Middle East's third Corporate Governance and Responsibility Forum kicks off on June 12

Schema, one of the Middle East's prominent advisory organizations focused on Corporate Governance (CG), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability announced today at a press conference that the 3rd Corporate Governance and Responsibility (CGR) Forum will kick off on Sunday June 12, 2011 at the Landmark Hotel with the support and sponsorship from renowned Jordanian private sector entities.

The sponsors include Hikma Pharmaceuticals as the Diamond Sponsor; Lafarge Cement Jordan, Landmark and Primus as the Gold Sponsors; Eskadenia Software as the Technology Sponsor; and Royal Jordanian as the Official Carrier.

During the press conference, the sponsors confirmed their commitment to promoting CG, CSR and Sustainability as an invaluable cornerstone in helping local organizations achieve sustainable growth. Further in depth discussions and debates will take place at the Forum with global, regional and local thought leaders sharing principles, best practices and relevant case studies with attendees, paving the way for Jordan and the MENA region to determine its own unique frameworks, standards and methodologies for CG, CSR and Sustainability.

Hana Ramadan, Director of Communications at Hikma Pharmaceuticals, stated, “Since 1978, Corporate Responsibility has been an essential part of the Hikma way. Strong commitment to our community and the environment has helped us make Hikma what it is today – a highly successful international pharmaceutical company with a reputation for honesty, integrity and the highest possible standards in everything we do.”

Hana' Attiga, Country Communication Manager at Lafarge Jordan, stated, “The Lafarge Group has a clear commitment to sustainable development. In Jordan, Lafarge Cement’s commitment to the principles of sustainable development is an integral part of our vision to be the industry leader in Jordan.  The strategy that we adopt to achieve this is based on a large scale commitment to Lafarge’s environmental policy including a commitment to comply with international and Jordanian environmental standards and the implementation of the “Bina’a” Initiative for social responsibility."

Nidal Nasserdine, Chief Executive Officer at Primus, stated, “Our commitment to CR is reflected in our efforts to build a healthy and responsible workplace, and a safer working environment for our employees. One of our key goals at Primus is to maintain the climate of inclusion that we have created for our team. What we have today, is a real-life example of a culture which fosters innovation, enhances employee engagement, and instills a sense of commitment and pride among staff.  Over the years, we have witnessed first-hand how CR considerations in the workplace lead to positive outcomes for clients and long-term benefits for companies.”

Doha AbdelKhaleq Managing Partner at ESKADENIA Software, stated, “Our commitment to CR is reflected in our strategic investment in our employees as a main asset of ESKADENIA. We’ve proved that in engaging and caring for our workforce at times of crisis would make a company resilient, sustainable and more successful in the future.”

Under the theme ‘Realizing Sustainability’, the CGR Forum will bring together leaders from the private and public sectors, NGOs, and global CGR experts to exchange knowledge, have open discussions and debates on ways of improving CGR practices in Jordan and the region. 

The keynote speakers at the CGR Forum include Edith Hunt, C.O.O of the Human Capital Management Division at Goldman Sachs, Philip Armstrong, Head of the Global Corporate Governance Forum and local leaders such as Ghassan Nuqul, Vice Chairman of Nuqul Group and Salem Sousou, CEO of Lafarge Cement Jordan.

Schema also announced that it will be publishing its comprehensive output document following the CGR Forum. The document will outline various initiatives to be implemented that will aim to overcome the key challenges and concerns facing the CGR Forum’s regional attendees, and comes as part of Schema’s commitment to advance the practices of CG, CSR and Sustainability in the MENA region through collaboration with the private sector, civil society, governments, legislative bodies and others.