Many business leaders face challenging circumstances, but few compare with running a company in the middle of a war. When conflict broke out in Syria in 2011, Louai Al Roumani found himself in this unenviable position.
As head of finance for Banque Bemo Saudi Fransi (BBSF) – Syria’s largest private commercial bank – Roumani was tasked with leading the company through its most challenging period. The horrific images from the war in Ukraine bring back memories of his experiences in Syria.
“The Syrian civil war differs from the conflict in Ukraine because there wasn’t a single turning point. It was more gradual and as things escalated, it morphed into one of the worst wars in modern times,” he says.