Riad Chehayab, Director of assurance and consultancy at Serco, has joined the IBBC advisory council.  Riad oversaw running air traffic control for the Iraqi Government in Baghdad for 10 years, and previously ran air operations for Serco Middle East.

While in Iraq, Riad acted as an advisor to the Iraq Civil Aviation Authority and was responsible for the support of the Air Navigation Services provision, playing a leading role in the efforts to separate the services provision from the regulatory function in Iraq’s aviation sector.

Riad started his career as an Air Traffic Controller in Canada before moving to the Middle East in 2011.  In 2018 he became Country Manager- Iraq, representing Serco and all its in-country staff and responsible for customer relationships and trust building.

An entrepreneur at heart, Riad was involved in the management of several public and private companies including CEO of QWIP Technologies Inc., a publicly traded Canadian company which acquired a high sensitivity infrared technology from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), CEO of One World Wireless, a mobile phone technology company and Director of Gold’s Gym Edmonton franchise, a fitness operation with 3 gyms serving over 7,000 members.

Riad says: ‘It is an honor for me to be a member of the advisory council for the Iraq British Business Council. The IBBC plays a key role in Iraq, supporting the growth of its economy and nurturing positive relationships between Iraqi and UK companies. My work in Iraq has allowed me to develop a deep understanding of the country’s aviation sector and I look forward to contributing through the advisory council to the best of my ability.’

Christophe Michels MD IBBC says: ‘Riad is a long-term friend of IBBC, and it is a pleasure to have him join us in a personal capacity, and all the expertise from aviation and transportation he brings, will further enhance our knowledge in this area.’