Alumnus of the first Cambridge Judge Business School MBA class, Fadi Boustany, contributes to the new Simon Sainsbury Centre building at the Business School.
Cambridge Judge Business School is delighted to announce that one of our own, Mr Fadi Boustany and his family, have generously given to support the development of the new Business School building expansion, the Simon Sainsbury Centre. A new lecture theatre in the building, the Fadi Boustany Lecture Theatre, has been named in his honour.
Fadi was one of the pioneers who comprised the very first Cambridge MBA cohort in 1991, back when the idea of establishing a world-leading business school in the heart of the ancient University of Cambridge was still a novel idea. He and his class of 19 students adventurously joined the new programme because, as he said: “I was convinced that the University of Cambridge would exceed expectations through the creation of a business school.” That was in 1991, and now, 27 years later, Cambridge Judge Business School has around 9,000 global alumni, multiple degree programmes, and vibrant Executive Education programmes.
The new Simon Sainsbury Centre, which opened to students and Executive Education delegates in January, is central to the further transformation of the Business School, providing a physical space that fosters collaboration among students, executives, corporate partners, alumni and others, capturing the ethos and spirit of the School. The creation of the Simon Sainsbury Centre has provided an unparalleled opportunity to re-engage with our global community of alumni and external colleagues, who have been vibrant and active contributors in its creation. The Fadi Boustany Lecture Theatre is one of two new lecture theatres in the new building.
During his MBA programme, Fadi and his 19 classmates became very close, sharing an entrepreneurial spirit coupled with a strong belief in the importance of business to drive forward the local, national and regional economies. Fadi comes from a long history of successful entrepreneurs: his family began their entrepreneurial journey in Lebanon, expanding to France, Monaco and the US, predominantly in real estate development and management. In addition to the values instilled from his family, Cambridge Judge Business School taught him such skills as research methodology, marketing and financial analysis. One of the lasting legacies from the first MBA cohort has been a recognition of the importance of a global network of close colleagues and peers.
In the spirit of giving back, the Boustany Foundation established by Fadi and his family supports numerous scholarships to enable other students to gain their MBA, including at Cambridge Judge. When Professor Christoph Loch, Director of Cambridge Judge Business School, met with Fadi to share news of the building expansion project, the very first question Fadi asked was: “How can I help? What do you need to complete the project?”
This enquiry led to his contribution, an important philanthropic contribution toward the £32 million building project. An initial £13 million grant from The Monument Trust has been instrumental to the building project, and the School is still aiming to raise an additional £13 million.
Tim Wates, an MBA classmate, said of Fadi’s gift:
Fadi was a brilliant part of our team when we were all at Cambridge together and has remained an inspiring and generous friend ever since. His wonderful donation is great example to us all.
Cambridge Judge Business School thanks Fadi and his family and we hope his gift may inspire others to follow in his footsteps.