Member Profile: Bouthayna Iraqui-Houssaïni

As a Business owner, President of AFEM (Association des femmes chefs d’entreprise du Maroc – Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Morocco) and deputy of the RNI party (Rassemblement national des indépendants – Independent National Union) Bouthayna Iraqui- Houssaïni is one of the very few women leaders in Morocco.

Born on April 30, 1958, Bouthayna Iraqui- Houssaïni is married and mother of three children.She has run the Locamed Company since 1990, and Orthoprotech since 2000. She is a member of the monitoring council of the Banque Populaire of Rabat.

Bouthayna Iraqui-Houssaïni was awarded her PhD in pharmaceutical science at Paris XI in 1983. She attended a training course in entrepreneurship with MSI (Management System International) within the framework of the CNUCED’s Empretec program.

Her profile attracted the attention of the organizers and she was selected to become a trainer, then, in 2003, she became a Master Trainer of the program in Morocco.

Her federal assets gave her twenty years of experience in the community field: from the pharmacists’ trade union, where she has held the position of treasurer, then of Secretary General, to the creation of the National Jet-Ski Association, in 2000 she became involved with the foundation of the Business Owners’ Arab Network in the MENA region. She founded the Empretec Graduate Association of Morocco, of which she is the president.
In 2001, she joined AFEM. In 2003, she was vice president; in 2004, she created the regional delegation of the AFEM Rabat and became its president. In 2006, she ran for the national presidency against all odds. In June 2006, she was the new president of the association known as “Woman Employers of Morocco.” Within a year and a half, thanks to a close-knit and motivated team, she tripled the number of funds raised, structured the association by assigning a competent permanent staff to it and beginning the certification process. The association was launched in December 2007, the first incubator of the Mena region’s “Casa Pionnières” for 24 women with projects, and is working on “Fès Pionnière” and “Rabat Pionnière.”

Her professional career is a succession of companies created. Upon her return to Morocco in 1984, she created her pharmacy, but very rapidly went into partnership with some colleagues and set up a medicine wholesale operation. The following year, she decided to create her own company dedicated to the rental of medical equipment: Locamed-Service. She relentlessly continues to develop its assets, and today this company, which employs close to 60 people, boasts 3 sales locations and has become the leader on the national market in distributing orthopedics and physiotherapy products. In 2000, she created another company for the manufacturing of large orthopedic equipment.
In September 2007, she was elected member of the parliament for the RNI, a moderate right-wing party, within the framework of the national list.
A natural athlete, she was the national jet-ski champion in 1999.