Maysa Jalbout is a recognized leader in the field of education, development and philanthropy. A true industry veteran, Jalbout has more than 20 years of experience in building effective organizations, initiatives and partnerships in Canada, the Middle East and in developing nations.

As the founding of CEO of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education – a landmark philanthropic initiative with a budget of $1 billion and an ambitious goal of educating 15,000 youth within 10 years – Maysa is focused on building an institution, initiatives and networks that are impact driven and scalable.

For her work in the region, Forbes recognized her as one of the 100 most powerful women in the Arab world in 2016-2018. Her Alma mater, McMaster University, recognized her as Distinguished Alumni for the Arts in 2018.

Prior to this post, she held senior roles including her post as the founding CEO of the Queen Rania Foundation and trusted advisor to global leaders, philanthropists, companies and aid agencies investing in emerging economies and developing countries.

Jalbout accredits her early career years in Canada – working on global education, development and youth employment – with preparing her for the challenging issues and organizations she manages today. She served at Global Affairs Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada.

In her capacity as Non-resident Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, Jalbout’s extensive regional and international experience has also allowed her to produce highly visible research and thought leadership strategies in several fields of education.

As a former refugee, Jalbout is passionate about supporting refugees. In 2014-15, she authored a series of reports on Syrian refugee education including a report advocating for enrolling 1 million Syrian refugee children in school, which was commissioned by Their World and endorsed by Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education.

Jalbout has served on the boards of well-recognized non-profit organisations. She is currently a member of the Boards of Governors of the International Baccalaureate Organization and Generation (founded by McKinsey). She is on the Advisory Boards of MIT Solve and Harvard Business Review Arabia.