14 Jan 2018
Bahrain, 14 January 2018 – Investcorp, a global provider and manager of alternative investment products, is proud to announce that it has recognized Nemir Kirdar, the firm’s founder and former Executive Chairman, with an Eisenhower Fellowship named in his honor. The Nemir Kirdar Fellowship will honor Mr. Kirdar’s legacy and distinguished leadership in advancing international understanding and building bridges across borders and cultures. It will be awarded to the Eisenhower Fellow who most closely represents the leadership skills and values of integrity and dedication embodied by Mr. Kirdar, a devoted Eisenhower Fellowships Trustee. Ms. Shahd Attar of Saudi Arabia, an advocate for women’s empowerment and career success in Saudi Arabia, was selected as the Nemir Kirdar Fellow.
As Investcorp’s founding CEO and Executive Chairman, Nemir Kirdar pioneered a new investment model with the mission of acting as a bridge between surplus funds in the Gulf and non-traditional investment opportunities in the U.S. and Western Europe. In October 2017, Mr. Kirdar stepped down as Chairman of the Investcorp Board of Directors following a 35-year career at Investcorp.
“We are thrilled to have Nemir Kirdar’s distinguished legacy recognized with a fellowship named in his honor,” said Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Chairman of Investcorp. “We are equally excited to announce Ms. Shahd Attar as the first recipient. Ms. Attar very clearly represents both the exceptional leadership skills and the values of integrity and dedication to one’s native country for which Nemir Kirdar is well known.”
As a Consumer Insights Manager at Saudi Telecom and the company’s first female employee, Ms. Attar co-founded a non-profit organization, CellA – “Connection” in Arabic – which she developed to systematically support the thousands of entry-level women entering the workforce in Saudi Arabia. During her Eisenhower Fellowship, Ms. Attar created a sustainability plan for her non-profit organization to ensure its short- and long-term impact on women’s entrepreneurship and workforce diversity in Saudi Arabia.
George de Lama, President of Eisenhower Fellowships, said, “We are pleased to announce the establishment of the Nemir Kirdar Fellowship, honoring Investcorp’s founding CEO for his integrity, global vision and longtime commitment to the development of exceptional young leaders. The inaugural recipient of the award, Ms. Shahd Attar, is an extraordinary representative of the values embodied by both Nemir Kirdar and Eisenhower Fellows alike.”
Founded in 1953 to honor President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Eisenhower Fellowships identifies, empowers and connects innovative leaders through a transformative fellowship experience and lifelong engagement in a global network of dynamic change agents committed to creating a world more peaceful, prosperous and just.