< Previous40 Vol. 23/09, September 2022 / 2 0 22 MO S T INSPIRING B U SINE S S LEADER S 27 The number of companies under the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group (ESAG) umbrella DR. RAJA EASA AL GURG Chairperson and managing director, Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group (ESAG) UAE q It is the role of both the government and the private sector to action initiatives that further encourage the development of women in this region” DIVERSIFIED Akey business leader in the region, Al Gurg has steered ESAG under the mentorship of her father, the founder, Easa Saleh Al Gurg. In addition to her role, she is also the president of Dubai Women’s Association, Dubai Business Women Council and board member of the Dubai Chamber. She also holds the role of deputy chairperson of the National Bank of Fujairah (NBF) and is also on the board of trustees of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, one of the Middle East’s largest development and community foundations, and is also on the advisory board of Coutts Bank, the private banking arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). Apart from serving as the chairperson of the board of trustees of the Mohammad Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Al Gurg is also a member of the board of governors of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University. She is the chairperson of the board of directors of Al Jalila Foundation and is also on the board of directors of the Emirates Schools Establishment, the entity which manages the educa- tion sector’s policies, strategies and standards. Al Gurg is also involved in numerous social, philanthropic and char- itable activities, including with the ESAG Charity Foundation and the Al Jalila Foundation, a UAE-based organisation committed towards making lasting and significant contributions in healthcare to transform lives. She is also an advisor to several business groups and international trade alliances. Building a legacy With expertise across several projects including the Louvre, Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Dubai Metro, Dubai Opera, Yas Marina, and Burj Khalifa, ESAG continues to expand into new markets. Just a few of the group’s key ventures include Siemens Healthcare and Siemens Mobility, Al Gurg Unilever, Akzo Nobel Decorative Paints, Al Gurg Fosroc, and Al Gurg Smollan. Also a regional partner to over 370 international brands and principals from across the world, ESAG’s portfolio of brands include British American Tobacco, SieMatic, Lutron, Smeg and 3M. With engineering and manufacturing expertise across technical consultancy, project management and contracting services, ESAG works with power, gas and other infrastructure industries in the region.arabianbusiness.com 41 2 0 22 MO S T INSPIRING B U SINE S S LEADER S / RANDA SADIK CEO, Arab Bank JORDAN SHANILA LAIJU CEO, Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres UAE SARAH AL SUHAIMI Chairperson of the board of directors, Saudi Tadawul KSA BANKING AND FINANCE HEALTHCARE BANKING AND FINANCE Appointed to her current role in February 2022, Sadik previously held the role of deputy CEO for over a decade. She has over 36 years of banking experience, some of these positions include 24 years of experi- ence across diverse leadership roles, including at National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) where she held the role of group general manager. With leadership skills that have helped steer Arab Bank’s growth and expansion plans, she also holds multiple positions, some of which include board member of Oman Arab Bank, chairperson of the board of Arab Tunisian Bank, chairperson of the management committee of Al Arabi Investment Group and vice chairperson of Arab Bank Australia. With a career trajectory that evolved from a clinic supervi- sor to operations manager, and then group chief operating officer, Laiju fostered a people-centric ecosys- tem. With over 18 years of success and fostering a people-focused hospital administration, she spearheaded organ- isational planning, multimillion-dollar capital projects, contract negotiations, and team development while also increasing the healthcare provider’s visibility and growth. She served as mentor in the women leadership programme at Aster DM Healthcare and for over six years a member of the Aster DM Group’s senior management committee. Other career highlights include the launch of the 88-bed Medcare Women and Chil- dren’s Hospi- tal, and the 65-bed Medcare Orthopedics & Spine Hospital in Dubai. In her current role, Al Suhaimi spearheads the efforts of Saudi Tadawul Holding Group in order to integrate the Saudi capital market by aligning the platform’s operations and governing regulations. She is also a trustee of the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation and a We-Fi Leadership Champion. Prior to her role, Al Suhaimi served as the CEO of Saudi National Bank Capital (SNB Capital) from 2014 to 2021 and was a member of the board of directors. Al Suhaimi is also a board member at the Saudi Telecom Company (stc) and the Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), as well as the Cultural Development Fund in Riyadh. “The creation of the holding group allows us to develop an advanced capital market, which is a core pillar of Saudi Arabia’s financial sector development programme as it seeks to create a thriving financial sector to enable and support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030,” she said on her message in the Tawadul website. $252m The profi t posted by the Arab Bank Group for the fi rst half of 2022 3,441 The number of doctors and 7,901 nurses who work for Aster DM Healthcare42 Vol. 23/09, September 2022 / 2 0 22 MO S T INSPIRING B U SINE S S LEADER S $272m The revenues reported by Saudi German Hospital in the fi rst half of 2022 DR. REEM OSMAN CEO, Saudi German Hospitals Group (SGHG) UAE q To become a good leader, you need to lead by example, and apply a dynamic management style with a touch of innovation” HEALTHCARE I n her current role at Saudi German Hospitals Group (SGHG) UAE, Osman has over two decades of experience in the field of health- care. Since 2012, Osman held the role of CEO of SGHG Dubai and under her leadership, helped to establish a firm foothold for SGHG Dubai in the burgeoning healthcare industry as well as in the booming medical tourism market in the Middle East. A medical graduate from Tishreen Univer- sity of Medicine in Syria, Osman went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Business Adminis- tration as well as a Master’s Degree in Ophthal- mology and Eye Surgery both from Wollongong University in Sydney. She also holds a certifi- cate in management healthcare delivery from Harvard Business School. About SGHG UAE As Jeddah’s first hospital built in 1988 by medical pioneers in KSA, SGHG was founded by the Batterjee family under Bait Al Batterjee Medical Co, in collaboration with German University Hospitals. This launched advanced German healthcare standards and expertise to KSA’s community for the first time. Part of one of the largest healthcare groups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), SGHG Dubai offers a broad spectrum of medical services at the international level, including critical care, all types of specialties, as well as sub-specialties. SGHG UAE offers radiotherapy oncology treatments with a highly specialised haematology gamma camera, making it one of the few hospitals in the region to provide comprehensive cancer treatment. The healthcare group operates three hospitals spread across Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman as well as clinics in Jumeirah, DAMAC Hills and DAMAC Hills 2. In February 2022, SGHG announced plans to construct a 200-bed hospital in Mirdif, which will be built at an estimated value of $122m. Sched- uled to open in 2023, SGHG Mirdif will provide the latest digital expertise and technology to boost the patient health experience. With the launch of the Mirdif hospital, the group will then encompass six hospitals in its portfolio, as well as three specialty centres in the pipeline, scheduled to launch in the end of 2022. Some of SGHG UAE’s corporate strategies include enhancing patient and client convenience, improving operational efficiency, maximising IT applications, and more. “As CEO, I feel proud to be associated with Saudi German Hospital Group – UAE. [We provide] patient’s satisfaction through high-quality healthcare services,” Osman says on her message in the company website.arabianbusiness.com 43 2 0 22 MO S T INSPIRING B U SINE S S LEADER S / S adi has been at the helm of Slimstock MEA since October 2017. Slimstock is the market-leading supply chain software vendor that enhances supply chain performance through its cutting-edge AI platform, Slim4. He is also the co-founder of Break & Entry, a boutique distributor specialising in managing independent and cult beauty brands. Sadi also remains a member of the board of directors at BlueRock TMS, AEON Financial Services and the UAE National Symphony Orchestra. Born and raised in Dubai, his bicultural upbringing as the son of an Arab energy-focused businessman and an American professional opera singing mother, combined with his privileged education, set the foundation for future opportu- nities and leadership. Sadi’s focus on culture within a corporate envi- ronment is one of the many nuances of his lead- ership style that produces rapid growth and trust with customers, employees and partners alike. “It’s crucial that the CEO focuses on the culture – this is the intangible feel that your employees and customers experience in relation to your brand. Once you are confident who you are and why you exist, you are then able to share these with your stakeholders and set the brand’s tone and enhance relation- ships with this ethos,” Sadi says. About Slimstock As the world’s leading supply chain specialists, Slimstock enables customers to maintain winning supply chains in complex and challenging business envi- ronments using their three-pronged approach to success: people, process and product. Through their globally dedicated research and consultancy teams, Slimstock is able to improve unique regional processes that boost supply chain performance. Through the Slimstock Academy, the company focuses on the human element of success. Last but not least is Slimstock’s award-winning AI-based supply chain platform, Slim4. Harnessing the power of AI and machine learning, Slim4 offers the complete solution for end-to-end supply chain planning. Slim4, combined with its team of dedicated supply chain warriors, enables its customers to ensure seamless supply chains by having the right stock, at the right place, at the right time. With offices in over 30 countries, Slimstock provides global expertise locally through their specialised teams. Over 1,500 businesses around the world depend on Slim4 to make supply chain decisions with confidence. SADI AL SADI CEO, Slimstock MEA UAE TECHNOLOGY q It’s crucial that the CEO focuses on the culture – this is the intangible feel that your employees and customers experience in relation to your brand” 1,500 The number of customers Slimstock serves with the help of thousands of experienced supply chain professionals based around the globe44 Vol. 23/09, September 2022 / 2 0 22 MO S T INSPIRING B U SINE S S LEADER S $76m The revenues posted by Yalla Group in the second quarter of 2022 SAIFI ISMAIL Group President, Yalla Group Ltd UAE q We will continue making efforts to expand our user base, improve operational effi ciency and optimise our resource allocation for quality investment to drive long-term growth while delivering sustainable returns to our partners” TECHNOLOGY An Australian-Jordanian businessman and computer engineer, Ismail is at the helm of Yalla Group, the UAE’s first unicorn technology company to list in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). He embarked upon his career in 2004 as a VAS engineer in the service and software department at Huawei where he remained until 2006. Later, he joined ZTE Corporation as an account manager for two years. By 2008, Ismail joined Etisalat as manager of product marketing. Two years later, he joined NetComm, a publicly-listed company in the Australian stock market, where he worked as vice president of sales and business development for the Middle East, Africa, and South East Asia regions for almost four years. It was in 2013 when Ismail rejoined Etisalat as the director of modern trade, a posi- tion he occupied for approximately six years. In October 2019, he went on to work as the group president of Yalla Group as well as member of its management team. He holds a postgradu- ate certificate in management from Macquarie University in Australia and a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from the Jordan University of Science and Technology. Offering a seamless experience As the leading voice-centric social networking and entertainment platform in the MENA, Yalla Group is dedicated to providing superior online social experiences towards people who share similar cultural backgrounds. The company has two flagship mobile applications, Yalla, which is a voice-centric group chat platform, as well as Yalla Ludo, a casual gaming application featuring online versions of board games popular in the region. Following the success of these platforms, the company went on to expand its content, creating an integrated ecosystem that includes Waha, a social networking product designed for the metaverse; and YallaChat, an IM prod- uct tailored for Arabic users; games such as Yalla Baloot and 101 Okey Yalla, developed to sustain vibrant local gaming communities in the region. Outside of MENA, Yalla has launched Yalla Parchis, a Ludo board game designed for the South American markets. Also, through its holding subsidiary, Yalla Game, the company has expanded its mid-core and hard-core game distribution in the MENA region, fostering local expertise to introduce new content to its users.arabianbusiness.com 45 2 0 22 MO S T INSPIRING B U SINE S S LEADER S / SHAYNE NELSON Group CEO, Emirates NBD UAE SKY KURTZ Founder and CEO, Pure Harvest Smart Farms UAE SIR TIM CLARK President, Emirates UAE BANKING AND FINANCE AGRICULTURETRANSPORT Prior to his current role at the DFM-listed lender, Nelson held the role of CEO for three years at Standard Chartered Private Bank in Singapore. He was previously the chair- man of Standard Chartered Saadiq Islamic Advisory Board as well as board member of Standard Chartered Bank in China. His other leadership positions in the banking sector include regional CEO of Standard Chartered Bank MENA for five years; chairman of Standard Chartered in Pakistan, and chairman of the banking advisory council to the board of the Dubai Inter- national Financial Centre (DIFC). Under his watch, Emirates NBD has partnered with fintech platform, APIX Singapore, which aims to provide access to over 1,000 fintech companies in the Asia Pacific. He is a graduate member of the Austral- ian Institute of Company Directors. Prior to founding Pure Harvest Smart farms, Kurtz had co-founded Vence, a wearable technology solution for animal protein farming, and worked with private equity firm Francisco Partners as a senior executive. He went on to launch Pure Harvest Smart Farms, the tech-en- abled agribusiness focused on sustain- ably-grown, premium quality, local fresh produce grown using controlled environment agriculture technology to produce fresh fruits and vegetables. In June 2022, Pure Harvest acquired BayWa’s controlling interest in the Al Dahra BayWa joint venture, which currently operates a large-scale, 11-hectare agriculture facility. Kurtz holds an MBA from the Stanford Grad- uate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Finance degree from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Also the chairman of the Emir- ates Airline Foundation, Clark has been in his current role since January 2003. In the civil aviation business during his entire professional career, he joined British Caledonian in 1972 and subsequently, held the role of managing director of Sri Lankan Airlines until 2008. In 2014, he was invested as a Knight of the Most Excel- lent Order of the British Empire (KBE) for services to British prosperity and to the aviation industry. The French government also conferred Clark with Officier de la Legion d’Honneur in November 2009 for his services to transport and aviation. In June 2022, he was appointed to the Emirates board as an independent non-execu- tive director. $86.3bn The market capitalisation of Emirates NBD as of 26 August 2022 $181m The capital raised by Pure Harvest Smart Farms in its latest funding round q I see no reason why the successful model that we’ve executed in diffi cult times shouldn’t be as good in the future, as it has been today” 46 Vol. 23/09, September 2022 / 2 0 22 MO S T INSPIRING B U SINE S S LEADER S $7.93bn The revenue posted by Dubai ports operator DP World in the fi rst half of 2022 SULTAN AHMED BIN SULAYEM Group chairman and CEO, DP World; Chairman, Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) UAE q Looking ahead, the near-term outlook is mixed given the geopolitical environment, but we remain positive on the medium to long term fundamentals of the industry” LOGISTICS A leading businessman with vast experi- ence and visionary leadership, Bin Sulayem spearheaded the rapid growth of Dubai’s infrastructure, which includes the free zones and the ports that have contributed significantly to Dubai’s upward growth trajec- tory. He also contributed his leadership skills towards the emirate’s rapid infrastructural expansion which has supported its successful tourism industry, amongst others. With multiple achievements to his credit, just a few of these include leading marine termi- nal operator DP World’s expansion internation- ally, including the purchase of the P&O Group for $6.8bn in March 2006. The deal enabled DP World to become one of the largest port opera- tors and trade enablers in the world with 78 marine and inland terminals in six continents. He was responsible for overseeing the rapid development of the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) into a business park of more than 7,300 companies, establishing and leading Nakheel, and pioneering the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), a market for gold and precious metals, diamonds and coloured stones, energy and other commodities, to name a few. He was named as the MENA region’s first HeForShe Champion by UN Women in 2022. At the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos in 2022, Bin Sulayem announced the completion of its DPMETAWORLD, a new initiative aimed at bringing cutting-edge virtual solutions to real-world supply chain challenges. Across the industries in which DP World operates, supply chains are moving from analog to new digital solutions and this project will enable DP World accelerate through metaverse capabilities to help propel efficiency and transparency across trade, education and govern- ment services. A surge in cargo volume growth Over the past six months, DP World has recorded a jump in profits, as earn- ings increased by 52 percent to $721m in the first six months to June 30, up from $475m compared to the same period last year. Revenue jumped by 60 percent to $7.9bn, bolstered by robust performance of feeder services as well as acquisitions. Container revenue for DP World per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) increased by 9 percent, fuelled by an increased demand for storage. With a minor increase from the previous year, in total, DP World handled 39.5 million TEUs across its global container terminals.arabianbusiness.com 47 2 0 22 MO S T INSPIRING B U SINE S S LEADER S / $81.7bn The projected contribution of the industrial sector to the UAE’s GDP by 2031 In his role as the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Al Jaber oversees the expansion of the UAE’s industrial develop- ment. He is at the helm of ADNOC’s 2030 digital transformation strategy towards a more profita- ble and sustainable gas supply. Prior to taking on the leadership position at ADNOC, he held the role of CEO of the energy platform at Mubadala and helped to establish Masdar, the global renew- able energy developer based in Abu Dhabi. He is also the chairman of the board of trustees of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intel- ligence (MBZUAI). Al Jaber serves on the board of Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA). He was the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) for 10 years, where he played a vital part in the comple- tion of Khalifa Port, and the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD). Al Jaber also holds several leadership roles and advisory positions and counsels on issues related to energy, economics, strategic communications and sustainable development. In July 2020, Al Jaber was appointed chairman of Emirates Development Bank, a key partner in providing financial services for the sustainable economic and social development of the UAE. He served as chairman of the UAE National Media Council from 2016 to 2020, where he led an organisational and governance restructure, while guiding the media sector’s development as a responsible contributor to news and knowledge sharing in the digital and social media age. Just last month, Al Jaber led a joint delegation by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to the Tawazun Industrial Park and the Tawazun Economic Council (Tawazun). The visit came as part of a series of tours by the minister to review the perfor- mance of industrial facilities in the UAE and to discuss ways to further attract global investors and industrialists to the Emirates. “The UAE’s commitment to enhancing the ease of doing business by leveraging the competitive advantages of the country and lowering costs aims to empower the national industrial sector, attract industrial investment, and create commercially viable opportunities for national products,” he said in a report by the state news agency. “It also aligns with the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Tech- nology by boosting the contribution of the industrial sector to the national economy and increasing industrial exports, while also helping to boost National In-Country Value (ICV) by supporting local industries by redirect- ing higher portions of public spending into the national economy.” SULTAN AL JABER Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology UAE GOVERNMENT q We aspire to build a world-class industrial sector through developing existing industries and creating new ones, to position the UAE as a global industrial hub” 48 Vol. 23/09, September 2022 / 2 0 22 MO S T INSPIRING B U SINE S S LEADER S $1.29bn The income reported by Standard Chartered in the AME region for the fi rst half of 2022 SUNIL KAUSHAL CEO, Standard Chartered Africa and Middle East (AME) UAE q We remain excited about the plethora of opportunities that are stemming from Africa and the Middle East, with Egypt and Saudi Arabia being key markets that we will continue to invest in” BANKING AND FINANCE Kaushal is the CEO of Standard Chartered Africa and Middle East (AME), and a member of Standard Chartered’s global management team, the highest executive body within the bank. Prior to this, he was the regional CEO of Standard Chartered South Asia and CEO in India. He has been with the group for nearly 24 years and has approximately 34 years of banking experience in diverse markets across North Asia, South East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Kaushal has held senior roles across whole- sale, retail, SME banking and country management within the group. He has served as the head of corporate banking in the UAE, head of originations and client coverage in Singapore, global head of small and medium enterprises and new ventures in Singapore as well as CEO of Standard Chartered Bank in Taiwan. Under his leadership, SCB are investing in digital capabilities, partnerships, and redoubling digital efforts across markets. A digital pioneer Kaushal has led the acceleration of Standard Chartered’s digital transformation in the AME region, with the launch of digital banks across nine key markets across Africa. The bank also digitised its wealth management offering and has grown accounts by around 700,000. The successful establishment of these digi- tal banks through his leadership have served as a testament to the bank’s grow- ing digital footprint in the region and presence as a leader in digital banking technologies. In March 2021, Kaushal joined MoneyTap, a leading fintech company in India, as a global advisor. In 2018 and 2019, he was named the Banking CEO of the Year by EMEA Finance and CEO Middle East magazine respectively, and featured amongst Forbes’ Middle East Top Indian Leaders for two consecutive years in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Kaushal was also awarded Forbes’ Global Meets Local Top 50 Regional Executives Heading International Compa- nies in 2020 and featured in Gulf Business’ top Indian leaders in the GCC in 2020 and 2021. Prior to joining SCB in 1998, Kaushal held various positions in invest- ment banking, corporate finance and commercial banking and foreign exchange at NatWest Markets, SocGen-Crosby and American Express Bank in Mumbai. Kaushal holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Bombay University, India, and a postgraduate qualification as a chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He has also completed general management courses at Harvard Business School, INSEAD, Oxford University, and London Business School.arabianbusiness.com 49 2 0 22 MO S T INSPIRING B U SINE S S LEADER S / 2010 The year in which VI Markets was set up, providing investors in Kuwait a tailored online trading service TALAL AL AJMI CEO, VI Markets KUWAIT q The metaverse economy would be based on blockchain technology and related asset classes like NFTs and crypto” BANKING AND FINANCE A young Kuwaiti entrepreneur, founder and CEO of one of the most recognised and leading trading platforms in the Middle East, Al Ajmi established VI Markets in 2010 and was awarded best managing partner by One Financial. VI markets has come a long way since 2010, being regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) based in the UK. The FCA is the conduct regulator for nearly 60,000 financial services firms and financial markets in the UK and the prudential supervisor for 49,000 firms, setting specific standards for 19,000 firms. VI Markets offer Copy Trading, a unique, patented technology which automatically copies trading portfolio performance for individuals who want to link their accounts with a specific trader. This new technology eases the process of manag- ing one’s portfolio, and with Copy Trading, many traders can start joining the social trading revolution, and connect with other traders, discuss different strategies, copy or even mirror their trades. Another unique offering is One Connect app, which handles client’s trans- actions in a safe and secure environment and keeps all execution in one place whilst experiencing the exceptional trading tools it offers. In the future, users will enjoy a value creation platform which will allow them to optimise, upgrade and engage in real life investment activities in virtual spaces. A forward vision Al Ajmi’s vision is to empower people through education, and this what differ- entiates him from his competitors. He always believed that women needed empowerment in this field to shine as they possess a great potential and in support of this, he launched an initiative called Yasmeen. It is a forum exclu- sively for women, designed specifically to support female empowerment in business and the world of financial investment, through structured training and education in commerce and financial markets. This unique initiative in the Gulf had shown great success and was recognised by many universities, both in Kuwait and beyond. Al Ajmi strives to change the negative perception taken by many about online trading and stock market, and believes that he should share his expe- rience with those interested in online trading to allow them to start their journey the right way. He believes that social media and the internet should be used to serve education and spread awareness in the right form. He has been recognised locally and internationally for his achievements across several media platforms. Next >