Nido Qubein

Last updated

Nido R. Qubein
Nido R. Qubein.jpg
President of High Point University
Assumed office
2005
Website nidoqubein.com
highpoint.edu/president

Nido Qubein is a Lebanese American businessman. He has been the president of High Point University since 2005. [1] He is the chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company, and sits on the boards of several other companies.

Contents

Early life and education

Nidal Qubein was born on August 21, 1948 in Jordan, to a Lebanese mother and a Jordanian father. [2] The youngest of five children, he is a member of the prominent Christian Qubain family. Qubein's uncle, Najib, was the first bishop of the Diocese of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

His father died when Qubein was six, and he was mostly raised by his mother, a seamstress. He was educated at St. George's School, Jerusalem, before moving to the United States in 1966 to receive a college education at Mount Olive College. [3] [4] His two elder brothers attended Duke University. Qubein claims that he chose to attend Mount Olive because its name reminded him of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Qubein transferred to High Point University, where he graduated in 1970. He went on to receive a Master of Science in business education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Bryan School of Business & Economics in 1973. [5]

Business and educational career

Qubein started a newsletter aimed at Christian program directors, Adventures with Youth, soon after he arrived in the US, and eventually became a highly sought-after motivational speaker and corporate consultant. Qubein is the founder and chairman emeritus of the National Speakers Association Foundation. [6] He has served as chairman of the Great Harvest Bread Company since 2001 [7] and sits on the board of directors of BB&T (now Truist Financial), [8] La-Z-Boy Corporation, [9] and nThrive. [10]

In 2005, Qubein was named President of High Point University, where he has presided over a rapid expansion of the school. [11] Qubein is a major donor to High Point, having committed $10 million to the university, and is also one of the highest-paid university presidents in the United States, collecting a salary of $2.9 million per annum in 2013. [12] [13]

Personal life

Qubein's wife, Mariana, is an alumnus of High Point University. The couple has four children, and nine grandchildren. [14]

Honors

In 2000, Qubein was inducted into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. [15] In 1999, Qubein was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Bryan School of Business & Economics. [16] In 2000, Toastmasters International awarded him their Golden Gavel Medal. [17] He was awarded the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations' Ellis Island Medal of Honor. [18] In 2009, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters in humanities degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. [19] In 2012, he was awarded the Daughters of the American Revolution Americanism Medal. [20]

In early 2017, High Point University announced that it would name its new basketball arena and conference center for Qubein and his wife, Mariana. Construction on the new facility started in 2018 and opened in September 2021. [21]

Broadcasts

Beginning in January 2012, UNCTV began airing High Point University Presents A Conversation with... series. The hour-long segments feature Qubein interviewing prominent leaders and innovators. [22]

In 2015, the Biography Channel aired Nido Qubein: A Life of Success and Significance. [23]

A new interview series premiered in 2021 called “Side by Side with Nido Qubein”. The hour long discussion show airs on PBS NC. [24]

Publications

Qubein has written 11 books, including How To Communicate Like A Pro and Stairway to Success: The Complete Blueprint for Personal and Professional Achievement. [25]

The September 2012 issue of Success magazine featured Qubein discussing his role as president of High Point University. The story chronicles Qubein's leadership of the school since taking the helm in 2005. [26]

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References

  1. University, High Point. "Office of the President". Office Of The President. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  2. "Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans member info". Archived from the original on May 13, 2006.
  3. "2006 Horatio Alger Award Winner Nido R. Qubein". Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Inc. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  4. "Qubein fund backs students | Philanthropy Journal | NC State University". May 19, 2003. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  5. Sill, Pam Kelley, Melanie (January 5, 2023). "How to Sell a University". The Assembly NC. Retrieved May 14, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. "NSAF | NSA Foundation". www.nsafoundation.org.
  7. Great Harvest, Franchising. "Meet the Bread Business Team | Great Harvest Bread". www.greatharvest.com.
  8. "Branch Banking & Trust". La-Z-Boy Corporation.
  9. "La-Z-Boy Corporation past award winners". Archived from the original on April 27, 2012.
  10. nThrive. "nThrive Selects Board of Directors". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  11. "Transformation". www.highpoint.edu.
  12. Jean Stancill, December 8, 2015, News & Observer
  13. "Data from the 2016 Almanac". August 14, 2016.
  14. "About Nido and Mariana Qubein". www.qubeinchildrensmuseum.org. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  15. "Horatio Algers Association". www.horatioalger.org.
  16. "Home Page". www.alumni.uncg.edu.
  17. "Toastmasters International Honors Nido Qubein With Golden Gavel". Toastmasters International Media Center.
  18. "National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations award winners". Archived from the original on May 26, 2011.
  19. "UNC Greensboro news". Archived from the original on March 20, 2012.
  20. "2012 NSDAR Congress Opening Night Guest Speakers: Honorees who are Enhancing our Present". Archived from the original on April 14, 2013.
  21. Huffman, Steve (January 30, 2017). "HPU's $100M basketball, conference center to be named for Qubein Family". Triad Business Journal. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  22. "UNCTV Series: HPU Presents". Archived from the original on June 19, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  23. "Nido Qubein: A Life of Success and Significance". YouTube . Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  24. Side by Side with Nido Qubein | PBS , retrieved February 26, 2023
  25. "Keynote Speaker and Successful Businessman, Author Dr. Nido Qubein". www.nidoqubein.com.
  26. Success Magazine: "Making the Grade"