Gaby Batshoun

President and Founder of Global Business Solutions, Inc.

What brought you to Cincinnati region and why did you stay?

I am Gaby Batshoun, President and Founder of Global Business Solutions, Inc. I was born in Jordan and raised in Casablanca, Morocco. Throughout my formative years, I was exposed to all types of machines by my father - a savy entrepreneur with strong mechanical skills - and was taught how the mechanical world worked actively working on engines and manufacturing machinery. In addition to my fascination with how machines were built and operated, I was drawn toward information technology. My interest in attending college in the US and the top engineering programs the region’s local universities offered, led me to the Greater Cincinnati area where I graduated from Northern Kentucky University with dual Bachelor of Science Degree’s – Manufacturing Engineering Technology and Electronics Engineering Technology.

Upon graduation, I worked in the engineering department at Ford Motor Company and transitioned into the IT industry with Entex IT Services. During this time, I began to see the opportunities and significant need for outsourced IT solutions in Greater Cincinnati, and in 1994 I started Global Business Solutions, Inc. (GBS). My vision was to create a new, fully integrated technology solutions company with IT as our core expertise. Today, we are a leading technology solutions provider and have become Cincinnati’s only fully integrated IT-centric business technology solutions provider.

Why is it important to welcome immigrants and refugees to the Cincinnati region?

I arrived in Cincinnati as a college student and because of my very positive experience from day 1 at NKU, I believe it’s critical that our colleges, our local businesses, and our faith-based organizations make it a priority to build programs that encourage well-deserving students, well-educated, highly qualified individuals to come to the US. Together, with organizational leaders like the NKY Chamber – we can work collaboratively to develop the programs and infrastructure needed to be known as a magnet area that attracts the best and brightest international students and professionals.

How can we create a more vibrant and welcoming region?

In order to create a more vibrant, welcoming region, I believe we need to develop a regional initiative led by our NKY and Cincinnati Chambers’ of Commerce targeting the educational community and our faith-based organizations. This program would establish a series of social events that encourage the proactive exchange of cultures and history of the countries of origin for our international immigrants. This exchange will create a dialogue between our international community and current residents. It will also help all involved to better appreciate and get to know one another.

Within the local business community, I believe we need to work with our state and federal officials to develop a process that helps streamline the vetting and clearance to obtain the proper student and work visas for those that have the skills we need to attract and keep.