The Moroccan-British business woman shined in the field of services for small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Rabat – British magazine Finance Monthly in its international “Women in Finance Awards 2020 Winners Edition” named British-Moroccan Najat Benchiba-Savenius Woman of the Year in the SME Business Services category.
As COO and head of investments for a royal family office, Benchiba-Savenius manages “numerous companies and businesses across jurisdictions,” according to the magazine.
The businesswoman is the founder of Gazelle Advisory Group, a firm in London that provides ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNW) and Arab royals with advice on managing and preserving their wealth.
The British-Moroccan entrepreneur outperformed businesswomen from other parts of Europe and Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.
Najat Benchiba-Savenius is a graduate of the University of Oxford and Harvard Business School. She holds a PhD in Oriental and Afrian Studies from the University of London.
In 2018, Morocco invited Benchiba-Savenius to head the Current Industries session at the UK-Morocco Trade and Investment Forum.
In addition to her experience in several consulting offices such as Oxford Strategic Consulting, McKinsey & Co, and NBS Consulting, the Moroccan businesswoman also shares studies on consulting in a number of academic and specialized magazines, including on topics such as the GCC, energy, and Arab leadership.
Fluent in Arabic, French, English, Spanish and Italian, Benchiba-Savenius is also an academic speaker and advocate for women’s inclusion and advancement in the business sphere.
Najat Benchiba-Savenius shone abroad like many other Moroccan women who have ranked among the most influential figures in the world.
Forbes in February issued a list of the 100 most successful businesswomen in the Middle East, including seven Moroccans.
The list included Nezha Hayat, president of Morocco’s Capital Markets Authority since 2016; Laila Mamou, who excelled in the banking sector with her career at Credit Agricole; and Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch, owner of three of the largest malls in Morocco, including Morocco Mall in Casablanca.
In addition, the list ranked Rita Maria Zniber, the CEO of Diana Holding, and active in the food and beverage industry; Nadia Fassi Fehri, a well-known figure in the field of telecommunication in Morocco; Lamiae Tazi, a leader in the industry of pharmaceutical products; and Meriem Bensalah Chaqroun, CEO of Oulmes, a leading mineral water brand in Morocco.