Gabriel Al-Salem

BA Russian, 1989

The Slavic Department faculty were saddened by the tragic and sudden loss of Gabriel who, on 27 November 2010 at the age of 43, died in a paragliding accident in the mountains near Almaty, Kazakhstan. Born 1 Feb 1967, Gabriel is survived his wife, Viktoria, and their daughter, Anya; father, Bader Al-Salem of Kuwait; and mother, Margarete Dorsch (Lindsborg, KS). This page, begun at the peak of his professional career, remains as a tribute to his remarkable life. His family, colleagues, and friends have established the Gabriel Al-Salem Foundation (Фонд им. Габриэля Аль-Салем), which raises funds for initiatives to support young talents following in his footsteps in international careers in management consulting, including an initiative to establish a KU scholarship for students of Slavic languages.

➢ Read his article Flying the Great Wall of China

➢ View Gabriel discussing his work with the Business Advisory Services (BAS) program under the auspices of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

➢ The International Council of Management Consulting Institutes in Central Asia, through the offices of the Regional Director of EBRD in Almaty, posthumously conferred upon Gabriel the title of Member of the Meridian Order (2011).

➢ Read more about Gabriel in "Icarus in Kazakhstan: The Remarkable Journey of Gabriel Al-Salem" in the Fall 2011 edition of The Lawrencian Chronicle.

Career:: Management consulting (Ernst & Young, A.T. Kearney, KPMG Consulting); currently Regional Director for Central Asia of the European Bank for Regional Development's Business Advisory Services Programme, helping top local firms hire consultants to solve business problems and maximize growth.
Languages:: Russian, German, French, Spanish
Countries lived in:: Russia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Germany, US; currently living in Almaty, Kazakhstan
Favorite place:: The summit of Amangeldi Peak overlooking Almaty and the Tien Shan mountain range; and Red Square at midnight (кодга бьют куранты).
Hobbies:: High-altitude mountaineering, skiing
Favorite food:: Sushi (uni)
Favorite drink:: Corona Extra (la cerveza mas fina)
Favorite saying:: Za to, chtoby vse [Rough translation: For making everything possible.] Sharikov, Sobach'e serdce, Bulgakov
Favorite book:: Foucault's Pendulum (Umberto Eco)