Carlos Haddad: The "Discreet" Lebanese-Brazilian Tycoon
MENA Opportunities is shedding some light on the fascinating yet "obsessively discreet" (his own words) Lebanese-Brazilian business tycoon and philanthropist Carlos Haddad (for those of you who actually have heard of him, it is not easy remaining discreet when Chairman of 4 major organizations). On discretion Haddad stresses: "I am not fundamentally against self-promotion. It's just that I am not a rock star or a politician and hence see no need, purpose or justification in engaging in it. And as a businessman, I am more inclined towards actions than words". Haddad humbly likes to be introduced as "the man behind" the Haddad Foundation, a charitable organization that provides social programs to young people from low-income communities. Says Haddad: "the Foundation is not something I can choose to stop or delegate. Thousands of lives are directly and indirectly affected by it. My duty is to honor its social mission and the expectations of those who depend on it". When asked how he reconciles his desire for anonymity with the exposure needs of the Foundation, Haddad has a disarming answer: "as much as I hate public exposure, I consider it a very small sacrifice and price to pay when put in perspective of what I try to achieve through my foundation, notably fighting against hunger and poverty, in particular with regards to children who are so unfairly subjected to these plagues that most people still continue to dismiss as inevitable which by the way has the art of angering me beyond belief". Haddad is also the Founder and Chairman of Gentech Holdings, a private diversified global holding company that holds significant investments in the South America and United States ICT, financial and real estate sectors. Finally, Haddad is the Founder and Chairman of AC Construction (ACC), a construction company founded in 1976 that operates across South America and is particularly involved in the construction of luxury hotels, resorts and residences. Prior to his stellar entrepreneurial career, Haddad held senior positions with Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley and Bouygues Construction. He is the Founder of several think tanks and charitable foundations (in addition to the Haddad Foundation) and sits on the board of more than a dozen international corporations where his knowledge of entrepreneurship, business, finance, technology and construction are of great added value. He speaks fluently English, Portuguese and Spanish as well as solid French and German. Haddad is the recipient of over a dozen prestigious international awards and honors in the fields of business, entrepreneurship, technology, social aid and philanthropy. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.), an MBA as well as PhD in Technology.
