Faculty Profile: Yehia Kamel

Professor Yehia Kamel

AUB's reputation as having a strong business school is one of the reasons that brought Yehia Kamel to Lebanon. A native of Egypt who spent twenty years in the United States, he came to Lebanon in the hope of settling down here to offer his children the best the Middle East has to offer.

Kamel earned his bachelor's in accounting from the University of Cairo in 1977. After graduation, he headed to the United States, where he worked for the Shell Oil Company. He worked extensively in the oil industry in the United States., where he occupied positions in the Marconi and Motorola companies. He later earned his MBA and master's in economics from Central Michigan University in 1989 and 1991.

Kamel's experience in the oil industry inspired him to pursue his PhD in management; he confided that despite his bachelor's degree, he had never worked as an accountant. He said that management is the key to establishing a successful business; without it, a business would simply fall apart. He explained that a person could be a very successful accountant or technician, but if a person does not know how to manage a business, it is doomed to fail.

Furthermore, he said that a successful business should also be able to adapt to change. He said part of his earlier work as a consultant had him prepare companies for change, and he is scheduled to teach courses at AUB in this field.

Kamel says he chose AUB as a place to settle down, because it holds the best of both the East and West. He found the Lebanese very welcoming and hospitable, saying he had no difficulty in adjusting to the new country.

He believes Lebanon has great promise once the country overcomes its political difficulties. Once it improves its infrastructure, it could easily compete with the West in a number of fields.

Among Kamel's interests is coin collecting, mainly Arabic and Egyptian coins.