Ziad Maalouf, managing director of Seven-Up Bottling Company, has won the Social Impact Personality of the Year award at the Social Impact & Sustainability Awards (SISA) 2024 in recognition of his leadership in driving social responsibility initiatives that promote sustainable and inclusive development.
In his address: “Towards a Sustainable Future: Enhancing Corporate Social Responsibility for Sustainable and Inclusive Development,” Ziad shared his vision on the role of leadership in shaping social responsibility and impact.
He noted that CSR starts with the chief executive officer and highlighted how business leaders must drive change in companies and communities.
Ziad also shared his belief that true social responsibility involves more than donations – it’s about investing in and empowering people to create success.
As convener of SME Scaleup, an initiative to help small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) scale their operations and drive long-term growth, Ziad’s remarks underscored the need for empowerment, not just philanthropy.
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SME Scaleup provides entrepreneurs with tools, mentorship, and guidance to transition from survival mode to thriving, impactful businesses.
Sixty four businesses in SME Scaleup are being mentored to become billion-naira businesses that can employ more people and address Nigeria’s pressing issues.
“We are not here to do the job for people; we are here to empower them to do it themselves. Social responsibility is about investing in people and creating opportunities for them to thrive.” This belief is core to SBC’s initiatives, such as Harvard Business School Scholarship Initiative and the One Staff, One Tree Initiative, both of which were recognised for outstanding contributions to development.
Seveb-Up’s Harvard Business School Scholarship Initiative was also honoured with CSR Award for Educational Empowerment for providing talented individuals from Nigeria with the opportunity to pursue MBA at Harvard. This initiative is to create future leaders who will contribute to sustainable economic development in Nigeria and beyond.