About AACCI

Fawaz was appointed as the Chief Banking Officer (CBO) at Bank of Sydney in November 2018 and is responsible for the Customer & Distribution Division, which includes Corporate & Institutional Banking, Retail Banking, Digital Sales, International Banking, Third-party Distribution and Products in NSW, VIC, SA and QLD. After joining Bank of Sydney as Head of Commercial Banking in May 2012, Fawaz was then appointed Executive General Manager Corporate and Institutional Banking in 2016. With more than 25 years banking experience in Retail and Corporate and Institutional Banking, Fawaz has previously held senior executive roles within the NAB and CBA Groups as Relationship Executive Manager, Executive Manager and Head of East Coast Business Banking respectively.
Fawaz currently holds directorships on various external boards in both the education and business-commerce sectors. After serving as Vice Chairman of the Board of the Australian Arab Chamber of Commerce & Industry NSW, Fawaz was elected as Chairman in September 2021 and plays an integral role in the two-way trade and investment between Australia and the Arab League Countries.
Fawaz held the role of Treasurer at the Sydney University Australian Lebanese Foundation where he is involved in promoting cultural, academic and student exchange between Australia and Lebanon, providing valuable scholarships and creating educational opportunities within the Australian Lebanese Community.
Another major achievement is Fawaz’s Chairmanship at the Al Noori AMS College. Fawaz’s leadership and commitment to the college has resulted in the college being ranked in the top 100 schools since its first admittance in 2016. In 2023 the college was ranked 26th in NSW Higher School Education (HSC) school ranking.
With Fawaz’s vast wealth of experience and community involvement within the corporate and business communities, Fawaz has an extensive professional business network which involves linking professionals and business community leaders to strengthen business relationships by regularly engaging with his networks and finding opportunities to assist them in exchanging information on challenges, experiences and assisting them reach their goals. Fawaz has recently completed an MBA at the Australian Institute of Business Management to further strengthen and expand his current knowledge & committed to personal growth.

Mohamed has extensive expertise in global markets, possessing more than 20 years’ experience within investment research across a range of asset classes and sectors. Mohamed’s background includes delivering and leading the research insights into capital allocations and investment markets to multi-institutional and government clients. This includes the oversight into strategic investments globally in private and public markets across infrastructure, real estate, private equity, and emerging markets. He has successfully held multiple roles in senior leadership, directorship, and investment committees.

Mohamed is also the President and National Chairman of the Australian Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce & Industry is the only national association for two-way trade and investment between Australia and the Arab League countries. Mohamed has engaged in several public sector economic development projects including Free Trade Agreements, Foreign Direct Investments and the identification of investment and trade opportunities carried out in collaboration with different government agencies. He has maintained and developed strategic alliances with  government bodies, associations, industry bodies, private enterprises, and national companies across a range of industries, sectors, and geographies. Mohamed was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services rendered to Australian-Arab business, trade, and investment relations.
Mohamed was also awarded the NSW Premiers Medal for Economic Participation in fostering strategic trade and investment partnerships that support long-term economic growth between the state of NSW and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. He Obtained graduate and post-graduate degrees in Commerce and Business with a specialisation in Finance and management.

Roland Jabbour is a distinguished leader in public service and business entrepreneurship with extensive experience of commerce and international trade relations. He is the Chairman of Jabbour Holding Group of companies, with its corporate headquarters based in Melbourne Australia and offices across the Middle East region and globally.

Roland is a distinguished leader in public service and business entrepreneurship with extensive experience of commerce and international trade relations. He is the Chairman of Jabbour Holding Group of companies, with its corporate headquarters based in Melbourne Australia and offices across the Middle East region and globally. He oversees major projects between Australia and the Arab region, representing Australian universities, as well as private sector and government institutions. Roland’s business network extends over several sectors, including international education and training, property development and investments, migration services, Media, hospitality, travel and tourism.

For many years, Roland’s vision and leadership has achieved wide-ranging successful partnerships between Australia and the Arab region, facilitating business and trade relations that work to promote stronger ties between Australia and the Arab world. Roland is well-known and respected within governmental and semi-governmental circles. He is widely consulted for and invited by the media to provide commentary on issues of international affairs and multiculturalism.

He has developed a high profile as a community leader through longstanding commitment to public service and community initiatives. A firm believer in actively contributing in society, he has held numerous community positions and government appointments. He is the founding and current Chairman of the Australian Arabic Council (AAC); founding director of the Australia Lebanon Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ALCCI); and founding and current director of the Australia Oman Business Council (AOBC).

He served as former vice president and board member of the Council for Australian Arab Relations (CAAR) under the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (a federal government appointment); appointed Justice of the Peace for the State of Victoria; admitted to the Royal Victorian Association of Honorary Justices; a Founding Chairman of the Darebin Ethnic Communities Council. He also served as a member of, the Victorian Police Community Multicultural Advisory Council (PACMAC), the La Trobe University Centre for Dialogue, and the Deakin University Languages Advisory Board.

Roland has been a recipient of many awards from Australian and overseas governments in recognition of his service to the Australian community. These include the Order of Australia Medal (OAM), and the Medal for the Centenary of Federation of Australia, awarded by the Governor General & the Commonwealth of Australia for service to the Australian Community, and a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of voluntary service to the community awarded by the Premier of the State of Victoria.

He has also been Finalist for the Australian Ethnic Business Awards (2009) and nominated for the Australian of the Year award (2004).

Lisa is currently the Managing partner of one of the most well regarded Executive search firms in the lending space. After attending university, she joined CBA and shortly thereafter was handpicked to commence a career in Executive search & recruitment.

Since deciding on this career path, she developed relationships with almost every financial institution & non-bank funder in the commercial, corporate, Private, and institutional banking. Lisa is currently one of the most well-regarded recruiters in the Sydney & Australian market.

Lisa possesses a solid track record of demonstrable success in relationship management, delivery, sales, new business, and development & execution of recruitment strategies for her specialized portfolio of clients which includes the likes of Macquarie Bank, CBA, ANZ Bank, JUDO and many more.

Lisa is also the founder of a women in banking Australia group which she uses as a platform to share relevant and useful information to empower females that require some support.

Lisa focuses much of her daily activity on speaking with industry leaders and ‘rising stars’ within the Banking and Finance community (whether they are actively looking for their next challenge). This enables her to glean a truer reflection of the market and trends and to understand current and key drivers that will help professionals progress their careers.

Lisa is dynamic and has won several “we evolve” awards for her ability to constantly change and develop in the ever-changing market demands of today.

My career started in banking working for Westpac Bank in investments and auditing.
However my real dream was to own my own business.

From the age of 26 my interests have always been in property development on my companies’ own projects, as well as working for other developers.

My expertise is in project management, international business development as well as design.
In all of my businesses I am also able to fall back on my financial services background.

My companies built, owned and operated a chain of back backer hostels which led me to working with the Gold Coast Tourism Board promoting the Gold Coast as a destination.
I am also working as a construction manager for a Sydney group, Alex Bosque and Alex Wilkinson the A league Socceroos.

My Arts degree led me to interior design which I am still very much involved in through my interior design company based in Queensland.

I am a Director/CFO for the company trading as Wattle Trading Group, heavily involved in exports.

After working extensively with China, I decided that the real opportunities where with the Middle East. I have been an active member of AACCI here in Queensland for many years and in 2019 I joined the AACCI group on a trade mission to the Middle East.

I am now looking at developing a chain of coffee shops across the Gulf as well as advancing the many other projects I am working on related to the Middle East. Needless to say I am excited for what the future holds as a proud member of AACCI.

I am also wanting to spearhead women in business for the bilateral Middle East and Australia relationship; and to demonstrate how accessible that region is for women and to break down some of the stigmas that have been falsely attributed to that region.

Edmund Damouni, established Antry Pty Ltd in Perth in 1992. He has owned businesses in the Timber and Architectural metal Industries in the United Arab Emirates, Doha and the USA and his talents have won him recognition and acclaim across the world.

He has owned and managed Stork Inc. Furniture and Art gallery in Soho, Manhattan and taught at Parsons School of Design and The John Jay college of Criminal Justice in New York. He was also featured in the “Excellence in Woodwork” exhibition at Madison Square Garden in 1981.

His Perth based business, Antry Pty Ltd has excelled in furniture production and commercial furniture fit outs, winning over 35 awards in both state, national and international categories for their exceptional designs and workmanship. Over the years, Antry Pty Ltd has exhibited at many international trade exhibitions in Japan, Singapore, Dubai, Chicago and San Francisco. His business has also won the Western Australian Industry and Export Award.

He served as the Chairman of the Australian Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA Chapter(AACCI). Chairman, International Business and Trade Committee of the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Executive Director of the Western Australian Vietnam Business Council.

Naim Melhem has been the Senior Manager of Victoria at the Arab Bank Australia since 2008. Prior to this appointment, Naim held the positions of Councillor and Mayor for the City of Greater Dandenong, Councillor for the former City of Springvale, Member of the Board Directors for Southern Health (2001-09) and Board Member for Peninsula Health (2016-19).

In August 2011, Naim became a Founding Member and Treasurer of the Australia-Lebanon Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Victoria. In addition, he was in 2012 elected member and Vice Chair of the Victoria Chapter of the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a position he has held since.

Naim has extensive experience in corporate private and public governance serving as Chair, Vice-Chair and Member of various community and charity committees. He is a recipient of the Centenary Medal of Australia in recognition of his contributions in 2002 and Medal of the Order of Australia in 2020.

Al Jawhari is an entrepreneur, Innovator and technology commercialisation expert with 20+ years of C-level experience.

With 4 successful business exits Al is an internationally recognized business leader known for crafting the required strategic vision to achieve business goals offering a unique blend of leadership, innovation, executive acumen, global team-building, and credited with strong ROI and operational excellence. Read more…

Al experience spans through Defence Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, Food and Wine, e-commerce and Software Platforms development.

Al has worked across the North Africa, GCC, United States, Europe, Australasia and currently makes his home in the Adelaide Hills on a farm with his wife and two children. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer for Lightforce Group of companies, Co Founder for Innovate Inn and Australia-NA Managing Partner for SeedForum Global.

Al is a proud recipient of Order of the Republic of Egypt of first class, one of the highest decorations awarded to those who contribute to a distinguished work as well as SeedForum Global Impact award 2019 for his Global Entrepreneurship Impact. Al is a member of AIAA, AICD, Block Chain Council, Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary International and holds both US and Australian Patents in VR, Products Traceability, Anti Counterfeit platform/devices and Blockchain.

Stephen Scott is an experienced senior executive and non-executive director. In addition to his recent appointment to the AACCI Board, he is Chair of Australian War Widows Queensland (AWWQ), and Aquatic Paradise Moorings Limited, operator of a marina on Brisbane’s Bayside.

Stephen recently retired from full time work after a forty five-year career spanning both the public and private sectors. A ten-year career in the Australian Public Service culminated in a two-year secondment to the Executive of the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. At the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games Stephen moved to the private sector where he occupied a range of roles spanning sports, entertainment, banking, major events, and facility management.

Most recently, Stephen spent ten years in the role of Director International Operations for facility management company AEG Ogden (now ASM Global). In this role he was responsible for business development and operations in Asia and the Middle East. He has spent a considerable amount of time working in the UAE, Qatar, Oman China, India, and Malaysia.

Stephen is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.