Ciarb’s first African President passes baton to its first Latin American President
Ciarb’s first African President transferred the Presidential Medal to its first Latin American President in a Presidential Handover Ceremony following the Alexander Lecture at Central Hall Westminster on 4 December.
Ciarb’s 2025 President, Professor Dr. Mohamed Abdel Wahab C.Arb FCIArb, delivered the first Alexander Lecture in many years to be held outside Ciarb’s Bloomsbury Square HQ before passing on the baton to Ciarb’s incoming President and current Deputy President, Cesar Pereira C.Arb FCIArb.
The Presidential Handover Ceremony acknowledges the contributions of an outgoing president and looks ahead to the leadership of their successor. Deputy President Cesar, who was first Chair of the Ciarb Brazil Branch, expressed a “huge amount of humility” in accepting the Presidential Medal. He will take over formally as President in January 2026, with the theme of ‘trust in a changing world’.
The Alexander Lecture, a follow-up Q&A between President Mohamed and past Ciarb President Ann Ryan Robertson C.Arb, and the Presidential Handover Ceremony were followed by an evening reception, also at Central Hall Westminster. These events were an important fixture in this year’s London Arbitration Week, and brought together past and future Ciarb presidents, members, representatives from Ciarb’s 44 Branches, and arbitration professionals from around the world.
Of the day’s events, Ciarb’s Director of External Affairs, Cristen Bauer, said: "The handover from President Mohamed to President-elect Cesar was a moment of reflection that also had a sense of momentum — celebrating what has been achieved this year, while signalling the next phase of growth and global leadership under our incoming 2026 President and our new Chief Executive, Don MacIntyre.”
Ciarb’s Chief Executive, Don MacIntyre, said: “We are deeply grateful to President Mohamed for his outstanding leadership and the lasting impact of his presidency. As we move into this next phase, my focus is on ensuring Ciarb continues to grow, innovate and serve its global community. I am genuinely excited about the future we will shape together with President-elect Cesar.”
This year’s Alexander Lecture explored the topic Arbitrating in an Age of Legal Fracture: Guarding the Realm and System Recalibration. If you were unable to attend the Alexander Lecture in person or online, you can watch it via Ciarb’s YouTube channel.
