Rasamny-Younis Motor Co. SAL (RYMCO) has announced that it will establish the RYMCO-Saadeh Abou Nassif Scholarship Fund to support needy students studying business at AUB,
in honor of Saadeh Abou Nassif (BBA 2003), who died in a horrendous motorcycle accident on July 22, 2009.
Saadeh Abou Nassif was the chief operating officer of RYMCO International. He was responsible for running all RYMCO automotive operations outside Lebanon.
The fact that Abou Nassif was given a position with huge responsibilities, despite his relatively young age, is an attestation of his capabilities and potential.
His closest friends described him as witty, rebellious, passionate, magnanimous, and someone who followed his heart and what is right.
"In a lot of ways, what really defined your character was your passion for challenging the whole world, and your infinite quest for challenging yourself," said his friend, Lea, in a tribute post on Facebook.
But for many, what made Abou Nassif truly stand out was his dedication to giving, tutoring, and helping people around him. He was also known for his integrity and his refusal to compromise his ethics and moral values.
"We couldn’t keep track of all the people coming in and out of your office every day, but we knew that most of them were here asking for a favor or [bringing] a thank-you gift," said Lea, in her Facebook post. "Because that’s what you did. You helped people."
Abou Nassif, who was also the grandson of Antun Saadeh, the founder of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, also earned an MBA from the European Institute for Business Administration (INSEAD).
The new RYMCO scholarship fund is dedicated to support all needy students at AUB that share the values upheld by the late Abou Nassif, who deeply cherished his alma mater.
“At RYMCO we owe him a lot,” said Abdo Sweidan, CEO of RYMCO. “Personally, I had the honor of mentoring Saadeh throughout his short but glamorous career.”
