Ismail Nawwab
I was prepared to hold Ismail Nawwab in awe long before I met him, so widespread was his reputation as a thoughtful intellectual with an astounding mastery of the English language and his native Arabic. Just how this brilliant young Islamic scholar would make his mark in a company run by engineers and cost-benefit analysts was the whispered question. What he did in short order was to pump renewed vigor into Aramco's Public Relations organization.
Ismail demonstrated transformative powers that distinguish him from intellectuals who simply issue words of enlightenment from ivory towers. It was under his stewardship that Aramco World magazine rose to world class status and a "handbook" for employees was molded into "Aramco and Its World" a library reference on all things Middle Eastern, from pre-Islamic times to the advent of oil. He inherited an "oil exhibit" that was a simple, mechanical recital of how oil and gas is found and processed. In its place, he created an immensely popular, state-of-the-art, interactive educational center that invokes Islam's seminal technical contributions to the world. In retirement, he edited "The Foundations of Islam," part of a six-volume series on Islamic civilization published by UNESCO. He was a quiet, confident visionary who attracted collaborators and inspired creativity.
More important to Ismail than any of the many accomplishments that made Aramco and Saudi Aramco a better company was his family--Wasimah, the children and grandchildren. He glowed in their presence, encouraged their individuality, took pride in their accomplishments, and showered them with enduring affection. His life was a model for us all.--Bob Norberg, Lake City, MN, Sept. 19, 2012.