The Group

Doing Business with Ethics

When Yordan Obegi Sr., our grandfather, established in 1905 in Aleppo, the nucleus of what would later become the Obegi Group, he had a clear vision of the way he wanted to conduct his business: with honesty, transparency, and empathy towards those around him. The word “ethics” was, then, not as trendy as it is nowadays. His successors, Bechara, our father, and his brother Henry, have closely followed in his footsteps while developing and expanding the business. This sense of responsibility has always been clearly embedded in our culture.
We now feel, the time has come to express in words, what has been, for so long, part of the intangible spirit of our group. Thus, our decision to establish this Code of Ethics. Will this “materialization” diminish our spirit and dampen our values? We do not think so; for the world has changed dramatically since our company was founded more than a century ago. What seemed obvious to our grandparents might need to be forcefully reaffirmed today.
We know that our predecessors, as well as our late brother Georges, whose tragic disappearance has left us with a void difficult to fill, would have wholeheartedly approved our decision. May this Code of Ethics come as a tribute to them. May it also serve as a beacon to all our employees, to our successors who will be at the helm of our group in the future, and to all those who work with us.
Because the world is changing fast, this Code is not static. It will have to be adapted to reflect the new challenges which will be constantly confronting us. However, what will never change is our attachment to our core values, as expressed in our group charter, as well as in our motto “Doing Business with Ethics”. These values are our lifeline, and must always remain the compass to our successors, whose responsibility will be to lead our group into new, uncharted, territories.
Yordan B. Obegi
Riad B. Obegi
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Ethics Committee

  • Mr. Nagi Abou Adal

    Member of Ethics Committee
    Mr. Nagi Abou Adal recently retired as Chairman of Gabriel Abou Adal & Co.-Volvo Lebanon, exclusive importer for Volvo cars and trucks in Lebanon. After working in the automotive business for over 30 years, as General Manager of Volvo Lebanon, Mr. Nagi Abou Adal has decided to sell his participation in the company and concentrate on his interest in the study and promotion of business ethics. Recognizing the fact that Lebanon, and the Middle-East in general, often rely on an outdated perception of business ethics, he endeavors on promoting it as an integral part of risk management.

    Prior to working as Volvo Lebanon GM, Mr. Nagi Abou Adal established and operated contemporary art galleries in the United States.

    Mr. Nagi Abou Adal graduated as an agronomy engineer from the Institut National Agronomique de Paris-Grignon and from Texas A&M University.

    He is a Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional-International (CCEP-I) and a member of the SCCE-Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics (USA) and IBE-Institute of Business Ethics (UK).

  • Mrs. Karine Obegi

    Member of Ethics Committee
    Mrs. Karine Obegi is currently CEO of Obegi Home UAE and Obegi Better Home in Lebanon. Since its establishment in 2006 in Dubai, Obegi Home UAE has grown into one of the most exclusive addresses in the UAE for international signature furniture, kitchens, home accessories, and lifestyle creations. It caters to the most refined and demanding customers looking for exceptional and unmistakable creativity in home design.

    Mrs. Karine Obegi is also board member of the BEMO Bank. Between 1998 and 2005 Karine was organizational consultant (1998-2002) and General Secretary (2002-2005) at the Saradar Bank.

    She started her career (1995-1998) as a consultant with McKinsey & Co.

    Mrs. Karine Graduated in 1995 from HEC (Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales), Jouy en Josas, France. She is married to Yordan Obegi and they have three children: Bechara, Chloé and Milla.

  • Mr. Stephane Attali

    Member of Ethics Committee
    Mr. Stephane Attali is, since 2009, Dean-Director General of the Ecole Supérieure des Affaires (ESA) in Beirut.

    After starting his professional career with a consulting firm in Paris, he joined the International Department of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris-Ile de France (CCIP) in 1999. From 2002 to 2007, he was posted in Beirut at the Ecole Supérieure des Affaires (ESA). The ESA is a business school created jointly by the Lebanese and French governments, and managed by the CCIP. He was then in charge of the development of academic programs, and he developed the ESA programs for Executive Education. In 2007 he joined the ESCP Europe, which is the graduate school of management of the CCIP, as Deputy Managing Director in charge of general affairs, before returning to the ESA in 2009.

    Mr Stéphane Attali is also the chairman of the MEREF (CCI France-Liban) established in 2008 by French and Lebanese businessmen, with the support of the Economic Mission of the French Embassy in Lebanon, and Conseiller du Commerce Extérieur de la France (CCEF).

    Mr. Stéphane Attali graduated from the Paris Dauphine University and from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po).

  • Father Nabil Chehata

    Member of Ethics Committee
    The work and career of Father Nabil Chehata have been inspired by his empathy towards his fellow humans and his desire to relieve physical and spiritual sufferings . His studies and life commitment have thus followed two parallel and complementary paths: medicine and priesthood.

    Father Nabil Chehata has been ordained a priest in 2008 and is a member of the Jesuit order.

    He is also a practicing infectious diseases doctor at the Hôtel-Dieu de France hospital in Beirut.

    Father Nabil Chehata attended medical school at the Cairo University, from which he graduated in 1994. Later, he specialized in the pathology of infectious diseases and tropical medicine at Saint Joseph University of Beyrouth. In parallel, Father Nabil Chehata obtained his theology canonical baccalaureate from the Jesuit University in Paris, and a master in Christian theology from the Heythrop College at the University of London.

  • Mr. George Fayad

    Member of Ethics Committee
    Head of Administration of Obegi Group, Mr. George Fayad is also Corporate Secretary of Obegi Group Holding. In his role of Corporate Secretary, he provides support to Obegi Group Board on matters related to the Board and to Obegi Group entities on matters related to Corporate Governance. In his role of Head of Administration, Mr. George Fayad manages the administration and legal activities of Obegi Group Holding and the Obegi Family Office, the Intellectual property of the group and provides support to the various entities.

    Mr. George Fayad has more than 33 years of experience working in Fast Moving Consumer Goods, mainly in Obegi Consumer Products Holding, one of the Obegi Group subsidiaries, a leading FMCG company in Lebanon and the Levant countries. He held several management positions covering areas in Export, Operations, Administration and Legal.
    Prior to that he was the General Manager of the Cyprus coordination office during 8 years, managing the forwarding activity of the group purchases to Lebanon.

    Lebanese citizen, George has lived since then in his home country.
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