Ricardo Karam is a Lebanese television presenter, producer, talk-show host, author and public speaker. He has created several shows, series and documentaries, and founded RK productions which has taken charge of producing all his projects. He is also the founder of Takreem, an organization aimed at rewarding outstanding Arabs in their respective fields. TAKREEM evolved year on year; its latest creation is TAKminds, a forum designed to allow change-makers and emerging talents to connect and interact.
Career and spokesmanship
Karam began his career as an apprentice in the early days of Lebanese radio station Magic 102. He went on to earn a degree in Chemical Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration at the American University of Beirut. His first television appearance was in 1992 with FOCUS on Télé Liban. Since then he has interviewed the Dalai Lama, Bill Gates, Farah Diba Pahlavi, Luciano Pavarotti, The Abbé Pierre, Valentino, Andre Agassi and Zaha Hadid. Karam produced several talk-shows, series and documentaries in Arabic, English and French. He published his first book Privileged Encounters in 2000 where he revisits his interviews between 1996 and 2000. In 2005, he published Le Paris Libanais in which he discusses 30 years of history taking place between France and Lebanon, including the Lebanese conflict and the Lebanese Civil War. In 2020, Ricardo Karam embarks on a new media journey where he launches his very own podcast series “Conversations with Ricardo Karam” unveiling exclusive interviews. Despite the new format, he stays true to his trademark intimate one-on-ones with the change makers and success stories of our time. His first guest was HRH Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan, son of King Hussein bin Talal and his third wife Queen Alia, half-brother of King Abdullah and President of the West Asian Football Federation, who made bold statements that became the talk of the town. He regularly leads seminars and cultural, economic or media forums, both in Lebanon and abroad, and has been a speaker, moderator and panelist at conferences in several countries. He also works to support academic institutions and non-governmental organizations by putting his expertise and network at the service of their work. He has also been known for not shying away from sharing his own life experience when it could help others. In September 2014, Karam’s son Nadim was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 3 without any prior symptom. A difficult medical and mental journey followed. Karam dug in his own experience in order to set an example of determination and family unity in the face of personal upheaval. Nadim’s story gained incredible media attention with messages of support and chains of prayer from across the region. But Karam has also made it a habit of voicing his opinion on matters and causes ranging from international conflicts, healthcare and ethics, as well as fairness in trials and equality. In 2017, Iraqi mother of two and daughter of Karam’s close friend, Farah Jawad Kassab, died in dubious circumstances during a plastic surgery procedure in Lebanon. Ricardo Karam took to his social media platforms after the incident, telling Farah’s story and helping it gain regional attention, thus turning it into a case of public opinion. He argued against misinformation and false advertisements, warning against traps and the importance of prudence when seeking proper healthcare. When former Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn was arrested in Japan in 2018, the legal and media turmoil that ensued was like no other. Karam had been a journalistic witness and chronicler of Ghosn’s ascent for close to two decades. Although he never went into the legal aspects of allegations, he drew upon their numerous encounters and his habit of using his platform to shed light on important causes to advocate for Ghosn’s right to a fair trial. In the wake of the controversy that followed Ghosn’s escape in 2019, Karam sat with many news organisations such as the New York Times, Euronews, the Mainichi, NBC News and CBS News to discuss the case’s developments and its implications.
Awards and recognition
Karam received the French National Order of Merit of the Rank of Knight in 2016, and was awarded the Beirut International Festival Prize in 2012, the Lebanese American University Alumni Achievement Award in 2011, and in that same year, the prize of the Sheikh Ibrahim Bin Mohamad Al Khalifa Center for Culture and Research.
Takreem
In 2010, Karam created Takreem, which he designed as a platform aiming to promote good ethics in Arabs by honoring those who excel in their fields and who can act as role modelsfor role models. Every year, TAKREEM recognizes the achievements of eight Arabs who have distinguished themselves in the arts, sciences, environment, education, or leadership. Patrons include Noor Al Hussein, Marc Levy, Carlos Ghosn, Lakhdar Brahimi and Hanan Ashrawi.
TAKminds
In 2018, Karam launched TAKminds, a space designed to allow change-makers to interact. The new forum was intended to shed light on the societal challenges and obstacles that emerging talents face and try to overcome on a daily basis. TAKminds was created from TAKREEM, to celebrate the talents of the Arab world, and to provide them with a platform where they can connect, and create sustainable communities in the Arab world.
