Bassel Hamwi
Bassel is a private equity, banking and investment professional.
He has spent 20 as a senior World Bank staffer and 12 years as CEO and board leader in start-ups and established financial institutions globally.
He is passionate about governance, family business, working with and coaching CEOs.
A seasoned leader in financial markets
Bassel has 32 years of experience in financial markets. He has been a contributing author to business publications and quoted by the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and the New York Times.
Consulting & executive coaching go hand-in-hand
I believe that a leader has an obligation to mentor, support and facilitate an organization’s processes, and their team’s progress.
An executive coach combines subject-matter expertise consulting wrapped in a coaching and support container that provides the right environment to allow leaders to thrive — even in challenging times.
CURRENT ENGAGEMENTS
President,
BASY Ventures
2021 – current
BASY Ventures is an investment and consulting company operating in the US, MENA, West and South Asia, investing in the asset-backed lending and fintech space. It also provides business consulting, executive coaching, board and family business governance.
Chairman,
Globatech Group
2019 – current
Globatech, a technology investment and development group of companies operating in MENA, India and the US. Globatech’s unique program for startups includes technology support, investment facilitation, go-to-market support and mentoring.
PREVIOUS HIGHLIGHTS
Head,
IFC MENA Fund
2014 – 2022
In 2014, Bassel launched and headed the IFC MENA Fund, a private equity fund sponsored by the World Bank Group. The Fund raised $165 million from 5 partners and invested in Souq.com, which was sold to Amazon, as well as in fintech, energy and healthcare.
CEO,
Bank AUDI
Chairman,
Audi Capital
2004 – 2014
From 2005 to 2014, Bassel was the Founder and CEO of Bank Audi Syria, which grew from US$50 million in 2005 to become country’s largest private lender with assets of US$2 billion in 2010 (about 4% of Syria’s GDP).
During this time Syria’s economy was in hyper growth and Bassel helped set up the Damascus Securities Exchange, Syria’s first stock market and served as its first Deputy Chairman.
He also launched Audi Capital Syria, an investment bank, and served as its Chairman.
Bassel is a founding member of the Young Presidents’ Organization’s (YPO) Levant Chapter and the Syrian–American Business Council among others.
He was also a Global Board Member of YPO from 2018 till 2022.
Bassel holds an MBA in International Finance and a BBA in Business Computer Information Systems and Organizational Management from the University of North Texas and is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School (HBS).
Recently I wrote about
How to Survive a Bank Run
In 2012, as the CEO of one of Syria's largest banks, I faced a daunting challenge: a bank run amidst a civil war and economic sanctions. To survive, I had to act quickly and decisively, employing strategies that would calm depositors, protect our liquidity, and...
The importance of trust & company culture
As a coach and a newly appointed board member at a major corporation, I never could have predicted the events that would unfold in my first few months with the company. But it's through those unexpected challenges that I learned some valuable lessons about trust,...
Challenges and transformative experiences go hand in hand
As the CEO of a major bank in Syria, I had some challenging and transformative experiences. The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, has brought about unprecedented challenges for my bank and the entire financial sector in the country. Bank Runs One of the first...
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