Joseph Emile Zakhour, the founder, began his insurance career in 1961, as an employee of St. Paul  fire and Marine Insurance Co. of St. Paul, Minnesota USA, then the Control Office for the Middle East and Africa for AMERICAN FOREIGN INSURANCE ASSOCIA( AFIA ) (an Association of USA companies operating overseas).

The office in question was in charge of looking after the interests of the AFIA  group of companies across the Mena Region. After having received several promotions  in the interim, M. Zakhour was elected in 1973  Vice President for the Mena Region. In that capacity played a vital role in expanding the AFIA Group activity in Turkey , Iran, and Pakistan in addition to the Arab countries.  From his base in Beirut M. Zakhour did extensive travelings to the whole Mena region where he participated in the AFIA  affiliated insurance companies’ Boards of Directors business meetings, and decision making, in addition to overviewing the works of AFIA appointed general agencies and branch offices as well as the affiliated insurance companies in LEBANON, SYRIA, SAUDI ARABIA, UAE, BAHRAIN, QATAR, KUWAIT, OMAN, SUDAN, EGYPT, JORDAN, and LIBYA.

M. Zakhour was then reporting to AFIA Regional Office in BRUSSELS, which he visited frequently . After AFIA’s operations  outside the USA were bought out by CIGNA the Regional Office was located to ATHENS. (But several years thereafter CIGNA sold out its overseas operations to ACE which in turn was absorbed by CHUBB).

In 1984, and because of the turmoil in Lebanon, CIGNA removed the Middle East Control Office to ATHENS, and appointed Joseph Zakhour as Legal Rep. and General Agent for Insurance Co. of North America (INA).

It is at  this juncture M. Zakhour formed His own broking an consulting  company Joseph Zakhour & Co. SARL . The company was registered at Beirut Commercial Court sub Com. Reg. Number 48874 dated September 22, 1984.

Joseph Zakhour & Co. SARL was  licensed as an insurance broker by the Insurance Regulator, The Ministry of Trade and Commerce, by virtue of License Number : 90/1998.

In 1988, and in view of persisting violence in Lebanon CIGNA decided to cease underwriting in Lebanon and assigned to M. Zakhour the run off of both AFIA past and INA subsequent business in Lebanon.

In 1996, Joseph Zakhour was appointed Regional Representative for the Middle East and Eastern Europe for LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL, NEW YORK, which was then overseeing LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE CO’S activity outside the USA.

M. Zakhour contributed actively in naming fronting insurers for LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL across the Arab Region in addition to BULGARIA, ROMANIA, and NIGERIA.

In 1997, Joseph Zakhour & Co SARL  was appointed Correspondent for MARSH & MC LENNAN.