Lebanon is known for its impeccable upbringing of remarkable figures into society. Some people stick to the status quo that we are accustomed too. Some others bring impacting change. Changes that might cause destruction or changes that can help our country and advance it further into the 21st century.
Via Belgian Business Council In Lebanon
Dr. Salah Rustum, a truly significant man, introduced Lebanon to the importance of technological safety in our country. And here is his influential story:
Born in 1935 in Dhour El-Choueir in Lebanon, Salah Rustum went to complete his post-secondary education in the US, graduating from the University of Miami in Florida.
Not enough for a mind like his with a grand vision, he applied to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Minnesota and got accepted. He earned a Ph.D. in Aerodynamic Physics, graduating with Honors, which has made him, till this day, the only person in the Middle East to have achieved this high degree of education in that field.
Via Salah A. Rustum / LinkedIn
For his surrounding, it was no surprise that he came to earn a position with Boeing as the Vice President, the first Lebanese man to do so. But Rustum was not only all into studying and working. Aside from being a guru and a visionary, he was also known for his Lebanese handsomeness. As he shared directly with me, he won Mr. Lebanon’s title in 1953.
Around the year 1995, he introduced Lebanon to the barcoding system. With his initialization of it, he made Lebanon’s shopping and retail experiences for suppliers more efficient and organized. This advancement proved the importance of internet security that he has always been preaching about.
Fast forward to 2019, he introduced Lebanon to another form of online security and efficiency, known as the LEI (Legal Entity Identifier). The issuance of this new product has been mandatory in the United States since early 2018, and it just hit the Middle Eastern region.
To note, LEI is an authentication of the company and all legal entities that are parties to financial transactions, also including non-financial establishments. CIEL, the company Dr. Salah Rustum chairs, is the only issuer of the LEI in the Middle East and African countries.
His projects have protected numerous amounts of financial institutions and establishments in the region from the crimes of hacking and stealing of personal credentials online.
It’s safe to say that Dr. Salah Rustum has delivered a significant amount of success over the years, and for his country, including the region with which we interconnect in various industries.
Impressive in his relentlessness still to do furthermore, he continues to-date in his passion to push Lebanon further into the 21st century.
Little did most of us know about the source of all these technologies we have been using in our country and the visionary man behind them. We sought to tell you, in recognition of his significant contributions to our advancement in technology. Lebanon is indeed honored having someone like him.
