Bahi Ghubril (Engineering Science, 1989)
Born in Lebanon, Bahi studied Engineering Science at Hertford College, before embarking on a career in finance and as an entrepreneur. His company, Zawarib, is rapidly becoming one of the most important travel and mapping services in the region, and he maintains active involvement in the financial sector as a consultant, now dividing his time between London and Beirut.
I was born in Beirut, and after attending schools in Syria, Cyprus, Switzerland, Qatar and Dubai until age 14, I completed my O and A levels at Emmanuel School, Battersea. I was successful in gaining a place at Oxford to read Engineering Science at Hertford College. At Oxford, I spent my extra-curricular time getting to know a wonderful array of characters from all walks of life, and nationalities, as well as participating in the various student activities that the University allows, from rowing to acting to French club, Science Societies, Oxford Union etc. It was great at opening up so many different doors and avenues into topics and talents that I would never have thought existed, let alone be allowed to experience. The four years there also formed a lot of my social and professional relationships that to this day I value most, and allowed me to have the diverse friends and acquaintances that I do.
After Oxford, I embarked on a career in financial investments in various banks in the city, which I supplemented with a variety of other projects. These ranged from theatre production, launching a magazine and record label, taking time off, spending a year in Rome as well as time in Beirut, personal investments in various SME and personal projects, along with pursuing an acting career that I keep up on the side to this day. In 2010, I launched a Lebanon based mapping company called Zawarib that has since become THE reference for Lebanon’s navigation and guidance of places to go and things to see. Both in print and online, and working with various local and international media channels (BBC, CNN, The Guardian, etc), Zawarib is a combination of Time Out, Google Maps, and your local best friend. We have also launched the same in Istanbul, and we are fully engaged with government and other Non-governmental organizations in promoting local tourism and creating a new section for the economy working closely with the Prime Minister and ministries of tourism, culture, environment and public works. We have been covered by personal interviews and coverage on such high profile media publications as BBC, The Guardian, CNN, Daily Star, The Economist, etc.
I am inspired by people that set their own agenda, creating a lifestyle and objective (as well as evaluation measures) that are self-created and not a copy-paste of something they believe they ought to be/follow. To that end, individuality combined with professionalism and dedication to your own values and objectives is of the utmost importance, it is invigorating to see in others and infectious to all. That is what drives me and inspires me.
For me, the work I now cover with my company Zawarib combines my passion for my country, my skills in presentation (and so acting) as well as financial acumen and engineering experience to create projects that are both meaningful, engaging, adventurous, audacious and passionate! All things that Oxford helped me develop and celebrate 🙂
In addition, I have set up a financial consulting company in the UK, based out of my flat in Covent Garden, which works with investment boutiques, family offices, small or starting up hedge funds in analysing their management structure and advising on process, personnel, and often trade ideas and investments that make sense to them or their clients.
I currently divide my time between Beirut and London, and cover working on developing both companies and our serving our clients in the best way possible for them, for the company, and for myself.