MEET THE PROFESSIONAL
June 2018
Mada Arslan
Mada Arslan is the Head of Financial Control & Compliance for Leap Ventures, a tech-focused entrepreneur-led venture capital firm that operates in Middle East and North Africa, and Europe. Some of Mada’s duties at Leap consist of making sure that the financial and legal aspects of their portfolio companies’ operations align with their strategy and vision.
We are very excited to feature her this month in our “Meet the Professional” series.
Below are a few questions to help facilitate this interactive connection. At the end of the page you will have an opportunity to post your own questions for Mada.
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Describe your current Occupation & Degree/s and Universities.
- BA in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut
- MBA from the American University of Beirut
A list of any awards/recognitions:
- MVP – AUB Women’s Basketball Varsity Team 2005
Discuss a moment or turning point in your life that led you to your career path:
I’ve always wanted to work in the private equity industry, and I always viewed venture capital as a prestigious and niche profession that was primarily vibrant in the US. That being said, the industry pre-2013 in Lebanon was virtually non-existent with only two players in the field. In 2013, the Central Bank of Lebanon issued Circular 331 that allows banks to fund start-ups in the knowledge economy. That circular makes approximately $600M in available funds for the Lebanese ecosystem- and naturally a number of venture capitalists, incubators, and accelerators would be the channels through which such investments would be made. The opportunity to work at Leap presented itself in 2014 and that’s when I joined the team.
Discuss a role model or mentor who influenced your career choice:
I am lucky to have two role models: my mother Hayat W. Arslan and our managing partner at Leap, Hala F. Fadel. Both these women share a rebellious nature, exceptional work ethics, and an incessant need for personal development and growth. Hayat’s civic and charitable accomplishments have taught me what it means to be a progressive citizen: the duty falls upon each one of us as individuals to collaborate and improve our society and uphold our collective values. Hala’s accomplishment as an entrepreneur and fund manager have profoundly influenced my career; she leaves no doors unlocked and always finds ways to build connections in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
Do you recall any specific challenges you encountered and overcame?
I was the first recruit at Leap in a nascent industry in Lebanon. In order to get the wheels running properly I had to tap into my entrepreneurial skills which was not an easy task given my educational background and previous career formations. Yes, you can always take the lead wherever you are working but at Leap you find yourself empowered to take the decisions as you grow. It is extremely rewarding when you trust your instincts and abilities to take action and have the full support of your team.
Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?
I see myself becoming a mentor to young professionals, sharing knowledge and experience, and contributing to the development & improvement of the business environment in Lebanon – the start-up ecosystem in particular.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in your field?
Building strong relationships with different stakeholders is crucial to your success. Whether you are dealing with investors, entrepreneurs, regulators, your peers, or reporters, trust is a crucial element in venture capital to achieve your objectives: help entrepreneurs build a successful business and in parallel make amazing returns for your LPs*.
Also, sharing stories and knowledge with the different players of the ecosystem broadens your horizon and helps you with your daily work.
*an LP (Limited Partner) is a sophisticated investor or an institutional investor that invests in a fund.
Tell us a little bit about your hobbies outside of your field:
Basketball has always been a major part of my life. Back in my earlier days I used to play pro and landed second in the 2007 national championship competition with Al Riyadi Club. More recently, travel and exploring outskirts of cities are a new passion of mine; one experience I’ll never forget back in January of this year is seeing the Northern Lights far in northern Finland. Music and photography are a couple of things I dabble with whenever I have some spare time.
A Q&A form will be uploaded shortly. In the meantime feel free to send any questions you would like to ask Ms. Mada Arslan to admin@network1017.com
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