Business

Interview With Houssam Abiad, Adelaide City Councillor

By Nadine Bishop

The Adelaide City Council is buzzing with a sense of optimism and opportunity according to Councillor Houssam Abiad.

Fresh and revived from the recent council elections, Councillor Abiad, 34, says the energy and enthusiasm in the current council is very exciting.

“There is a great balance of young and old members in the council that will appeal to a large cross section of the community,” said Councillor Abiad.

“The election provided a renewed energy to achieve great things for Adelaide and great opportunities for its constituents.”

Councillor Abiad is looking forward to continuing the relationships he established with the community leading up to the election.

“Just because I’ve been elected, it doesn’t mean the campaigning stops.

“I want to learn from the people of Adelaide and to introduce new platforms that will better engage them.”

With only thirty per cent of voters taking part in the council elections, Councillor Abiad is hoping to increase the number of voters to fifty per cent by the time the next election comes around.

“If we communicate with the younger generation by empowering them as community members, we’ll be able to keep them interested and provide them with a voice.”

Councillor Abiad is hoping to engage the younger generation by actively using social media to address issues as they arrive.

“Social media provides a platform to discuss issues with our constituents and get feedback in real time,” said Councillor Abiad.

“It will provide them with a chance to let us know if they agree or disagree with what we are doing.

“Our purpose as a council is to serve the community and I believe speaking with people, face to face and on a social media platform, will provide a great opportunity to effectively serve the Adelaide community.”

Excited by the prospects Adelaide has to offer, Councillor Abiad is no stranger to hard work, as the Executive Director of no less than four companies.

Telecommunications company Digimob, real estate company Macrovest, strategic marketing company Muscle Group and trendy Rundle St coffee haunt Felici have all provided Councillor Abiad with a unique insight into the competitive advantages of Adelaide.

This coupled with his involvement in community initiatives such as the Australian Refugee Association and the East End Coordination Group mean that he is thoroughly entrenched in the Adelaide community.

“I would never move my businesses from Adelaide with the work life balance an integral appeal for the community,” he said.

“The opportunities that Australia has to offer are endless with Adelaide having benefits that far outweigh Sydney or Melbourne.”

Born in Adelaide but growing up in Lebanon, Councillor Abiad feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to return to Adelaide with his family when he was nineteen.

Enjoying the start up involved in new business and the strategic development, Councillor Abiad is hoping to engage his business sense in council decisions.

“Guiding a business through those initial stages is what appeals to me,” said Councillor Abiad.

“Even though my businesses are in four different areas, the core model and infrastructure is the same across all industries and there’s no reason why that can’t be the same in the council.

Being involved in the council will provide Councillor Abiad with an opportunity to showcase all the passionate Adelaide supporter loves about the city.

“My role as a councilor will be to communicate my enthusiasm for Adelaide to other cities and countries.

“I really want to promote the wonderful city that it is and by doing that, I hope to better serve the community.”

Connect with Houssam via his Facebook Page here.

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