« L’Ecole Supérieure des Affaires » (ESA) and Bank Audi inaugurated the Georges W. Audi auditorium on Friday, October 30, 2015, during a ceremony held at the auditorium itself, within ESA’s Villa Rose.
The event gathered high representatives of ESA and Bank Audi, members of the Audi family, former Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Nagib Mikati, H.E. Mr. Riad Salameh, Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Bonne, Ambassador of France in Lebanon, Mr. Jean-Paul Vermès, Vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Paris Ile-de-France region, as well as leading Lebanese political, economic and banking figures.
Mr. Stéphane Attali, Director General of ESA, seized the opportunity to remind the audience that ESA, which is located in the heart of Beirut city and of the Middle East, “has been, for almost twenty years now, a platform of exchange and encounters between Lebanon, Europe and the Middle East; a place where the talents of high level students meet professors from the best academic institutions around the world.”
Mr. Samir Hanna, Group Chief Executive Officer of Bank Audi, drew a parallel between “the man of excellence” that Georges Audi was and the “place of excellence” which ESA represents. After a heartfelt tribute to Georges Audi, “the mentor of great wisdom, the man with a remarkable intelligence and modesty, the inspiring guide, the leader, the strategist and the visionary”, Mr. Hanna spoke of the “good governance” which was so strongly defended by Georges Audi who is surely behind “the identity and the values which constitute the Bank’s foundations.”
The construction of the Georges W. Audi auditorium, which started in 2012, was a fascinating architectural and technical challenge. Designed as a succession of terraces, it is characterised by its contemporary arrangements and sleek lines. The auditorium, which can accommodate up to 400 persons, looks out on the park which students and ESA users can enjoy for meetings and relaxation. Its high-performance acoustics make it the perfect venue for conferences and round tables gathering speakers from a variety of backgrounds, as well as major cultural and musical events.
By partnering in this project, Bank Audi proves, once again, its resolve to strengthen Lebanon’s role as a regional financial centre. This project is in keeping with the Bank’s strategy, as well as with its ambitions in terms of regional influence and its determination to contribute efficiently to the training of elites in Lebanon and the region. Bank Audi’s ongoing efforts to enrich human capital are not foreign to its motto, “Grow Beyond Your Potential”, which has earned it an undisputed recognition.