Areen Shahbari

Areen Shahbari brings over 17 years of corporate, business training, and consulting experience, working with global companies, governments, and NGOs. She collaborates with organizations to cultivate their talent through training, consulting, and coaching executives and leaders in strategic thinking and action, effective strategy formulation and execution, design thinking and innovation, marketing, negotiation, communication, and influential leadership. She places particular emphasis on the synergy between psychology and business, leveraging insights from both domains to drive impactful outcomes.

Through her two self-founded ventures, Shahbari Training and Consultancy, and Cactus International, as well as her roles as an instructor at Harvard, Stanford, and Babson Executive Education, Shahbari has offered training, consultancy, and coaching services to numerous firms, governments, non-profits, and startups globally. The diverse client base she worked with includes MediaTek, USAA, Santander X, Saudi Industrial Development Fund, Qatar Development Bank, U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico, Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning, Women Business Forum, IM Swedish Development Partner, James Beard Foundation, American Academy of Family Physicians, Monshaat, Kingdom of Bahrain Office of the First Deputy Prime Minister, and The U.S. Middle East Partnership Initiative.

Shahbari is a frequent speaker at conferences and industry events, with her training, speaking engagements, and consultancy work spanning across various countries including the United States, Chile, Jordan, Palestine, Mexico, Morocco, Turkey, Bahrain, Switzerland, Spain, UAE, UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Korea, China, and Qatar.

Leveraging her extensive media background as a TV host, producer, and head of a programming department, Shahbari excels at facilitating dynamic conversations and commanding audiences of all sizes, both online and on-site. Her strong stage presence and ability to unify and focus groups make her particularly effective in achieving consensus and collaboration in complex scenarios.

In 2013, Shahbari founded Cactus International, promoting women’s entrepreneurship and leadership, focusing on the Middle East and North Africa regions. Through Cactus, she has trained hundreds of women to launch and grow sustainable businesses.

Shahbari holds an MBA in entrepreneurship from Simmons University School of Business and a BA in psychology and communication. She is a Fulbright Alumna and a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society, with multiple Excellence in Teaching awards from Harvard University Extension School and Simmons University School of Business.

Programs Areen Teaches

Business Strategy: Evaluating and Executing the Strategic Plan
Essential Management Skills for Emerging Leaders
Innovation and Strategy
Women in Leadership: Online Program for Emerging Leaders
Women Leaders: Advancing Together