Author

Mazen Barbir

I was born and raised in Lebanon, where I quickly learned that success in work, life, and money demands resilience and adaptability. Those early lessons shaped the arc of my global career.

In 1998, I moved to Canada and earned a Bachelor’s in Accounting (2001) and an MBA in Finance (2007) from the University of Ottawa. For seven years, I navigated the Canadian job market on a limited work visa, eventually building and selling a small financial brokerage firm servicing small businesses and the immigrant community.

In 2008, I relocated to Dubai, starting as a junior currency trader at an international bank. Over the years, I rose through the ranks to become a Managing Director, leading FX trading across the region and heading the bank’s Financial Markets business in the UAE.

Beyond banking and entrepreneurship, I’ve served on boards, invested in businesses, advised clients, and appeared in media outlets including Reuters, Bloomberg, CNN, MBC, and Al Arabiya. I’ve taught Investments and Derivatives at the university level, and conducted academic research at Durham University, where I earned a Master’s in Organizational Research.

With over two decades of experience, wins, losses, pivots, and comebacks, I now strive to help others make smarter decisions in work, life, and money.