< Previous30 CEO MIDDLE EAST JANUARY – MARCH 2022 SERVICES Economic growth in the GCC is set to rebound to pre-pandemic levels as business optimism continues to rise. Phil Malem, CEO of Serco Middle East, shares his vision for the new year and reveals the public service provider’s aspirations in the UAE and Saudi markets SERCO MIDDLE EAST: READY FOR REBOUND ow was business during the pandemic and what are your expectations for 2022? In the height of the pandemic, it was critical for us to scale down some of our operations in specific sectors, but as the months passed and the market saw signs of recovery, we witnessed a significant rise in demand, and Serco successfully achieved an agile realignment, thanks to our flexible outsourcing model. We are a services-to-government company and our biggest sectors in the last few years have been transport and citizen services. During the pandemic, we stood up alongside governments, set up and operated field hospitals and we’ve gone above and beyond to help clients and organisations during the most trying of times. I am hoping for a bigger rebound in 2022 as we expect significant growth in the region. With the introduction of major giga projects in Saudi Arabia such as NEOM and the Red Sea Development Project, we have seen a real resurgence in our business activities in the kingdom. The UAE market too has recovered significantly and will continue on this path in 2022. With the signing of the recent asset management contract in Jubail, you are clearly eyeing growth in Saudi Arabia. Tell us about your plans in the kingdom. If you run a business in the Middle East and you haven’t got huge aspirations to grow in Saudi Arabia, then you are probably in the wrong place. In 2020 and 2021 when most companies were downsizing their investments in the re- gion, we decided to invest and put more effort and resources into the kingdom. We have massive plans for the kingdom in 2022, including the launch of our new office in Riyadh – and of course hiring is big on our agenda. A key part of our strategy is nationalisation because we believe in giving back to the countries in which we work by transferring international best practice, knowledge and skills to H Partners in progress. There is a strong drive to embrace a user-centric approach to cater to the needs of citizens and residents, Malem saysJANUARY – MARCH 2022 CEO MIDDLE EAST 31 SERVICES nationals. In 2022, we will continue to recruit, train and upskill both Emirati and Saudi nationals. We have recently appointed a Sau- di national to help lead ExperienceLab in KSA, our user-centred research and design agency, which will help or- ganisations and the Saudi government ensure that their end-user is provided with world-class experiences. We believe in the Saudi Vision 2030. As the country is developing a number of complex and multi-purpose giga projects, we are tremendously enthusi- astic about the potential in the kingdom, and we want to grow in line with their vision. We are closely following the development of these giga projects. We have been operating in the kingdom for a decade, supporting the government and large corporations in the areas of citizen services, transport, healthcare and defence and our aspirations are to grow across all these sectors. The Middle East fire protection sys- tems market is witnessing double-digit growth, making it one of the largest fire protection markets in the world. You have recently signed an agreement with EDGE to provide fire and emer- gency response support. Tell us more. The fire safety market in the region has huge potential across many sectors including transportation, particularly in aviation, which is something we specialise in here in the Middle East, in addition to supporting military with fire and rescue operations. Fire rescue is a market where clients heavily prioritise quality and reputa- tion over price because they don’t want to get it wrong. It is certainly one of our biggest strengths and we have a lot of credibility internationally. Through Serco’s world-leading fire training cen- tre, International Fire Training Centre (IFTC), we bring fire rescue expertise and technology to the region, specialis- ing in the aviation, industrial, offshore, marine and civil defence sectors. The collaboration with EDGE Group will give us the opportunity to further help organisations with their fire rescue and training needs. As many as 242 public-private part- nership projects worth $223bn are under development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which is set to go up as project execu- tion picks up with return to normalcy. To what extent will it impact the businesses of public service firms like Serco? Serco has participated in PPP pro- jects throughout the world and has covered areas like education, health- care, defence and justice. Globally, we are partners in approximately 20 PPPs. With our experience in helping governments implement user-centric designs in their assets, it’s an ideal model for us. Innovation in a crisis – why is it more critical than ever? How are you doing business differently? The pandemic forced entities to realise how important user-experience is and kickstarted the need to improve these experiences. There is a strong drive to digitise government services and em- brace a user-centric approach to cater to the needs of citizens and residents. Serco’s ExperienceLab helps clients optimise their customer experi- ences by using insights and behav- ioural data across services. We work with our clients and identify the areas where we can improve the end user ex- perience, specialising in understand- ing user expectations across different services and subsequently helping clients to translate that into world- class experiences. An innovative approach is required to ride through these challenging times. Smart organisations understand the pulse of the market and act with agility. Expertise. Serco provides well-trained and experienced fire personnel as well as the latest vehicles and equipment 10,000 The number of operational firefighting students Serco trains each year32 CEO MIDDLE EAST JANUARY – MARCH 2022 The organiser. Al Junaidy is a founding member with a seat on the board of Capital Club Dubai BY GAVIN GIBBON BUSINESS CLUBS Hussain Sultan Al Junaidy has described it as the “craziest” decision in his career to take over at the helm of the DIFC-based club, but the 83-year-old has worked hard to put it back on the map as a thriving institution WHY BUSINESS IS BOOMING AT CAPITAL CLUB DUBAIJANUARY – MARCH 2022 CEO MIDDLE EAST 33 BUSINESS CLUBS ties, fell to around 1,000, down from the heights of 1,500 experienced previ- ously. With annual rent in the region of AED9m ($2.45m), liabilities spiralled. Capital Club Dubai was 51 percent owned by Signature Clubs Interna- tional (SCI), and when it was unable to provide the necessary funding to keep the establishment’s doors open, Al Junaidy stepped forth. It is understood the Emirati has poured millions of dirhams of his own personal wealth into keeping the club afloat – some AED11m ($3m) was identi- fied immediately as funding to refurbish the club. He explains: “I had to do everything humanly possible, through my own funds, to keep it going.” Al Junaidy, who is set to turn 84 in 2022, revealed he has “lived” at the Capi- tal Club Dubai for the last two-and-a- half years, working from 8am through to 11pm on many occasions, to ensure that it not only survived, but thrived. “It was hard, but I persevered. I never gave up despite all sorts of problems,” he says. hen Hussain Sultan Al Junaidy took over at the helm of the Capital Club Dubai, it was a struggling institution, with debts in the tens of millions of dirhams. Board- room strife thrust him into the spotlight as he sought to transform the venue, which is spread over five floors in Dubai International Financial Centre’s (DIFC) Gate Village. “You only need to look at my back- ground to see all the crazy things that I’ve done in my life, but this is by far the craziest,” he says. At university in Glasgow, back in the 1950s, Al Junaidy helped build the Clyde Tunnel, while his business exploits closer to home took off in 1975 when he founded Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC). Prior to that he was the youngest ever Gulf CEO of Caltex (now Chevron). Al Junaidy was CEO of ENOC through until 2007, by which time he had amassed a portfolio of 32 companies. By this time he had been involved in the first proper business club in the emir- ate, the Passport Club by Dubai Creek, as well as the club in the World Trade Centre, launched a decade later. He had already garnered membership of the RAC Club, In-and-Out Club and East India Club in London. But it was in DIFC where he saw the greatest potential. He says: “I knew the need was there for a members club, certainly in the UAE, because there were a lot of expatriates, a lot of business people and people who wanted to connect with others, who wanted to meet with everybody.” And almost 14 years ago Capital Club Dubai was launched, with Al Junaidy as a founding member with a seat on the board. It has been a turbulent time, to say the least, with the fortunes of the club almost mirroring that of the country’s economic headwinds. In 2014, in particular, when the regional oil market plummeted, mem- bership levels, made up of a vast array of industry professionals and nationali- 36% The percentage of Capital Club Dubai members who work as CEOs, managing directors and managing partners Atmosphere. Capital Club Dubai is a venue for forward-thinking global collective of business leaders and innovators “I HAD TO DO EVERYTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE, THROUGH MY OWN FUNDS, TO KEEP IT GOING” W34 CEO MIDDLE EAST JANUARY – MARCH 2022 BUSINESS CLUBS And he believes he has not only seen the light at the end of the tunnel, but has passed through it to the other side. Memberships are edging closer to 1,000, with a target to hit 1,500 by the end of this year. Indeed, the club has wit- nessed, on average, 30 new members per month for the last three months, as it benefits from business-friendly reforms announced by both the UAE and Dubai authorities. Al Junaidy says: “When you look at what’s happened in the UAE in the last few years, the full force of trying to be known worldwide, not only from an economic point of view, everything, from going to space and hosting the World Expo, it’s welcoming businesses and opening up. “In the last few years you’ve really seen the government is keen to interact with the private sector. Therefore there has to be a place where they could ex- change ideas. “I look at it now and I think we’re over the hump. We’ve managed to get a lot of members, from the people who are still here and never left, as well as new members.” Capital Club membership includes accomplished businesspeople, business innovators, and women in business, high-level entrepreneurs, government officials, diplomats, ambassadors and consulate generals, and leaders in the creative industries. 1,500 The target membership of Capital Club Dubai by the end of the year Business world. The club aims to facilitate the convergence of varied ideas and technologies from the world’s brightest mindsJANUARY – MARCH 2022 CEO MIDDLE EAST 35 BUSINESS CLUBS shape of the Arts Club, which opened its doors at ICD Brookfield Place a year ago. But Al Junaidy remains undaunted. He says: “This is a totally different concept. It’s a club for the members who see benefit in terms of developing their business and connecting with others.” The Capital Club Dubai is also extending its global footprint, with 130 reciprocal clubs throughout the world and 40 agreements signed in the last month alone, the last one with a club in Washington DC. There are also plans to create border- less clubs, where members from other clubs can enjoy access seamlessly. Al Junaidy says: “Today, if you said to me, is this club viable, I’ll tell you yes, it is viable. And it’s still my dream is to make this club the number one exclusive busi- nessperson’s club in the whole region.” With the cost of membership standing at AED15,000 per year, which includes a number of benefits, including two free rounds of golf at the Els Club in Dubai, per month, the club has become a focal point for the business community. “This is an institution. It’s not a bank or a financial centre to make money. It’s to serve the community, not only the community of DIFC, the Dubai community, the UAE and beyond,” says Al Junaidy. Some important conversations and engagements over recent months include a deeper examination of the metaverse and the digital economy; cryptocur- rency, blockchain, NFTs; UAE and Saudi Arabia; impact of AI on society; female founders, enablers, investors; why are ESG metrics critical; the business of music and IP; corporate governance lead- ership workshops; circular economy. While guest speakers from the public and private sector have included Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coex- istence; Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE Minister of State for Entrepre- neurship and SMEs; Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari, UAE Minister of Economy; Dr Abdullah Al Nuaimi, former Minister of Climate Change and Environment; Hanan Ahli, acting director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statis- tics Centre; Mitch Lowe, former CEO, Movie Pass, former president, RedBox and co-founder, Netflix; and Chris Voss, ex-FBI hostage negotiator. Admittedly, there is tough competi- tion out there, particularly close by in the 11% The proportion of Capital Club members who are business owners and founders Design. Capital Club is building a bridge between private and public sector to create a more fertile economic environment “THIS IS AN INSTITUTION. IT’S NOT A BANK OR A FINANCIAL CENTRE TO MAKE MONEY” 36 CEO MIDDLE EAST JANUARY – MARCH 2022 MANAGING PEOPLE Managers need to embrace coaching to get the best out of their team GOODBYE MANAGER, HELLO COACH oogle’s Project Oxygen ini- tiative, a 10-year evidence- based research project, discovered that being a good coach is the most important trait of a good manager. Coaches make the best man- agers. Rather than delivering answers, judging, and dictating, they ask addi- tional questions, assist, and facilitate. The coaching market is booming, which is unsurprising. According to a PwC analysis, the coaching indus- try’s market size was $15bn in 2019 and is predicted to reach $20bn by 2022. Let’s face it: over time, many of us have altered our thoughts about coaches and coaching, and we now take it more seriously. For physical wellbeing, there is a gym, and for mental wellbeing, there are coaches. Coaching is no longer ex- clusive to elite Olympic athletes; it has become more accessible to everyone, and we can all hire a coach very readily and affordably. Except for North America, most coaches are Gen Xers, according to research by the International Coaching Federation 2020. This makes logical sense, given that Gen Xers account for 61 percent of managers and lead- ers. Female coaches are on the rise everywhere, except in the Middle East and Africa, according to the survey, which covers a four-year period ending in 2019. Here are some more fascinating findings from the same research: r One third of managers/leaders who use coaching skills (34 percent) have a secondary education (ie, a bachelor’s degree). r Clients demand that their coaches be certified or credentialed. r The percentage of managers/leaders who have completed 200 hours or more of coach training varies greatly by region. r In the next 12 months, three out of four managers anticipate rolling out coaching and training G BY SALLYANN DELLA CASAJANUARY – MARCH 2022 CEO MIDDLE EAST 37 MANAGING PEOPLE efforts across their firm. r Nearly half of those who wish to improve their coaching skills want to work as a hybrid external and internal coach practitioner. r Nearly half of all managers/leaders (48 percent) belong to a professional organisation. So, what do coaches do different from managers? Let’s look at a couple of a tricky work situations and observe the dif- ferent manager vs coach manager approaches: A tricky situation: An employee who was formerly productive is no longer performing. You, as his boss, are irritated since your entire depart- ment’s numbers are down due to this employee’s failure to meet his targets. As a non-coach manager, you probably say out loud to the employee: “What’s up with you? I’ve seen that your stats have dropped and that you aren’t acting like yourself.” “I’m not sure. I’m not happy for some reason,” says the employee. What would a coach manager do differently in this situation? Coach manager: “Which aspects of your everyday routine do you find enjoyable and satisfying? “What were your three most posi- tive work moments in the last week, month, or year? “So, what has changed or is dif- ferent that is preventing you from enjoying your work and day and having more highlights in your week? “What are five simple steps or activities we can do or do over the next few weeks or months to attempt to get you back to being productive and happy?” It takes adequate training, a lot of active listening, and a lot of patience to be an effective coach manager. It considers the person in front of you, not just the company’s numbers. So, how does a non-trained manager behave like a coach? Many coaches find the GROW model’s four steps to be beneficial: r Grow – establish a broad goal for yourself. r Reality – recognise the current situation before acting. r Opportunities – look at different options; and r Way forward/next/will – what steps to take next. Perhaps you’ll find this small framework handy as well? If you’re not a natural coach and want to try some of the other top attributes of managers listed in Google’s Project Oxygen report, here are some suggestions: Empowers and does not micromanage the team, fosters an inclusive work environment, cares about the team’s success and wellbeing, is productive and results-oriented, is a good communicator – listens and shares information, encourages career development and discusses performance, has a clear vision/strat- egy for the team, collaborates and is a strong decision-maker. Finally, if all else fails, a simple: “Tell me more or tell me anything else.” Coupled with a few seconds of silence and genuine concern unleashes magic. “IT TAKES ADEQUATE TRAINING, A LOT OF LISTENING, AND A LOT OF PATIENCE TO BE AN EFFECTIVE COACH MANAGER” Leader. A coach manager relays a clear vision/strategy for the team, collaborates and is a strong decision-maker $20BN The predicted market value of the worldwide coaching industry by 2022, according to a PwC analysis38 CEO MIDDLE EAST JANUARY – MARCH 2022 DIGITAL MARKETING Neal Patel, managing director at Bruce Clay MENA, believes modern leadership creates environments for people to fl ourish, which in turn make businesses grow RISE OF THE NEW AGE LEADER ell us a bit about your jour- ney so far and your career at Bruce Clay MENA. I was born and bred in London, where I dabbled in a few different things after university, from brand management, to creating my own beverage product, and thereafter starting a digital agency that specialised in performance media for e-commerce websites. I moved to Dubai in 2013 and after various roles I ended up at Bruce Clay MENA, initially as the client director in January 2016. After a hectic couple of years and poor business results, the opportunity arose in January 2018 within the business to take over and I grabbed it. The business was in bad shape and financially not viable. How- ever, it was a great opportunity for me to become a partner and turn a failing business around – and given my expe- rience from London, I knew that there was a massive opportunity to create something different in the market. The rest, as they say, is history. We turned around all losses within the first 14 months and have been growing year on year since. As a new-age CEO, how would you describe your management style? I am a very hands off manager. One quote that always stuck with me from Steve Jobs is something that I apply to everything that I do manageri- ally – “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” I have been extremely focused on making sure that we hire the right people from a values per- spective. When I took over, I reduced the agency down to five people, as I wanted different people to take us to where I wanted to go. My style of management has changed slightly over the years. I am still very much hands off, but when we first got going, we were very entrepre- neurial, had to make every decision T Interaction. Patel says the pandemic has been one of the best things to happen to business communication JANUARY – MARCH 2022 CEO MIDDLE EAST 39 DIGITAL MARKETING count, and chase the money. Now we are established and laser focused, investing more into getting to the right people and looking at data as a way to make better decisions. A ‘born-digital’ understanding of technology’s power and the ability to see around corners are the new lead- ership imperatives. Do you agree? As millennials, we have always had to interact with technology like no other generation before us. For this reason, I truly do believe that a lot of companies with leaders in the millennial category have navigated the pandemic fairly as we can adapt to what is around the corner at a fast pace. In the future, change will only come at a faster pace and hence it is imperative that modern leaders are visionary and agile. A lot of great companies are run by people who had to forge their own way through constant change to get to where they are – a great example would be major tech companies with Indian origin CEO’s. In many cases, these people have come from hardship, had to navigate through challenges others may not have had and come out on top to lead great companies. Are new age CEOs better communicators? Rather than being the loudest in the room, the new age leadership is fo- cused on being impactful. It is key for any leader to know their people inside out and to communicate effectively to keep the business moving. In a way, the pandemic has been one of the best things to happen to business communications, as it has made people care about their time a lot more, remove unnecessary meet- ings and ultimately made communica- tion far more efficient. Some of the top CEOs around the world are inspiring an informal work culture, including a more casual ap- proach to dressing. What has led to this change? There has been a wider realisation that you don’t need to look or dress in a certain way to do your best work. This shift has come from tech compa- nies mainly and filtered through into larger established companies through the changing leadership. Some of the leading CEOs have been dressing casually for a while, Steve Jobs being a great example. Now, more and more leaders are outward facing with a casu- al appearance, and so the next genera- tion of leaders are used to seeing this, hence, to them, it is not that unusual. The pandemic has also helped to ac- celerate many industries to become a bit more casual. A few words on the future of emerg- ing CEOs in the age of rapid change. It is imperative for all CEOs to be people-focused as the world moves to different ways of working. Values and culture will play a bigger role in keep- ing companies together and innovation is moving faster than ever. The role of leadership has already evolved, but with a new generation coming into the workforce, leaders will mainly work to create environments for people to flourish, who in turn will make busi- nesses grow. “RATHER THAN BEING THE LOUDEST IN THE ROOM, THE NEW AGE LEADERSHIP IS FOCUSED ON BEING IMPACTFUL” Getting the message across. It is key for any leader to know their people inside out and to communicate effectively to keep the business moving 2015 The year in which Bruce Clay Inc opened its Middle East office in DubaiNext >