SBC Boss, Ziad Maalouf, Wins Social Impact Award

*Company wins multiple awards for ‘one staff, one tree’ initiative

Ziad Maalouf, Managing Director of Seven-Up Bottling Company (SBC), has won the Social Impact Personality of the Year award at the Social Impact & Sustainability Awards (SISA) 2024. This was in recognition of his exceptional leadership in driving social responsibility initiatives that promote sustainable and inclusive development across Nigeria.

During his keynote address at the Award Ceremony, titled “Towards a Sustainable Future: Enhancing Corporate Social Responsibility for Sustainable and Inclusive Development,” Ziad shared his vision on the vital role of leadership in shaping meaningful social responsibility and impact.
He emphasised that CSR starts with the CEO and highlighted how business leaders must be at the forefront of driving change within their companies and communities.
Ziad also shared his belief that true social responsibility involves more than just donations – it’s about investing in people to empower them to create their own success.
As the convener of SME Scaleup, an initiative designed to help small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) scale their operations and drive long-term growth, Ziad’s remarks resonated deeply and underscored the need for empowerment, not just philanthropy. SME Scaleup provides Nigerian entrepreneurs with the tools, mentorship, and guidance needed to successfully transition from survival mode to thriving, impactful businesses.
Already 64 of businesses signed up to SME Scaleup are being mentored to become billion-naira businesses that can employ more people and address some of Nigeria’s pressing issues.
Ziad stated: “We are not here to do the job for people; we are here to empower them to do it themselves. Social responsibility is about investing in people and creating opportunities for them to thrive.” This belief is core to SBC’s initiatives, such as the Harvard Business School Scholarship Initiative and the One Staff, One Tree Initiative, both of which were recognised for outstanding contributions to development.

Seveb-Up’s Harvard Business School Scholarship Initiative was also honoured with the CSR Award for Educational Empowerment for its role in providing talented individuals from Nigeria with the opportunity to pursue an MBA at Harvard. This initiative is designed to help create future leaders who will contribute to sustainable economic development in Nigeria and beyond.

Additionally, SBC’s One Staff, One Tree Initiative, which encourages staff to plant trees as part of their commitment to environmental sustainability, was awarded the Sustainability Initiative of the Year Award.
Concluding his remarks, he urged businesses to act now and commit to sustainability and social responsibility. “The time is now,” he said. “Let’s start our journey towards a sustainable future or join one that already exists. Together, we can make a difference.”