Issam Michael Fares is a self-made international financier with a commitment to people and ethics in his financial practices. He is dedicated to a world of free trade and multinational finance.

A member of the Lebanese parliament since 1996, Fares has worked to ensure Lebanon’s status as a pluralistic, democratic society where people of all religious backgrounds can live in peace, under the rule of law.

Fares returned to Lebanon after the country’s civil war — leaving behind his financial career because of a deep belief in the need to rebuild the country that made his success possible.

His dual experience in international finance and his nation’s politics has fostered a conviction in viewing our problems from a global perspective — and that belief motivates his philanthropic efforts even today.