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Mary Nazzal-Batayneh

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Mary Nazzal-Batayneh
Websitehttp://www.marynazzal.com/

Mary Nazzal (also known as Mary Nazzal-Batayneh; born 1979) is a barrister, social entrepreneur, and activist.[1] She was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and was recognized by Forbes as one of the “Most Powerful Arab Women” for her work at the intersection of law, hospitality, and impact-driven ventures.[2]

Early life and education

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Nazzal was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1979, the daughter of Yousef Nazzal and Bernadette Bladen-Taylor.[3][4] Her father ran Beirut’s Commodore Hotel, which became a base for foreign correspondents during the conflict and was later profiled in a documentary; it is also referenced in Thomas Friedman’s From Beirut to Jerusalem.[5][6][7]

She has Palestinian-Jordanian, Irish, Colombian, and Indian heritage.[2] She married Aysar Batayneh in 2003, and they have three children.[8]

Education

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Nazzal earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Columbia University. She went on to complete a law degree (LLB) at the College of Law and a Master of Arts in law at SOAS University of London. She was called to the Bar of England and Wales through the Inns of Court School of Law.[9][10]

She has also undertaken executive education programs at the University of Oxford, the University of Zurich, Columbia Business School, Harvard Business School, and the Harvard Kennedy School, focusing on transformational leadership, public policy, alternative investments, and impact investment.[11]

Career

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Amman Landmark Hotel

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Nazzal is the founder and chair of the Amman Landmark, a hotel in Jordan’s capital.[12] She held different positions within the Landmark group, including at the family-owned property in Aqaba, before establishing the Amman Landmark under its current name. The Landmark group also managed the St. George Landmark Hotel in East Jerusalem when it reopened in 2012.[13] It has also partnered with UNRWA, the World Food Programme, the UNHCR, and GIZ on projects related to gender inclusion and refugee support.[14][15] In collaboration with Endeavor, Nazzal also launched “Landmark 2.0,” a hospitality incubator for local entrepreneurs.[16]

Her work at the Landmark has been recognized in regional and international media, including Forbes Middle East, which featured her on its cover in 2014 in a story titled “Hospitality Meets Humanity,”[17] and Entrepreneur Middle East, which profiled her in 2021 in an article titled “Restoring Hope: Landmark Amman Founder Mary Nazzal Is Doing Her Part to Revitalize Jordan’s Business Landscape.”[18]

Impact economy

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Beyond hospitality, Nazzal has been active in developing initiatives to grow the impact economy in Jordan and the wider region. She founded 17 Ventures, which helped design one of the first blended finance funds in the region aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on gender equality and decent work.[2] She is also a founding member of Impact Jordan, a platform dedicated to building decolonized impact economies.[19]

Nazzal has been a member of the Beyond Capital Angel Investor Network[20] and was part of the inaugural cohort of the iFADA fellowship program on innovative finance.[21] She has served as an advisory board member for Village Capital’s Finance Forward MENA[22] and was previously a board member of the education nonprofit INJAZ.[23]

As a speaker and advocate for impact investing, Nazzal has participated in the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN),[24] the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG),[25] and the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa.[26] In 2022, she spoke at the World Bank Annual Meetings on the theme “On the Frontlines of Rising Fragility.”[27]

Her work has also focused on refugee inclusion. She acted as a consultant on a project led by the Refugee Investment Network to promote refugee lens investing in Jordan,[28] was invited as a keynote speaker by UNHCR for World Refugee Day,[29] and through her role at the Amman Landmark, facilitated an agreement with UNRWA to support Palestine refugee initiatives.[30]

Nazzal has contributed to public debate through her writing, including the article “The Case for Cautious Optimism in Jordan” for the Wilson Center in 2020,[31] and “The Role of CEOs and Business Leaders in Confronting Genocide,” published by Jordan News in 2024.[32] In 2019, she was named Businesswoman of the Year at the Jordan Business Awards.[33]

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In addition to her business ventures, Nazzal has been active in law and justice advocacy. In 2009, she co-founded the Palestine Legal Aid Fund to advance accountability under international law. Her work was profiled in The National in an article titled “Nazzal fights to bring Israeli officials to justice.”[34] She currently serves on the board of the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), the first independent organization providing legal support to the Palestine solidarity movement across Europe.[1] She has been active in campaigns linked to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and was quoted in Middle East Report Online describing Israeli gas imports as “a gateway to normalized relations.”[35] She is also a brand ambassador for SEP the Brand, the first certified B Corporation in Jordan, which works with Gazan refugee women artisans. Her support for SEP the Brand was highlighted in The Guardian.[36]

In addition, Nazzal has served on the boards of organizations such as the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Center,[37] and the Royal Film Commission – Jordan.[38] She has also advised initiatives including the Britain Palestine Media Center[39] and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, where she was previously a board member.[40]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Mary Nazzal-Batayneh". Al-Shabaka. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Mary Nazzal-Batayneh". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  3. ^ Associated Press (22 January 1987). "Beirut's Commodore Hotel Closes in Debt". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  4. ^ "War Hotels (Beirut)". Al Jazeera. 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  5. ^ "War Hotels (Beirut)". Al Jazeera. 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  6. ^ Fisk, Robert (23 February 1996). "Last orders at the war hotel". The Independent. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  7. ^ Friedman, Thomas L. (1989). From Beirut to Jerusalem. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
  8. ^ "Ms. Mary Nazzal-Batayneh". Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  9. ^ "Mary Nazzal-Batayneh". Wilson Center. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  10. ^ "Mary Nazzal-Batayneh". World Bank Live. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  11. ^ "Mary Nazzal-Batayneh". World Bank Live. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  12. ^ "Mary Nazzal-Batayneh: The Case for Cautious Optimism in Jordan". Wilson Center. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  13. ^ "St. George Hotel reopened in Jerusalem". WAFA. 1 May 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  14. ^ "Landmark Hotels support UNRWA" (Press release). UNRWA. 23 August 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  15. ^ "Landmark Amman renews partnership to support the UN World Food Programme". The Jordan Times. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  16. ^ Pupic, Tamara (13 September 2021). "Restoring Hope: Landmark Amman Founder Mary Nazzal Is Doing Her Part To Revitalize Jordan's Business Landscape". Entrepreneur Middle East. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  17. ^ "Mary Nazzal-Batayneh on Forbes Cover". Forbes Middle East. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  18. ^ Pupic, Tamara (13 September 2021). "Restoring Hope: Landmark Amman Founder Mary Nazzal Is Doing Her Part To Revitalize Jordan's Business Landscape". Entrepreneur Middle East. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  19. ^ "Impact Jordan". Impact Jordan. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  20. ^ "Top 40 Enterprise Startup Investors in Jordan". Shizune. October 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  21. ^ "BuildPalestine Summit 2022". BuildPalestine. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  22. ^ "Village Capital Finance Forward MENA". Village Capital. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  23. ^ "INJAZ Board Members". INJAZ. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  24. ^ "GIIN Annual Impact Investor Survey". GIIN. 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  25. ^ "Global Steering Group for Impact Investment". GSG. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  26. ^ "How Can Infrastructure Support Inclusive Growth?". Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. 7 April 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  27. ^ "On the Frontlines of Rising Fragility: Collaborating and Innovating for Impact". World Bank Live. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  28. ^ "Refugee Lens Investing in Jordan". Refugee Investment Network. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  29. ^ "UNHCR Jordan Events". UNHCR Jordan. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  30. ^ "Landmark Hotels support UNRWA" (Press release). UNRWA. 23 August 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  31. ^ "Jordan: The Case for Cautious Optimism". Wilson Center. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  32. ^ "The role of CEOs and business leaders in confronting genocide". Jordan News. 27 April 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  33. ^ "Businesswoman of the Year". Jordan Business Magazine. 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  34. ^ Ryan, Nick (28 January 2011). "Nazzal fights to bring Israeli officials to justice". The National. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  35. ^ "Jordan and the Gas Deal". Middle East Report Online. January 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  36. ^ Hodal, Kate (3 November 2016). "Asma has been a refugee for 36 years; now a fashion start-up is giving her hope". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  37. ^ "Board of Trustees". King Hussein Cancer Foundation. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  38. ^ "Board of Commissioners". Royal Film Commission – Jordan. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  39. ^ "Advisory Board". Britain Palestine Media Center. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  40. ^ "Ms. Mary Nazzal-Batayneh". Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
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