Staff Profile: Kassem Siblini

Kassem Siblini

The office of Kassem Siblini, supervisor for maintenance contracts, can be reached only through a side entrance of Van Dyck Hall. However, there is nothing marginal about the activities or the responsibilities that come with that office.

A member of the AUB staff since March 2003, Siblini has seen his work progress into a money-saving operation for the University. Primarily, the duties of the post involved being in charge of all office equipment and machinery at AUB, including AUBMC, with the exception of computers and medical supplies.

“This includes about 400 copiers, shredders, 50 typewriters, 60 fax-machines, ten cash registers and eight bank-note machines,” explained Siblini, who prepares the agreements with machine suppliers and  follows up on the contracts, the maintenance, and the proper functioning of the machines.

Siblini, a dedicated person never restricted by his job description, always finds ways to modify, enhance, and improve his work. He tremendously enjoys his job, mainly because it enables him to use his marketing skills to get the most out of contracted suppliers.

“Whereas previously old machines would go to scrap and bring in no more than $50 each, now, through exchange deals of one new machine for four old ones, the old machines are bringing in $500 each, in a $2,000-worth trade,” said Siblini. With such beneficial exchanges as well as donations from suppliers, the total amount of money saved on machines and office supplies since 2004 is estimated at $150,000, simply through the use of basic marketing and communication skills.

Siblini  took his bachelor’s degree in business from the Arab University, while working at United Bank of Saudi and Lebanon (1987-2003). He joined the bank at 17 with a position just above office boy, but left as a human resource principal when the bank closed because of a merger.

He has always harbored a deep connection to AUB. “My grand-uncle worked here for forty years, and he taught me swimming in the AUB sea. I lived most of my life in Ras Beirut and spent a great deal of my childhood on campus,” Siblini recounted.