Philippe Khalil Ziade (, born April 13, 1976) is a Lebanese-American entrepreneur and the honorary consul of Lebanon in Nevada. He is the founder and chairman of Las-Vegas based Growth Holdings. Ziade is engaged in Lebanese politics and expat affairs.
Philippe Ziade was born in Herharaya al-Qattine in Lebanon and immigrated to the US in 1998. He settled in Las Vegas where he completed a double major in Mechanical and civil engineering. During the 2007–2008 global financial crisis Ziade acquired, remolded, and sold distressed properties. His parent firm, Growth Holdings, manages a portfolio of 24 subsidiary companies operating in the US, Europe, Japan and the Middle East. Given his background in green energy solutions, he was nominated to the office of Energy Minister in Lebanon. Ziade refused due to regional political developments that would have had impeded the functioning of Hassan Diab's proposed technocratic cabinet.
Ziade was appointed Honorary Consul of Lebanon in Nevada by President Michael Aoun. He was recognized for his innovation as a chief executive, and for supporting the Lebanese youth. His holding company is engaged with a number of Lebanese universities to mentor and hire graduates. Ziade was targeted by social media campaigns around the time of his nomination for the Lebanese Minister of Energy office.
Early life and studies
Ziade was born to Nayla and Khalil Ziade on 13 April 1976 in Herharaya al-Qattine in the Keserwan District in Lebanon. In 1998, he immigrated to the United States and settled in Las Vegas, where his paternal uncle was residing, to pursue a dual degree in Mechanical and civil engineering at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.
Career
Ziade started a building stone manufacturing enterprise in 1997. Six months into his university studies, he secured a contract to supply marble imported from Lebanon to the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
After his graduation in 2000, Ziade became a real estate investor and developer. During the global financial crisis of 2007–2008, he sold his assets, but he later capitalized on the post-crash business opportunities by buying, remodeling, and selling distressed properties. Ziade started Growth Holdings in Las Vegas in 2008 which grew to a become a conglomerate of 24 companies operating in construction, technology, hospitality, education and entertainment. His venture picked up and became the largest real estate business by transaction volume in Nevada with offices in Europe, Japan, and the Middle East. In response to ecological concerns, Ziade partnered with Tesla to advocate for, and develop environmentally sustainable housing with emphasis on efficient use of preexisting technologies. Ziade businesses expanded to provide green, energy and financially efficient hospitality services; his subsidiary companies develop upscale, Tesla technology-powered housing.
In 2019 Ziade was appointed Honorary Consul of Lebanon in Nevada by Lebanese President Michel Aoun.
Lebanese public energy sector
Ziade first showed interest in the reform of the Lebanese energy sector in 2017. He had proposed using new technology, net metering, and selling electricity back to the grid to manage energy waste and provide self-sustaining and durable power sources to the Lebanese Parliament before his nomination to the office of Energy minister but his proposal was turned down. Alternative procedures were discussed with the Lebanese government targeting willing private individuals, but these were met with legislative hurdles and an inert parliament assembly.