThe Rt Hon Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean is a senior Labour member of the House of Lords and a business leader. Formerly Deputy Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Symons was a Minister in the UK Government from 1997 until stepping down in 2005. Among her government posts she was Minister for the Middle East, Minister for International Trade, Minister for Defence Procurement, and the Prime Minister’s envoy to the Gulf.
A former General Secretary of the First Division Association (FDA), she was also an Equal Opportunities Commissioner and a governor of the London Business School and London School of Economics.
As well as working closely with DLA Piper as Head of Government Relations, Baroness Symons was formerly a non-executive director of British Airways and Manchester Airports Group and was on the advisory boards of several companies including those with strong Middle East links, and a number of not-for-profit organisations including the International Red Cross.