Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun
Born (1962-11-14) November 14, 1962 (age 61)
Casablanca, Morocco
NationalityMoroccan
EducationMBA
Alma materUniversity of Dallas
FamilyMohamed Hassan Bensalah (brother)
AwardsOrder of Civil Merit
President of Confédération générale des entreprises du Maroc
In office
May 16, 2012 – May 22, 2018
Preceded byMohamed Horani
Succeeded bySalaheddine Mezouar

Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun (born November 14, 1962) is a Moroccan businesswoman. She is CEO and vice-chair of Oulmes Mineral Water of Groupe Holmarcom [fr]. She is the president of Confédération générale des entreprises du Maroc from 2012 to 2018. She received the Wissam Al-Moukafa Al-Watania (Order of National Merit) in 2013, the Order of Civil Merit in 2017 and the Legion of Honour in 2020.

Biography

Bensalah-Chaqroun was born on November 14, 1962, in Casablanca, Morocco, into a family of five. She is the daughter of Abdelkader Bensalah, one of the signatories of the 1944 Manifesto of Independence and founder of the Holmarcom group, who died in 1993,[1][2] and sister of Holmarcom CEO Mohamed Hassan Bensalah.[3] In 1986, she graduated from ESCP Europe and the University of Dallas with an MBA in international management and finance.[4] She has three children and is an avid Harley-Davidson rider, as well as licensed pilot.[citation needed]

During a trip to Rabat in February 2019, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, held talks with several prominent businesspeople including Bensalah-Chaqroun.[5][6]

Career

In May 2012, the Confédération générale des entreprises du Maroc (CGEM) elected Bensalah-Chaqroun as president,[1] making her the first female to head the organization. After re-election in 2015, King Mohammed VI sent his congratulations and wished her success, citing her "sincere patriotism" and "adoption of constructive dialogue with all economic, social and political partners in Morocco".[7] Under her presidency, Bensalah-Chaqroun received observer status for CGEM at the 2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Marrakech.[8] She completed her second and last term as president in May 2018.[9]

In November 2012, Bensalah-Chaqroun joined the board of directors of European satellite operator Eutelsat.[10] On June 15, 2017, she was appointed as a director of Renault,[11][12] and had to step down as a director of Eutelsat to accommodate the position.[13]

Bensalah-Chaqroun (front row, fourth from right) with world leaders at the 2017 G20 Hamburg summit

Bensalah-Chaqroun was invited to the 2017 G20 Hamburg summit by the president of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, to help launch the World Bank's Women’s Entrepreneur Finance Initiative.[14][15][16] She also participated in a panel hosted by Chrystia Freeland where she brought up issues facing women entrepreneurs in the Middle East and Africa.[16]

Bensalah-Chaqroun is currently the chief executive officer of Les Eaux Minérales d'Oulmès, and a director of Holmarcom.[16]

Honors and awards

On July 30, 2013, at a Throne Day reception, King Mohammed VI awarded Bensalah-Chaqroun with the Wissam Al-Moukafa Al-Watania (Order of National Merit) with the rank of Grand Officer.[17]

At a ceremony on January 9, 2017, Spanish ambassador Ricardo Díez-Hochleitner, on behalf of King Felipe VI, awarded Bensalah-Chaqroun with the Order of Civil Merit for her contributions to economic relations between Spain and Morocco.[18][19]

On March 29, 2019, Bensalah-Chaqroun received the Fès Gate 2019 award from Idriss Azami Al Idrissi.[20]

Forbes Middle East has listed Bensalah-Chaqroun as the fifteenth most powerful Arab woman under the category of family businesses in 2014,[21][22] thirtieth most powerful Arab businesswomen in 2017,[23][24] and twenty-sixth most influential woman in 2018.[25]

On March 10, 2020, She was decorated as Knight of the Legion of Honour.[26]

References

  1. ^ a b Le Bec, Christophe (16 May 2012). "Maroc – CGEM : Meriem Bensalah Chaqroun élue patronne des patrons". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  2. ^ Slimani, Leïla (2009-11-30). "Le Who's Who berbère". Jeune Afrique.
  3. ^ "Mohamed Bensalah". Forbes. Retrieved 31 March 2019. His three sisters all occupy positions within the group, which owns stakes in leading Moroccan insurer Atlanta, water bottler Oulmes, and airline Air Arabia Maroc.
  4. ^ Bensalah Chaqroun, Miriem. "Miriem Bensalah Chaqroun, MBA '86". Irving, Texas: University of Dallas. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Après Asni et Marrakech, le prince Harry et Meghan Markle poursuivent leur séjour à Rabat". Al HuffPost Maghreb (in French). Rabat. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  6. ^ "King Mohammed VI Offers Tea Ceremony in Honor of Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan". Morocco World News. Rabat. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  7. ^ "HM the King Congratulates Miriem Bensaleh-Chaqroun on re-election as Head of Morocco's Employers Federation". Maroc. Rabat: Ministry of Culture and Communication of Morocco. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  8. ^ "COP22 : Miriem Bensalah s'engage à mobiliser les patronats". Quid (in French). Marrakech. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  9. ^ Elouazi, Sana (5 February 2018). "Miriem Bensaleh-Chaqroun leaves CGEM's Office in May". Morocco World News. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  10. ^ Eutelsat Communications (8 November 2012). "Eutelsat Communications: Assemblée générale annuelle du 8 novembre 2012". PR Newswire (in French). Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  11. ^ "Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun Appointed Independent Director on Renault Board". Morocco World News. Rabat. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  12. ^ Savage, Thomas (16 June 2017). "Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun élue au conseil d'administration du groupe Renault". Telquel (in French). Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  13. ^ O'Connor, Vanessa; Ecuer, Marie-Sophie (12 June 2017). "Miriem Bensalah Chaqroun Steps Down from the Board of Directors of Eutelsat Communications". Businesswire. Paris. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  14. ^ Amoussou, Roland (7 July 2017). "Meriem Bensalah-Chaqroun au G20". Challenge (in French). Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  15. ^ Majdi, Yassine (10 July 2017). "Les raisons de la présence de Miriem Bensalah au G20". Telquel (in French). Hamburg. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  16. ^ a b c "Meriem Chaqroun Bensaleh Promotes Women Entrepreneurship at G20". The North Africa Post. Hamburg. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  17. ^ "S.M. le Roi préside à Casablanca une réception à l'occasion de la Fête du Trône". Le Matin (in French). Casablanca. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Miriem Bensalah Awarded a Spanish Decoration". Morocco World News. Rabat. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  19. ^ "Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun Awarded a Spanish Decoration". Al Akhawayn. 16 January 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  20. ^ "Femme de l'année.. Meriem Bensalah Chaqroun reçoit le trophée "Fès Gate 2019"". BTP News (in French). Fez. 30 March 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  21. ^ "200 Most Powerful Arab Women – 2014: Family Business". Forbes Middle East. 17 August 2014. p. 2. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  22. ^ Bennis, Adnane (16 September 2014). "Three Moroccan Women Among Forbes' 200 Most Powerful Arab Women". Morocco World News. Fez. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  23. ^ Koura, Chloe (18 July 2017). "Who Are the 6 Moroccans in Forbes' Most Powerful Arab Women 2017?". Morocco World News. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  24. ^ "The Top 100 Most Powerful Arab Businesswomen 2017". Forbes Middle East. 9 July 2017. p. 3. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  25. ^ "Most Influential Women 2018". Forbes Middle East. 8 November 2018. p. 3. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  26. ^ "Mme Bensalah Chaqroun décorée de l'insigne de Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur de la République de France". MAP Express (in French). Retrieved 2020-07-11.
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