Mrs. Barakat is the CEO of the Jordan Strategy Forum. Previously she was the founder and managing director of To-Excel Consulting. An innovative boutique company that was established in 2006 to provide evidence-based services in strategic planning, socio-economic development, recovery, and monitoring and evaluation. Mrs. Barakat has more than 25 years of professional experience in the areas of economic and social development, working with the government, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector in Jordan. Mrs. Barakat has held significant roles throughout her career, including Minister of Social Development, Minister of Public Sector Development, General Director of the National Aid Fund, City Council Member at the Greater Amman Municipality, and member of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Jordan. Currently, she serves on the Board of Trustees of Jordan University, chairs the Businesswomen Committee at the Amman Chamber of Commerce, and holds positions on the boards of Jordan Kuwait Bank, Al Hussein bin Abdullah II Award for Voluntary Work, Jordan Impact Investment Board (JIIB), Business and Professional Women Association (BPWA), and the UN Women NGO Advisory Group. Mrs. Barakat was awarded the Forbes 200 Most Powerful Arab Women in 2014. She holds an MBA degree from Durham University Business School in the UK and a B.Sc. degree in Computer Science from the University of Jordan.