Rashid Al-Banna
Rashid was appointed to lead the Business Consulting division for the UAE and KSA; he joined Synovate in very early 2011, initially to lead the Dubai Office that has a regional status, and gradually to develop the consulting footprint in the remainder of the GCC and wider MENA region.
Rashid spent most of his 28 year long career with large multinational corporations, leading government agencies, and strategic and management consulting firms, like McGraw-Hill/Company, ATT, Ernst Young, and the Dubai Department of Economic Development. He also developed his own private economic and management consulting practice focused mainly on the GCC region and spanning a good part of the last 17 years. This professional experience has given him an excellent grasp of issues faced in high growth, developing markets and working with high technology and capital and research intensive industries. His areas of expertise include: Strategic planning, market analysis entry, business development, investment promotion, manufacturing sector development, competitiveness analysis policy, internal process improvement efficiency.
Rashid has been featured at marketing, competitiveness, quality management, and international business and economic strategy forums as a speaker and discussion leader. He has lectured business and government audiences widely on economic and industrial outlook, investment climate and attractiveness, market entry strategies, competitiveness, economic development policy and corporate location.
Rashid received his BA with Highest Honors from Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA in 1983, with a major in Economics and received his Masters training in Agricultural Economics and Marketing from Rutgers as well. He has attended a wide range of advanced management training courses in marketing, finance, negotiation strategies, telecoms, executive presentation techniques, investment promotion, and economic and industrial development strategies.