Antoun Sehnaoui

Antoun Sehnaoui born in Lebanon in 1972, is an investor, real-estate mogul, financial expert, restaurateur and philanthropist, not to mention current Chairman of Société Générale de Banque au Liban S.A.L., Chairman of FIDUS S.A.L., Vice-Chairman of Société Générale de Banque - Jordanie, and Member 5 of the Board of Directors of the Banks’ Association in Lebanon.
Biography
Sehnaoui comes from a long line of prominent Lebanese. Son of Nabil Sehnaoui and May Chehab, his grandfathers were Abdul Aziz Chehab (judge and director of the Ministry of Social Affairs for 6 years, deputy for 8 years, Mohafez of the South, and the grandson of Mir Bachir Chehab the II ruler of Lebanon) and named after Antoun Sehnaoui (his grand uncle elected deputy of Beirut many times, named Minister in 1964 and was also one of the main figures of the Greek Catholics in Lebanon and Syria). He received his education at the Collège Notre Dame de Jamhour. Unlike many of his peers, he refused to flee the country at the height of the civil war, preferring to remain in Ashrafieh, with his relatives, his community and his friends.
After graduating from Collège Notre Dame de Jamhour, Antoun Sehnaoui went to the US in 1991, where he received his BS in Business Administration and specialized in International Finance and Banking at the University of Southern California. In 1994, he returned to Lebanon with a vision, believing that his country will again be the banking center and financial hub for the middle east, and all of his consequent business activities were directed at fulfilling this objective.
Career
He was the founding publisher of Executive Magazine:. The objective behind the launch of Executive Magazine falls under the umbrella of promoting Lebanon and its economy, both locally and regionally. When Executive Magazine was in its initiation phase, there was only one economic publication in Lebanon, and it was in French. Antoun Sehnaoui wanted to produce an English magazine for Arab investors to read about Lebanon. The first issue of Executive Magazine hit the stands in 1998.
He was one of the first people to invest in the areas of Saifi and Gemmayze. At the time, no one saw potential there. But since he opened the restaurant “Centrale” (considered one of the 20 most beautiful restaurants in the world), the area has flourished into a touristic hotbed of activity.
With the aim of preserving Lebanese traditional cuisine, Antoun Sehnaoui opened La Tabkha, a restaurant serving hot and cold Lebanese “Tabkh” (the Arabic word for “cooked meal”), hence, La Tabkha.
Back when Oceana opened in Damour, the area was rarely frequented and totally forgotten in terms of investments. Antoun Sehnaoui saw potential where others saw none, believing the area could become a paradise with just a little bit of attention. The Oceana effect can be seen today when driving along the coast: Countless resorts and hotels have opened for business, and Damour has witnessed a revival unlike any in Lebanon, creating jobs and livelihoods for thousands of families. This “investment dynamic” can be attributed wholly to Antoun Sehnaoui.

When Antoun Sehnaoui took over FIDUS in 1999, it grew to become the first independent financial investment firm in the country. Antoun Sehnaoui became the Chairman of SGBL in October 2007; ever since, SGBL’s revenue has skyrocketed, experiencing growth like never before.
*Chairman of Société Générale de Banque au Liban S.A.L.
*Chairman of Fidus S.A.L.
*Vice-Chairman of Société Générale de Banque - Jordanie
*Member of the Board of Directors of the Banks’ Association.
CHAIRMAN, DIRECTOR & SHAREHOLDER OF SEHNAOUI GROUP COMPANIES
*News Media S.A.L
*Y.Investments Holding S.A.L
*Y. Real Estate S.A.L
*Holding A.P.Y. Sehanoui S.A.L
*Sogecap Liban S.A.L
He is a major landlord in the Sehnaoui Group framework .
He personally launched a project in media: News Media Publisher, publishing house owner of “Executive,” the main monthly Lebanese economic magazine, which has rapidly turned into the leader in economic information for the Middle East with good reputation and important credibility.
Invested in several projects in the tourism sector in Lebanon
As an ardent supporter of the arts and the promotion of culture in Lebanon, Antoun Sehnaoui became involved in the following artistic endeavors (among many):
*Supported the Beirut International Film Festival for 12 years.
*Supported various young Lebanese talents, such as photographers and architects.
Controversies
Antoun has been involved in a series of controversies that has change the general Lebanese public opinion about Antoun
During the June 2009 parliamentary election held in Lebanon, Antoun's was involved in an incident in which his bodyguards shot a number of servicemen working for the valet parking services at a Beirut hotel while one of his candidates was holding a press conference.
In February 2010, Antoun was again involved in another shooting incident inside a popular night club in Beirut. According to news reports, Antoun saw his long time business rival and former employee at the club and requested from the clubs manager to "throw him out" in which management failed to comply. According to witnesses, Antoin Sehnaoui ordered (his bodyguards) the public shooting of his rival businessman injuring him and at least 5 other innocent bystanders with over 100 bullets fired. A lawsuit has been brought forward against Antoun and the case is still pending.
In April 2010, more controversy arose when residents of the popular Beirut district woke up to find that Antoun had hung up posters in which he portrayed himself as a Christ - like figure. The posters were quickly removed by the Lebanese army.

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