Lahcen Haddad

Lahcen Haddad is expert in international development and serves currently (since October 2106) as member of Moroccan parliament. As Minister of Tourism with the Government of Morocco between 2012 and 2016. As Minister, he has overseen the shift of Morocco towards becoming a leading destination in the Mediterranean, Africa and the Middle East and a reference country with regards to sustainable tourism. Before joining the Government in 2012, he worked as international expert in strategic studies, democracy, governance and development, and as a certified expert in strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, diversity and entrepreneurship. His involvement in programmes and studies of national and international importance endowed him with a mastery of geostrategic issues, economic development and public policy matters, international relations and issues of governance at local and international levels. Lahcen taught as a university professor for over 20 years with institutions such as Indiana University, Saint Thomas Aquinas College in New York, the School of International Training in Vermont, Mohamed V University in Rabat and Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. At Management Systems International, he served as Morocco Country Director and as Chief of Party for various development projects in education, vocational training and enterprise support. At the World Learning School of International Training, he was for ten years Academic Director for the SIT Morocco Program and area thought leader for the Academic Directors community. His publications in English, Arabic, French and Spanish, both academic and journalese, span the topic areas of geostrategy, social sciences, development, communication and management as well as topics of general interest. An active member in civil society, he oversaw the creation and development of several CBOs and NGOs in the fields of girls’ education, development and poverty affiliation. Lahcen is also an active media expert with knowledge of new trends in digital means of communication and social media.