A former advisor to General David Petraeus, Sadi Othman, will headline Hesston College’s Homecoming Weekend symposium as the keynote presenter with “Working as a Communication Bridge in Iraq” at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 27 in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary on the Hesston College campus. Othman will speak about his work as a civilian senior advisor in Iraq serving as a communication bridge between American and Iraqi leaders.

Othman, a 1993 Hesston College graduate, is vice president of the investment firm North America Western Asia Holdings (NAWAH). A Palestinian-American, Othman was hired by the U.S. government in 2003 as a cultural and political advisor to U.S. Army Brigadier General Frank Helmick, then second-in-command of the 101st Airborne Division. The primary task was to help rebuild the infrastructure in northern Iraq. Within a short time, Othman was asked to assist General Petraeus, then a major general in the 101st, as a linguist and advisor.

As Petraeus’ role and rank elevated over the next several years, so also Othman’s role and responsibilities grew as he developed friendships with political leaders from across the Iraqi political spectrum. Othman’s role in Iraq from 2003 to 2008 evolved into a pivotal communication link between the U.S. political/military leadership and Iraqi political leadership.

“The most valuable instrument in [Petraeus’] effort to influence [Iraqi leaders] was his advisor Sadi Othman,” said author Linda Robinson in her book “Tell Me How This Ends: General David Petraeus and the Search for a Way Out of Iraq.

Othman’s return to the U.S. in 2010 seemed to provide him an opportunity to start a career in the global business world. His plans were put on hold when the U.S. administration asked him to return to Baghdad for a short-term focused effort to assist the Iraqis in forming a new government following the March 2010 elections.

Following the short-term assignment in Baghdad, Othman joined the business world when he was named vice president of NAWAH, established in 2011 by Hyatt Hotels executive chairman Thomas Pritzker and former Petagon official Paul Brinkley. NAWAH has initiated investment projects in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. It was one of the first American companies to make a multi-million dollar capital investment in re-emergent Iraq.

Othman recently put his business career on another temporary hold when he returned to Iraq at the request of the U.S. administration to work as a communication link between Iraqi political leaders and U.S. leaders. He is tasked with helping in the formation of a new Iraqi political leadership team, with more inclusion than was the case with the previous Iraqi political and military leadership structure.

On Sept. 8, newly-appointed Prime Minister Haider al-Abbadi received approval from the Iraqi parliament for his new government, although the key posts of Minister of Defense and Minister of Interior were not submitted with the rest of the positions. With the Iraqi parliament approving the new government, Othman will return to his business career as vice president of NAWAH.