Wael Jaber: Unrelenting fighter and multi-disciplinary leader

In 2006, Wael Jaber came to the UAE with 200$ borrowed from his aunt, to earn 1400 dirhams. “I suffered in the beginning. I took some Smeds, Picon, MaLing, and Kashkaval to survive the first month. You need to ask for what you want in life, focus on it and it will come, definitely”. Driven by good intentions towards others, faith in God, laser focus and a solid work ethic, Wael made a name for himself.

An undeniable advantage

Wael, the Lebanese entrepreneur who now owns CLAN Investment with nine subsidiaries, has the right partner, in life and in business, on his arm, his wife Reine Khoury, the chief creative officer. She is as determined as he is and always pushes him. “We both know what we want, with the right team that supports us. They are organized, happy and under stress most of the time. But we’re good at what we do”, confesses Wael.

Father to two beautiful children, Karim and Lana, Wael has the best team at home and within his organization. Having top-notch players, finding and employing people he can trust who mirror his diligent work ethic posed a serious challenge, but he’s managed to do it.  It is the driving force fueling the machine he has built. Together, they are working towards one vision, to expand and invest in more countries where they have yet to set foot.

The turning point in his career that urged him to start his own business was a no. He requested to open an entertainment business with the people he used to work with and was turned down two years in a row. In 2008 the crash happened and the group of 16 companies closed their business as he was opening his.

Today, the group employs more than 200 employees across four countries, representing 20 nationalities. He made sure the Lebanese made up at least 70 of the employees.

Stress as oxygen

Stress, Wael says, is sometimes like oxygen, with juggling so many responsibilities and being a full-time dad. “It’s a talent from the beginning to manage all this”.

Time is of the essence with him, and he finds himself always in short supply. The more time he has the more he can accomplish and that poses the biggest challenge for the businessman. He likes to be involved in all the details, being on the ground and giving his two cents. Nonetheless, with proper time management and prioritization, he makes sure to commit to his meetings, engagements, and responsibilities.   

Memories, the launching pad for the group, has executed projects from Shanghai to Switzerland. Over fifteen years, the group has grown into a regional player encompassing an advertising agency, land development, culinary experiences, an AI software engineering company and more.

An altruistic man

Lebanon suffered a waste crisis in 2015, after which CNN wrote about the country as being the biggest dumping ground for garbage. In response to that feature, Wael endeavored with MTV in 2017 the Largest Recyclable Material in the world mosaic, measuring more than 900 square meters, a Guinness World Record. “We turned trash into art in Dbayeh waterfront”. Initially, Wael hadn’t finished university and didn’t have a certificate to hang on the wall, so he chose to hang 20 Guinness World Records instead.

Helping his country is of the utmost urgency to the philanthropist. Aside from owning a charity, he lit up his hometown Kfarnabrakh with 360 solar lamps to give back to the community that helped him become the man he is now.

Invaluable lessons

In 2013, Wael Jaber got involved in event launches in the oil and gas field. The payday was worth 3,000,000 dollars, of which he didn’t see a penny. The right documents weren’t drawn up from the beginning. “Now it’s pen and paper, contracts, lawyers and then we do business”. He learnt a valuable lesson through that momentous disappointment. “It can either break you or make you stronger. This first loss is the main reason that made us a strong group of companies”, admits Wael.

Passion drives us. Ten years ago, I used to be the first to talk in the room, now I’m the last.

Nowadays, he listens, digests information, with his impulsiveness in check. He sees what the person in front of him wants, then he responds. “I’m very happy I learned this”, says Wael.

Built-in edge

Achieving any type of success is not as easy nowadays, everything being so accessible and everyone having the blueprint.

“Our brains as humans are built to adjust. It is harder, and years to come it will be even harder”. With AI tools and with everything accessible, there will always be the brain, the DNA, that will make someone stand out. “Your ideas are not on ChatGPT or with your competitors. Stay humble and keep learning. No one knows all the information when it comes to business or any other topic for that matter”, says Wael.

He invites all aspiring entrepreneurs, men and women, to learn from others and to take away valuable lessons from experiences as he has. He plans on never stopping the learning process since the more data he has on his goals, the more likely he is to succeed at it.

Proudly from Kfarnabrakh Al Chouf, from the mountains of Lebanon, Wael was always very ambitious, but didn’t know the way. He pushed himself because of a burning desire to be a success in business, and now, that sense of urgency has significantly diminished. “I’m still the same driven person but not always in fight mode. I’m in happy sustainable mode”.