John Gibson, Class of 2010

Legal Adviser
The Law Firm of Mohamed Al-Sharif
Saudi Arabia

What is new and exciting with you now or since your LEAD VIRGINIA class year?

My family has moved from Alexandria, Virginia to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Quite a change! My wife accepted a position with the foreign service and is working at the US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I had to quit my government relations job at Pfizer and through networking, secured a job with a Saudi / American law firm. I specialize in commercialization of companies, litigation and have become a liaison with various Saudi authorities, like the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Labor Authority, Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority and Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

How did your LEAD VIRGINIA experience help to shape you as a leader?

I think LEAD VIRGINIA was helpful to broaden my overall perspective about Virginia but also the roles people play in each of their communities. Lead provides an opportunity for leaders to create a platform, increase your voice with other like minded individuals and utilize the capabilities and strengths of others to incite change.

Since LEAD VIRGINIA, how have you put social capital to work?

My experience with LEAD VIRGINIA was very helpful to my new situation in Saudi. Let me explain, as we all experienced in our Day One Lead program - we were surrounded by a room, a very large room, consisting of strangers from across the Commonwealth. We each took our own way, but were able to learn about each individual personally, whether connecting through long bus trips or perhaps socializing in hotel establishments until the wee hours of the evening. In Saudi, I truly knew no one here with the exception of my family. I began creating my own social network and found individuals and groups that may be helpful for networking and potential employment. I made a few connections through new embassy friends, then to new outside the embassy community friends and through introductions, connected with the American Business Group of Riyadh - a sort of Chamber of Commerce for US based companies. A truly volunteer organization, I volunteered my talents and experience in organization management to help improve the organization and increase the professionalism of the group. Through that new network, I was able to take this new social capital to find a great law firm that was in need of a Western face and mind to handle western clients and improve the quality of services to those clients.

What is something that LEAD VIRGINIA inspired you to do that you were not doing before your class year?

My life has changed significantly since my class year. My daughter was born during my class year and this move to Saudi has really changed our life. But I think through Lead, I have the confidence to be in rooms of 50+ people not knowing a soul, and have the courage to quit something and start something completely new, without a road map or clear direction but utilizing the strengths that I have within to take on a difficult challenge, finding new friends on the way and learning a whole lot on the trip.

What has been the biggest adjustment to you and your family since the move to Saudi Arabia?

Wow, tough question. I have found it interesting to be living in different cultures - my office colleagues are Saudis, Sudanese, Indian, Jordanian and two Virginians. Females have it a lot different, not being able to drive, having to wear an Abiya with your head covered in public and rules that require separation from other males.

But it’s difficult to communicate with people in the US. We are 7 hours ahead of EST but even with Skype, email, vonage phone, internet, instant messaging, when you want to talk to someone, it's always the wrong time! Our weekends are Thursday and Friday which messes it up even more. It's also difficult to explain to a two year old that she cannot talk to or, even worse, go visit her grandparents. That has been the biggest adjustment.