Born and raised in Belgium with roots and a solid educational background in Lebanon,Simon Abboud continues to demonstrate is prowess and entrepreneurial spirit in tech,real estate, construction, and smart cities. A proud IE alumnus, Abboud has remained trueto the university's values and has successfully woven everything he absorbed at IE andpast experiences into his thriving career, making it clear why he was nominated for theEPIC Awards.The IE Business School EPIC Awards are organized by IE University and its AlumniAssociation to reward exemplary students who have demonstrated leadership andentrepreneurship skills after graduating.The EPIC Awards represent Extraordinary People Inspiring the IE Community, and areon the lookout for alumni that are making an impact in their personal and professionallives in a way that greatly reflects the standards they were taught during their time at IE.This growth that IE alumni can be proud of is reflected in their achievements throughouttheir career paths as well as their contributions to society in over 120 countries,worldwide.Nominees of the EPIC Awards are accomplished entrepreneurs and inspirational leadersthat have exceptionally proven their commitment to society and continue to deliverexemplary work in their respective fields. Some of the categories include Young &Ambitious Minds, Women Inspiring Women, Business Impact, and Creators.
A nominee for the IE Business School Epic Award, Simon Abboud was chosen as one ofthe top three alumni in the Young and Ambitious Minds category. A win like this putshim in a proud position of being the first Lebanese and the youngest to ever win such acompetition.We caught up with Simon Abboud to get to know more about his accomplishments.
Q: Why do you think you deserve this award?A: I think it's fair to say I have taken a bit of an unconventional career path compared tomost of my IE peers, using what I have learnt during my university years as a means, notan end. The diversity of backgrounds, from a personal, professional, and academic pointof view, is what we need more of in a more complex reality; leaders need to have aholistic understanding of how the dynamics of our world work. When I was at LAUdoing my Bachelor of Architecture, I never thought that Venture Capital or CorporateInnovation existed. I just knew I was passionate to learn about new subjects, and that myyears studying Architecture and working in Lebanon have been extremely valuable in myself-development to become the well-rounded leader IE considers me to be.Q: What piece of advice would you give to other young and ambitious minds trying tofollow your career path?A: First, some general advice for current graduates: You may know exactly what youwant to do when you graduate, or your career path may be a winding one or a bitunconventional like mine. However, know that there are so many enduring skills you getfrom your time searching for a job that will serve you well in whatever career you pursueregardless of your academic major. These skills include resilience, problem solving,intellectual curiosity, collaboration, perseverance, as well as an appreciation for differentcultures, perspectives, and new ideas.As an LAU and IE graduate, I worked hard in my classes and was always engaged inlearning different things outside my field and comfort zone. Like taking night classes,working on various certifications, and engaging myself in several local workshops andinitiatives. At IE University, I co-founded the Smart Cities Club, represented the schoolof Architecture and Design in the IE Graduate Government, and was Vice-President ofmy class. Take opportunities to also enroll in competition and really understand where doyou stand compared to the rest of the market, and act on your weaknesses.Such experiences made me more resilient, perseverant, and better equipped to bounceback from setbacks and challenges that I might encounter in the real world - a skill Ivalue tremendously till this day.
Q: How has your experience in Lebanon helped shape the person you are today, bothpersonally and professionally?A: I have been extremely blessed to work closely with amazing people during my 8 yearsin Lebanon. In general, I learnt how not to be afraid to reach out to people I admire oraspire to be like in my career. Some of my most meaningful career decisions andopportunities were based on me mustering up the courage to send an email or make aphone call to such individuals, which opened doors for me that might not have otherwisebeen an option.I also learnt the importance of having a plan B, C, and D... to the extent that it's feasible.In the context of career choices, it can be daunting if you feel like you have a single pointof failure. Cultivating a mindset around passion and curiosity throughout your career willensure you have options, which can mitigate that. Too many options can certainlycomplicate career decisions, but the positive side is having peace of mind that there ismore than one good option to pursue, should your first choice not work out the way youintended.Get to know more about the man you're voting forSimon Abboud studied architecture at the Lebanese American University in Lebanon forfive years before tackling two jobs at notable architecture firms in Beirut. His career wasa mix of travels, trainings, and diplomas. After traveling to France for a diploma thatenabled him to open his own firm in Europe, he came back to his homeland Lebanon andgave real estate development a shot. For the first time in his career he became part of theteam overseeing two construction sites, which came along with many difficulties andeven more great experiences and knowledge.With that background in real estate development, he made his way back to Belgium tocontinue in the field but this time at the family business. He attended executive courses atnight, including IT management, which he considered extremely beneficial thanks to hispassion for everything tech, cities, and sustainability.Then he went to do a one-year Master program in Real Estate Development at IE inMadrid, one of the world's best business schools. There he represented the school ofarchitecture and design in the student government as well as the rest of the schoolthrough the creation of very successful club, the IE Smart City Club.Simon was an extremely active student, from being VP of his class, to participating in aHarvard/MIT real estate development competition and Smart City Expo World Congress2018 in Barcelona, where he won the first prize for 5G technology use case competition.For the past 10 months, Simon has been working for a Silicon Valley based VentureCapital focusing on Smart Cities technologies. In midst of what started in Lebanon,Simon was looking for opportunities to be part of a solution, and is now mentoring youngLebanese entrepreneurs enrolled in the MIT Lebanon Accelerator.
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