Gihan Ragab

Mailing address: V. Satrico 7 B/4, 00183 Rome, Italy

Telephone: + 39 339 367 3826
E-mail: Jehan_Ragab@yahoo.com, Gihan@laptop.org
Date of Birth: 23rd July 1973
Citizenship: Egyptian - Italian
Gender: Female

Education
Masters of Business Administration (tbc), Open University, London, U.K
Business and Management Certificate Programme, 1996, University of California Los
Angeles (UCLA) Los Angeles, USA
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, 1995, American University in Cairo (AUC) Cairo, Egypt

Computer Skills
Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, Lotus, Macintosh

UN Working Languages and Level

Arabic: Mother tongue Italian: C (3rd mother tongue)
English: Level C (2nd mother tongue) French: Level B/intermediate
Spanish: Level A/basic

Key Qualities:
Highly creative analytical and conceptual thinker with a team mentality; Polyglot raised and
educated in a multi-cultural environment with a natural ability to work in a fast changing
professional setting with people from different professional, cultural, religious backgrounds;
capable to assimilate large and diverse amounts of information into practical achievable
goals. The ability to motivate and supervise a large number of people and wide experience
in both technical and people-oriented projects

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Middle East Market Communication Analyst for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
June 2008- February 2009
• Assisting the foundation to identify market opportunities for small holder farmer
products in the Middle East Region
• Reviewed the Gates AG (agricultural development program) and presented a
preliminary market strategy proposal in support of the foundations’ goals
• Identified markets, key organizations and potential partners in the Middle East &
GCC countries to initiate dialogue seeking to create trade corridors for Small Scale
Farmers
• Created grounds for negotiations with most interested and relevant potential
partners, in Jordan, U.A.E. & Syria to benefit small holder African farmers
• Coordinating with ESSB Sadc State Bridges Arab African agro investment summit
• Reporting up to date land sale findings, suggestion for partnerships & their value,
supporting the Foundation with all required information from the Middle East & GCC
countries

Assistant Director for OLPC, Europe, Africa & Middle East Nov 2007- May 2008
• Managing all administrative requirements for OLPC base in Rome
• Following up with Country agreements for the Middle East Region
• Initiating dialogue for OLPC in Middle Eastern Countries i.e. Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Jordan, Yemen
• Creating partnerships to twin countries to for the deployment of the XOs laptops i.e.
Kuwait for Kenya
• Designing all key advocacy material for the Middle East region

Middle East Advocacy events Coordinator, FDC, World Food Programme, Rome,
Italy (Feb 2007- Aug) Reporting to the Division Director, Neil Gallagher
• Planned 2007 Middle East advocacy activities with focus countries (Kuwait, Qatar &
U.A.E.) inclusive of budget requirements
• Coordinated Walk the World event in close cooperation with the Regional and
Country Office management as well as with external organizers and organizations.
Events were held in 7 countries: Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Kuwait, Qatar, U.A.E. & Yemen

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• Assistance to all countries:

• Created fund-raising templates and options for sponsor visibility. Assisted countries
to customize
• Compiled visibility documentation packages with relevance to group target:
businesses, government, schools, NGOs
• Adapted advertising material, posters & flyer design with clear key messages
English/Arabic
• Developed content & designed the Middle East web-page with technical assistance
from IT team
• Focus Countries: Kuwait, Qatar & U.A.E.
• Coordinated all materials to be distributed through TNT out of Dubai to Gulf
countries
• Negotiated with local partners/ private sector companies for in-kind services and
cash donations
• Allocated selected WFP staff to supervise the final stage of the event in key
locations
• Involved IAAF’s (International Association for Athletics Federation) world and
Olympic athletes during the Qatar Grand Prix Athletics Competition to advocate for
WFP fighting hunger.
• Liaised with Aljazeera for the first time to broadcast satellite feed
• Acquainted H.E. Prince Saoud A. Al-Thani,( royal family, Qatar) and Saif al Hajari
Vice president of Qatar Foundation, about WFP’s work during the event and through
the School Feeding exhibition organized in Doha

Middle East Coordinator, FDW, World Food Programme, Rome, Italy (Feb 2005 to
Dec 2006)
Reporting to the Division Director, Arlene Mitchell
• Coordinator for the FDW activities in the M.E. countries, in close cooperation with
the Regional Bureau & Country Offices, NGOs, private sector corporate management
and public.
• Organized the ED’s participation in the World Economic Forum Middle East 06
• Created the Ramadan advocacy events, as a first step in broadening FDW activities
• Managed the Middle East kick off event in Dubai at zero budget for 6000
participants
• Identified supportive partners in non WFP CO as Libya, Lebanon & Kuwait to
organize Walks
• Stakeholders analysis and identification of strategies regarding the
dynamics/trends/traditions of “giving” in the countries targeted for outreach and
fundraising
• Assisted Country Offices in lead negotiations with private sector, NGOs government
entities and key individuals in the target countries to ensure their cooperation,
support and assistance with the activities, eg. Jordanian National Alliance Against
Hunger
• Developed/wrote communication material and strategies to reach out to different
stakeholders (internal & external to WFP)

Assistant, World Food Programme, Rome, Italy Jan- Oct. 2004

Electronic Record Management Program: Assisted in creating and launching a corporate
computer based application to enhance record management for the organization.
• Supported the development of the corporate application regarding the format,
terminology, views etc. to ensure a user friendly marketing approach.
• Assisted in finalizing the Business Functional Analysis of WFP reflecting the
organizational business structure on which the application is based upon.
• Trained and coached a wide range of WFP staff (from secretaries to senior
managers) in the use of the application and in record management procedures,
ensuring awareness of information values: appropriateness of operations,
fiscal/legal/donor evidence and compliance with regulatory framework.
• Created a database for ICTI access to monitor the deployment of the application in
HQ and Iraq CO, updated weekly.
• Prepared periodic reports on the operational progress of the application.
• Streamlined and mapped divisional coding system, for the Legal Division, Maritime
Transport, Finance/General Accounts Branch
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 Gihan Ragab

Owner and manager, Eureka Film Production, Sinai, Egypt 2000 – 2003
Eureka is film Production Company specialized in underwater filming support for diving
companies and the national park areas of Red Sea, Egypt.
• Started the company from its project proposal, business plan and funding proposals,
turning it into a successful film production company with an annual turnover of
$540.000 with 4 employees/trainees and 8 subcontracting companies, and a wide
international clientele
• Designed, implemented, monitored and evaluated company's progress fine-tuning
the marketing strategies.
• Recruited, trained and supervised instructors on underwater filming.
• Negotiated contractual arrangements with client diving facilities, suppliers and
service providers in Egypt, Europe and US.
• Conducted cost and pricing analysis to maximize profit. Selected and pursued best
wholesalers for delivery, maximize sales over the Sinai Peninsula, for other film
companies, yet having the exclusive sale of their product at lowest price.
• Filmed Underwater National Parks of Egypt, from St. Jones Reefs (borders with
Sudan) to the Sinai Peninsula.
• Designed, filmed and produced promotional video to launch “Awlad Baraka” tourist
village
• Created a library of underwater life in the Red Sea.
• Held courses for underwater filming and in-camera editing in English and Italian.
• Developed a very competitive style of service sales to clients, ensuring a fast and
constant growth of the company, its clientele and service.
• Assisted in designing a program to maintain statistics, salaries, commissions to staff
and diving facilities.
• Designed and developed all publishing material with the cooperation of external
graphic designers.

• Videographer, TGI, Dive Company Honduras 2000

• Assistant Operational Manager and Instructor, Red Sea, Egypt, 1996 –
1999

References
Arlene Mitchell, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Arlene.Mitchell@gatesfoundation.org
Matt Keller, OLPC Director for Europe, Africa & Middle East Matt@laptop.org
Peter Casier, World Food Programme, Peter.Casier@wfp.org
Faten al Hindi, Officer in Charge World Food Programme, Jordan,
faten.alhindi@wfp.org

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