SAVANNAH, Ga., January 23, 2012 — Tarek Ragheb, who has headed the Gulfstream sales organization in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMA) for the past 18 years, is assuming new responsibilities for advising and supporting the group he helped develop. In his new role as senior adviser to the International Sales team for EMA, Ragheb will provide strategic guidance and counsel to the staff as it continues to serve the needs of Gulfstream customers in those regions.
“Tarek has pioneered new and important markets for us, and he has been a catalyst for key relationships for Gulfstream throughout the Middle East, Russia and Africa. His stewardship has been and will continue to be a cornerstone of our sales efforts,” commented Scott Neal, Gulfstream’s senior vice president of Sales and Marketing. “In recent years, working with Gulfstream’s senior leadership team, he helped shape the expansion of our efforts in the developing economies of Africa and elsewhere, and has mentored new talent in meeting the unique needs of Gulfstream’s customers. We are very pleased that we will continue to benefit from Tarek’s invaluable skills and experience in his new role.”
Ragheb was recruited to Gulfstream in 1994 to contribute to the expansion of the company’s product line and to help create what has become one of the most formidable sales organizations in business aviation. Since then, Ragheb has helped make the Gulfstream name prominent in Western Europe, the Middle East and Russia, as well as the emerging economies of Eastern Europe.
In his most recent role, Ragheb was regional senior vice president of International Sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He will ultimately assist a new divisional vice president to transition into that role and will continue to play an important strategic role for Gulfstream.
Prior to joining Gulfstream, Ragheb was vice president, General Electric Aerospace, for the Middle East and Africa, then president, Martin Marietta International, Middle East region.
Ragheb emigrated with his family from Egypt to the United States in 1969 when he was 13 years old. He later became a U.S. citizen. After graduating from Temple University, he served in the U.S. Air Force and then as a diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ragheb is a private pilot and is fluent in English and Arabic, with a working knowledge of French and German.
"Gulfstream without a doubt is the strongest brand in the industry today, well-positioned for market leadership into the future,” Ragheb said. “I am extraordinarily blessed and honored to have been involved with the company’s growth and to continue in a more strategic position that allows me to steward my four children into their careers and their future, as I have had the privilege of doing with many young colleagues at Gulfstream.”
