Our guest today is Christine Assouad, the CEO of Dunkin Donuts Lebanon and Semson Lebanese Cuisine. She has been successfully growing and leading restaurant brands in the Middle East for over 27 years. She is a board member of Food and Beverage companies in the Middle East and provides business workshops at conferences in in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Lebanon. Her work also includes business development, franchising, and acquisitions across the MENA markets. Christine is passionate about supporting female entrepreneurship through the “Empowering Tribe” community, where she helps provide online classes, bootcamps, and one-on-one CEO coaching to empower female entrepreneurs to achieve their full potential.

Christine earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from the American University of Beirut. She received a Master of Science in Food Science from McGill University and a Master of Marketing from the ESA Business School. She is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School President’s Program and a member of the Young Presidents Organization, also known as YPO.

I am really excited to learn more from Christine about her journey leading various businesses, overcoming obstacles in her career, reinventing herself at 47, mentoring next-generation leaders, and her passion for spreading a little happiness and joy in all she does. I know you will be motivated and inspired to hear her story, so let's jump in.