FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sunday, February 1, 2015

AmCham Abu Dhabi Announces 2015 Excellence Awards Winners

Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. – At AmCham Abu Dhabi’s 5th Annual Excellence Awards and 15th Annual Charity Gala, over 300 top business executives and government officials came together to recognize leading U.S. and U.A.E. companies, institutions and entrepreneurs for their dedication to strengthening U.S.-U.A.E. commercial relations. The finalists were honored Friday, January 30, with an evening gala at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, sponsored by Al Noor Hospitals Group and other generous supporters.

"AmCham Abu Dhabi is proud to recognize the winners of the 2015 Annual Excellence Awards,"” said Matthew E. Byrd, Chairman, AmCham Abu Dhabi. "This year’s Excellence Awards winners are truly outstanding individuals and organizations; they embody excellence in their business by demonstrating passion and dedication to their work while continuing the strong bilateral commercial relationship between the U.S. and U.A.E. We are especially proud to see so many exceptional women Abu Dhabi and the MENA region honored tonight."

Matthew E. Byrd, Chairman, AmCham Abu Dhabi, welcomes guests to the 5th Annual Excellence Awards

The Excellence Awards applaud best-in-class American and Emirati individuals and businesses for their achievements in the local business community. The winners of the five awards are:

Salem Rashid Al Noaimi, CEO & Managing Director of Waha Capital and Partner,

SeedStartUp, received the Young Achiever Award, which recognizes a young entrepreneur under the age of 40 who has demonstrated smashing success in professional practice and exemplifies a commitment to excellence by inspiring others in launching U.A.E. based business opportunities. As CEO & Managing Director of Waha Capital, Salem plays a key role in identifying and helping to build robust businesses and investments in Abu Dhabi. In addition, he is a partner of SeedStartUp, a startup accelerator and venture capital fund that invests in seed-stage digital media startups through a combination of funding, mentoring, coaching and networking.

Souad Al Hosani, Chairperson, Nexus Business Services, announces Salem Rashid Al Noaimi, CEO & Managing Director of Waha Capital and Partner, SeedStartUp is the winner of the 2015 Young Achiever Award.

Janice Phillips, General Manager, Olgoonik Global Security, received the Woman

in Business Award, which recognizes a working female who has demonstrated exemplary leadership and accomplishment by pushing barriers, overcoming challenges and setting an example of perseverance and professionalism. Janice has been actively involved in the Abu Dhabi business community for the past 10 years. She has led Olgoonik Global Security to double in size in just two years, while providing key life support services to the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Janice also serves the wider American business community through her position as Chair of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (O.S.A.C.), which serves as an interface between American companies in Abu Dhabi and the U.S. Department of State on matters of security. Under her leadership O.S.A.C.’s membership has grown from 40 to 300.

Left to Right: Mary Corrado, Country Director, AMIDEAST presents the 2015 Woman in Business Award to Janice Phillips, General Manager, Olgoonik Global Security LLC.

Dr. Kassem Alom, Founder and Vice Chairman, Al Noor Hospitals Group, received

the Falcon Individual Award, which recognizes an individual demonstrating an outstanding commitment to sustainable U.S.-U.A.E. business relations. As the Founder and Deputy Chairman of Al Noor Hospitals Group, Dr. Alom oversees the largest private healthcare company in Abu Dhabi with 20 healthcare facilities serving over 7,000 patients per day. Dr. Alom is known for his commitment to providing exceptional healthcare and his advocacy on behalf of the American and wider business community to improve the healthcare system in Abu Dhabi, through his many years of involvement heading AmCham Abu Dhabi’s Healthcare Roundtable, and other key positions.

Left to Right: The Honorable Barbara A. Leaf, U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E, presents the 2015 Falcon-Individual Award to Dr. Kassem Alom, Founder and Deputy Chairman, Al Noor Hospitals Group.

Etihad Airways received the Falcon Organization Award, which recognizes an organization demonstrating an outstanding commitment to sustainable U.S.-U.A.E. business relations. AmCham Abu Dhabi recognized Etihad Airways for its role in developing trade and tourism links between the U.A.E. and the U.S. In 2014 Etihad witnessed major expansion in its US network of New York, Chicago and Washington, DC to include Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas/Fort Worth.

Left to Right: Brian Lott, Executive Director of Group Communications, Mubadala, presents the 2015 Falcon-Organization Award to James Mueller, Senior Vice President of Global Sales, and Haitham Al-Subaihi, Vice President, Sales - Central U.S.A., accepting on behalf of Etihad Airways.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi received the Bridge of Excellence Award, which recognizes an organization that bridges the gap in bilateral trade relations and demonstrates a commitment to cross-border business alliances or joint ventures. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a world-class hospital, is the result of the collaboration between US-based Cleveland Clinic and the Mubadala Development Company. The physician-led hospital hosts the latest technologies in surgery, imaging, telemedicine and electronic medical records, integrating systems in a manner that is the first of its kind in the country and Middle East region.

Left to Right: Danny Sebright, President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, presents the 2015 Bridge of Excellence Award to Dr. Marc Harrison, accepting on behalf of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

This year, AmCham Abu Dhabi also hosted the 3rd AmCham MENA Regional Council Women in Business Awards. The AmCham MENA Regional Council represents nine AmChams: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia. The AmCham MENA Regional Council Women in Business Awards recognize notable achievements on the part of women in the Middle East and North Africa region. This includes top female talent from the corporate world, entrepreneurs and civil society, whose achievements have set the benchmark for others to follow. This year, a new category has been introduced to recognize companies with effective gender diversity programs in place within the MENA region. The winners of the four awards are:

Best Woman in the Corporate Sector was awarded to Nadia Al Saeed, CEO, Bank

El Etihad (Jordan), for her impressive contributions to Jordan in both the public and private sectors.

Left to Right: Hisham Fahmy, CEO, AmCham Egypt and Regional Coordinator, AmCham MENA; Matthew E. Byrd, Chairman, AmCham Abu Dhabi and Chairman, AmCham MENA; Nadia Al Saeed, CEO, Bank Al Etihad, winner of the Best Woman in the Corporate Sector Award and Hala Bakouki, Chair, Woman in Business Committee, AmCham Egypt and AmCham MENA.

Best Woman Entrepreneur was awarded to Sarah Beydoun, Founder and Creative

Director, Sarah’s Bag – A Social Entrepreneurship Business (Lebanon), a fashion boutique that re-trains former prisoners as designers.

Left to Right: Hisham Fahmy, CEO, AmCham Egypt and Regional Coordinator, AmCham MENA; Matthew E. Byrd, Chairman, AmCham Abu Dhabi and Chairman, AmCham MENA; Paola Chakhtoura, Director, AmCham Lebanon, accepting on behalf of Sarah Beydoun, Founder and Creative Director of Sarah's Bag, winner of the Best Woman Entrepreneur Award, and Hala Bakouki, Chair, Woman in Business Committee, AmCham Egypt and AmCham MENA.

Best Woman in the Non-Profit Sector was awarded to Rania Fahmy, Founder &

Director, Banati Foundation (Egypt), for her work with at-risk youths.

Left to Right: Hisham Fahmy, CEO, AmCham Egypt and Regional Coordinator, AmCham MENA; Matthew E. Byrd, Chairman, AmCham Abu Dhabi and Chairman, AmCham MENA; Rania Fahmy, Founder and Creative Director, Banati Foundation, winner of the Best Woman in the Non-Profit Sector Award and Hala Bakouki, Chair, Woman in Business Committee, AmCham Egypt and AmCham MENA.

The new category, Best Company for Women to Work for was awarded to General

Motors (Egypt) for their outstanding commitment to developing female potential within their company.

Left to Right: Hisham Fahmy, CEO, AmCham Egypt and Regional Coordinator, AmCham MENA; Matthew E. Byrd, Chairman, AmCham Abu Dhabi and Chairman, AmCham MENA; Tarek Atta, Managing Director and Maisa Galal, Human Resource Director, accepting the Best Company for A Woman to Work For Award on behalf of General Motors Egypt & North Africa and Hala Bakouki, Chair, Woman in Business Committee, AmCham Egypt and AmCham MENA.

AmCham Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Presidents and Chairmen from Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Abu Dhabi-U.A.E.

Proceeds raised from the event are donated to local charities and educational institutions, in support of U.A.E. aid programs and initiatives. The four beneficiary organizations this year are: Emirates Red Crescent, the Make-A-Wish Foundation U.A.E., the American Community School of Abu Dhabi and St. Joseph’s School.

2015 marks the 15th year of AmCham Abu Dhabi giving back to the community. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of 21 leading Abu Dhabi companies, guests were treated to an elegant and entertaining evening, which included a breathtaking performance by aerial silk dancers.

5th Annual AmCham Abu Dhabi Excellence Awards Winners, Nominees, Sponsors, VIPs and AmCham Abu Dhabi Board Members.

Sponsors of the 5th Annual Excellence Awards and 15th Annual Charity Gala were Al Noor Hospitals Group; Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi; Etihad Airways; Gulf Diagnostic Center Hospital Plc; Lockheed Martin Global Inc.; AV Concepts; Occidental Petroleum Corporation; Sultan International Holding; Nirvana Travel & Tourism LLC; Tasleeh Entertainment; Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority; dnata travel; Europcar; Gulf Alliance Company - A Perot Company; Jumeirah at Etihad Towers; Oshkosh Corporation; Patchi; Raytheon International Inc.; Sayah Engineering MENA; International New York Times and Gray Mackenzie & Partners.

Notes to the Editors:

For press inquiries contact: Natasha Consolati, Communications Coordinator, AmCham Abu Dhabi

T: +971.2.631.3604, E: communications@amchamabudhabi.org

About the Event Organizer:

• AmCham Abu Dhabi: AmCham Abu Dhabi (the trademark of the American Business Group of Abu Dhabi) is a member of the global network of American Chambers of Commerce. The AmCham Abu Dhabi mission is to promote commerce, investment and goodwill between the United States of America, the membership, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates. AmCham Abu Dhabi is an independent, not-for-profit association comprised of Fortune 500 corporations, small and medium sized companies and prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs. AmCham Abu Dhabi provides a uniquely situated platform through which executives pursue and discuss issues impacting business operations between the U.S. and U.A.E. Substantive government advocacy programs, educational and networking programs and customized business service are just a few of the many benefits AmCham Abu Dhabi provides its members. Through the support of its members, AmCham Abu Dhabi has become the recognized voice of U.S. business in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. For more information, visit: www.amchamabudhabi.org

About the Beneficiary Organizations:

• Emirates Red Crescent was established in 1983 and gained international recognition on August 27, 1986 by becoming member No. 139 of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It is the country’s main relief and aid agency. The Red Crescent is independent, but takes a lead role in the government’s humanitarian activities. It is guided by the principles of the international movement, such as non-alignment, non-intervention and independence. Outside the U.A.E., the Red Crescent responds to emergency situations, as well as undertaking health programs and humanitarian projects. It has supported projects in more than 100 countries, and is chaired by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. For more information, visit www.rcuae.ae

• The Make-A-Wish Foundation: The Make-A-Wish Foundation is active in almost 50 countries and dedicated to bringing joy, strength and hope to children living with life-threatening medical conditions. In 1980, a young boy in the US was given the chance to be a police officer for a day. Thirty years later, Shehab, a young leukemia patient and long-term patient at Al Tawam Hospital, flew with his family to meet HH General Shiekh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the first Wish granted in the U.A.E. The U.A.E. branch was founded in 2010, and is looking to expand its operation to the rest of the MENA region. Having granted over 1,000 wishes since 2010, their aims for 2015 are to

grant more wishes than ever before and to create more awareness in the U.A.E., to help grant more wishes to Wish Kids. www.makeawish.ae

• American Community School of Abu Dhabi (ACS): Located on a site donate by the late H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, ACS was established in 1972. ACS is nonprofit, college preparatory institution driven by student learning. Its international student body of 1,050 students (K-12), representing 49 countries, receives an excellent education based upon an American style curriculum. ACS recently celebrated 40 years of excellence. For more information, visit: www.acs.sch.ae

• St. Joseph’s School: St. Joseph’s is a primary to secondary school in Abu Dhabi. It was established in 1967 and is managed by the Apostolic Vicariate of the Roman Catholic Church in Southern Arabia. Originally located on the Corniche, the school moved to the Mushrif area in 1982. The mission of the Catholic Schools in the U.A.E. is to ensure academic excellence by providing a high quality, affordable, and value based education. St. Joseph’s School prepares students for university and a future of continuous learning. For more information, visit: www.stjosephsschool.ae

About the Winners of the AmCham Abu Dhabi Excellence Awards:

• Salem Rashid Al Noaimi: Salem Rashid Al Noaimi has an extensive background in investment banking. He has been the CEO of Waha Capital PJSC since 2007, and Managing Director since 2012. Waha Capital, an Abu Dhabi investment company, is key to identifying and helping to build robust businesses and investments in Abu Dhabi and the wider region. Salem is also a partner of SeedStartUp, a startup accelerator and venture capital fund that invests in seed-stage digital media startups through a combination of funding, mentoring, coaching and networking. Although open to all, SeedStartUp’s focus is on entrepreneurs from the MENA region. Successful applicants take part in a three-month program before pitching to investors at a demonstration day, to take their companies to the next level. Salem holds a BA in Finance & International Business from Northeastern University, Boston, USA. For more information, visit: www.seedstartup.com

• Janice Phillips : Janice Phillips leads the team at Olgoonik Global Security/ Diplomatic Support Division, a company that provides life support services to the US Embassy in the UAE. Janice has shown exceptional leadership in this role, doubling the size of Olgoonik’s Abu Dhabi operations in just two years. Recognition of her excellence amongst the wider community has led to her being voted Chairman of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC). OSAC promotes cooperation between privately held US companies in Abu Dhabi and the U.S. Department of State, in order to address security concerns in the region. Under Janice’s leadership, the membership of OSAC has grown from 40 to over 300. She also ensured that Olgoonik was the second organization to join AmCham’s “WOMEN ACHIEVE” Initiative. Janice is an honors graduate with a Bachelor in Accounting from Troy University, and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of South Alabama, also with Honors. For more information, visit: www.olgoonik.com

• Dr. Kassem Alom: Dr. Alom is the Founder and Deputy Chairman of Al Noor Hospitals Group, the largest private healthcare company in Abu Dhabi. Responsible for 20 healthcare facilities, Al Noor’s staff of more than 500 highly qualified physicians and 4,000 staff, overseen by Al Noor’s management, many of whom are American, serve over 7,000 patients per day. Al Noor has affiliations with prestigious American institutions, including Johns Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic and NYU College of Dentistry. A dedicated and active member of AmCham for over a decade, Dr. Kassem Alom led AmCham Abu Dhabi’s Healthcare Roundtable for many years. A signatory to the AmCham WOMEN ACHIEVE Initiative, he is dedicated to advancing the role of women in healthcare. Dr. Alom graduated from the University of Seville, Spain, continued his postgraduate studies in internal medicine at the University of Madrid, and completed his training at Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK. For more information, visit: www.alnoorhospital.com

• Etihad Airways: Since it began operations in the US, over eight years ago, Etihad Airways has had a fundamental role in developing the trade and tourism links between the UAE and the US. In 2014, Etihad witnessed major expansion in its U.S. network of New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C. to include Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas/FortWorth. The purpose-built US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility further expedites business between the two countries. In 2013, Etihad partnered with U.S. based Atlas Air, in order to operate weekly cargo flights to Miami and Chicago, supporting U.S. importers and exporters in their endeavors. Etihad also takes great pride in its partnership with leading US aviation and technology companies – including Boeing, GE, Sabre Travel Technologies and SAP. For information, visit: www.etihad.com

• Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi: Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD) is the result of the collaboration between US-based Cleveland Clinic and Mubadala Development Company. Both organizations are leaders within their respective fields, with a shared vision of a sustainable healthcare system, addressing the healthcare needs of Abu Dhabi patients, and reducing the need to travel for complex care. A 364 (expandable to 490) bed hospital, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi combines state-of-the-art amenities and world-class service standards with a unique model of care. The physician-led hospital hosts the latest technologies in surgery, imaging, telemedicine and electronic medical records, integrating systems in a manner that is the first of its kind in the country and the Middle East region. CCAD has five centers of excellence: Heart & Vascular, Neurological, Digestive Disease, Eye and Respiratory & Critical Care. For more information, visit: www.clevelandclinicabudhabi.ae

About AmCham MENA Regional Council:

• The AmCham MENA Regional Council (MENA Council): was established in 2005, and comprises the AmChams of Abu Dhabi – UAE, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia. The objective of the Council is to foster increased collaboration and cooperation amongst the members, and to work on promoting greater business opportunities between the United States and the Middle East North Africa Region. The Council works on effectively linking the various members, and institutionalizing their ongoing coordination with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It

also works on promoting Free trade agreements (FTAs) between MENA countries and the U.S., and on fostering increased awareness among MENA region manufacturers

and producers of export opportunities to the U.S. through those agreements.AmCham

Abu Dhabi is the current Chair of the Council, and AmCham Bahrain is the Vice Chair. The Council’s permanent Secretariat resides at AmCham Egypt. For more information, please visit www.amchammena.org