Dr. Wissam El Solh
Dr. Wissam El Solh is an entrepreneur and investor with more than three decades of experience across the technology, energy, finance and hospitality sectors in the Middle East. He holds an MBA from George Washington University and a PhD in Economics from the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris.Dr. El Solh began his career as a consultant to the World Bank before joining K.B.L. Investment Bankers in Washington, DC, and later the Bank of Montreal. He subsequently held senior leadership roles in the oil and gas sector, serving as CEO of Arab Traders for more than a decade. In 1999, he founded NeTakeOff, the Middle East’s first internet incubator, establishing strategic partnerships with leading Silicon Valley incubators and research and development companies.
Throughout his career, Dr. El Solh has founded, invested in and supported ventures across technology, real estate, hospitality and education. He is an active angel investor focusing on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, enterprise resource planning systems, business process outsourcing and digital marketing.
Dr. El Solh is the co-founder of the Entrepreneurship Center of Lebanon and First Tuesday Beirut. He is also President of the George Washington University Alumni Association in Lebanon, a member of the Board of Trustees at Dar Al Ajaza and a member of the jury for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. He is a frequent speaker on entrepreneurship, business incubation and economic development at international organizations and academic institutions.