Lubna Olayan

Career highlights

Lubna is the CEO of Olayan Financing Company, a holding entity of Olayan Group in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. She is also a board member of the Olayan Group. With her business, she is involved in distribution, services, investments and manufacturing on a multi-national level. Her business is one of the biggest investors in regional and Saudi stock markets. In 2005, she became the non-executive director of WPP, and in 2004, she was appointed as a board member of Saudi Hollandi Bank. In 2006, she joined the international advisory board of Rolls Royce, and that of Citigroup in 2007. Between 1994 and 2004, she also served as a board member of the Chelsfield plc.

Reputation

Lubna Olayan has been actively contributing towards education and betterment of women. In 2004, she established Olayan National Women’s Action for Recruitment & Development, in which women are trained and recruited in a wide range of professions. She recruits fresh recruits in her own company, and encourage them to reach top managerial positions in the business.

Other Activities

Lubna S. Olayan, a prominent Saudi businesswoman, has significantly contributed to various sectors beyond her corporate roles. She serves on multiple boards, including those of Schlumberger and Ma’aden, and holds positions on international advisory boards for Rolls Royce, Akbank, Allianz SE, McKinsey & Co, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Her commitment to education is evident through her trusteeships at institutions like the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Cornell University.

Olayan is also dedicated to philanthropy, chairing Alfanar, a UK-based charity pioneering venture philanthropy in the Arab world, and serving on the board of the Down’s Syndrome Charitable Association in Saudi Arabia. Her advocacy for women's empowerment is notable; she was the first woman to deliver a keynote speech at the Jeddah Economic Forum in 2004, where she envisioned a diversified Saudi economy with equal employment opportunities for all citizens, regardless of gender. Under her leadership, the Olayan Group has actively promoted gender parity, resulting in nearly 1,000 Saudi women employed across various roles within the company.

Olayan's influence extends to global economic discussions through her participation in the World Economic Forum and the Asia Business Council. Her numerous accolades, including being named among Time's 100 most influential people and Fortune's Most Powerful Women, reflect her impact on business and society.

Personal Life

Away from her corporate life, Lubna is married to John Xefos, who is an international attorney based in Riyadh. They have three daughters, Sarah, Serene, and Talia, with whom they live in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In 1983, when she joined her father’s business, the company had 4000 employees, but still she was the first female to work in the company. She did not get a first female colleague until 18 years from then. Today, she is helping hundreds of women to join her workforce and reach top managerial positions.

Lubna Olayan Interview