BBS’s Business lecturers have worked in the private sector in Iraq, the Middle East, and overseas, as well as in academia, teaching at leading academic institutions in the region and around the world.
Dr. Yass Alkafaji / Senior Advisor
Dr. Yass Alkafaji was an Associate Professor in the Business Department at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) for 13 years (ret. 2021), and has taught at Mississippi State University, Bowling Green State University, and Northeastern Illinois University-Chicago. Dr. Alkafaji is also a practicing certified public accountant, and is the founder of A&A Accountants and Business Consultants, based in Chicago, with operations in Dubai. He is the Director of the Iraq Public Leadership Program (IPLP). Dr. Alkafaji has written and spoken extensively on accounting, auditing, and tax issues for professional organizations and in professional and academic journals. He is a CPA, CFE, and CGMA.
Patrick Cline / Senior Advisor
Patrick Cline taught Business at AUIS for seven years and was founding Director of Takween Accelerator there. He has an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a BS in Financial Management from Clemson University.
Ahmed Tabaqchali is the Chief Strategist at Asia Frontier Capital (AFC) Iraq Fund, and has over 25 years of experience in U.S. and Middle East capital markets. He is a lecturer in the Business Department at AUIS, and a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS) and at the Atlantic Council.
Dr. Muhammed Mekki is an entrepreneur and academic. He is a member of the faculty at London Business School, where he delivers courses on entrepreneurship and digital business. Dr. Mekki is a Founding Partner at AstroLabs, a corporate services platform that has enabled over 2,000 companies to expand to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Previously, he co-founded Namshi, one of the Middle East’s first venture-backed ecommerce companies. Dr. Mekki has a PhD in innovation and entrepreneurship from SOAS University of London, an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and completed his undergraduate studies at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Dhafer Hasan is the Chief Executive of Business by Design LLC, bringing over 20 years of experience in management, business analysis, and capacity building to the Iraqi market. A Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) with a Master’s in Public Policy, he specializes in Design Thinking and Human-Centered Design to drive organizational growth.
Mohammed is a marketing manager and consultant with over 8 years of experience. He's also a storyteller who emphasise on building marketing campaigns that resonates. Mohammed has provided training to more than 800 students in SMEs in Baghdad Business School, KAPITA, Orange Corners, ScaleUp Academy and more. Mohammed is akso the founder of Havana Marketing Agency.
Qudama holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. He is a Financial Analyst with experience across industrial and manufacturing sectors, including cement, asphalt, and construction materials. He works on financial modeling, asset structuring, and investment analysis for large-scale projects, with a strong focus on valuation and debt structuring. Qudama has regional exposure across Saudi Arabia and Iraq and is actively involved in evaluating expansion, acquisition, and greenfield investment opportunities.
Mohamed Nabil is a Growth, Digital, and AI leader, currently serving as Head of Digital at oodi by Zain Iraq. He is also the founder of NabLabs, where he delivers corporate AI training for non-technical teams, AI consultations for senior leadership, and automation solutions, including AI agents and RPA. At Baghdad Business School, Mohamed delivers the AI course, focusing on practical foundations, real business use cases, and how to apply AI responsibly in day-to-day work. He also works with founders and teams across MENA through mentorship and accelerator programs, and leads internal AI and innovation initiatives that help organizations move faster from ideas to execution.
