RA C Y T I M E P I E C E S WATCHES WITH SPEEDY STYLE SUS TAINABL E L U XUR Y CRAFTING AN ETHICAL JOURNEY DUBAI’S T O P TA BLES HOT TABLES FOR POWER LUNCHES THE POWER OF MENTORING CEO X 1 DAY PROGRAMME WHAT INSPIRES THE REGION’S ENTREPRENEURS? WHAT DEFINES GREAT LEADERSHIP? BANKING ON DIGITAL How Standard Chartered redefined the parameters of digital banking GENERATION GAME Making the most of your millennial workforce DRIVING FORCE Corporate culture and leadership at Pirelli PLUS AUGUST 2019 # 151 THE GUIDE TO GOOD BUSINESS AND BETTER LIVING SPE C I A L IS SUE UA E AED 20 BAHR AIN BHD 2 KUW A IT KWD 2 OM AN OMR 2 Arabian Business AU GU ST 2 019 LES S ONS FROM LE A D ER SEarn a World-class Masters Programme without putting your career on hold Permitted by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority. Trt crate of Dubai by all public and privf. The University of Manchester Middle East Centre info@manchester.ac.ae | +971(0)4 446 8664 www.manchester.ac.aeAU GU ST 2 0 19 CEO MIDDLE E A ST 3 contents August 2019 12 15 16 18 2826 24 Business 12 NEWS A round-up of regional news 15 F I VE MINU T E S WI T H Aly Sharif reveals the perfect storm that brought him to Citymax 16 BRAND VIEW: SOBHA REALTY Jyotsna Hegde shares her vision for bringing out employee potential 18 INSIGHT: DIGITAL BANKING Standard Chartered’s CEO Sunil Kaushal believes continuous learning is key to innovating in the digital sphere 20 HOT TOPIC: MILLENNIALS How Mazen Altaruti of MSD makes the most of his workforce Leadership 22 LESSONS FROM LEADERS What does it take to be an effective business leader in the 21st century? 24 DISRUPTIVE APPS: JUSTCLEAN Redefining the world of laundry 26 VISA SERVICES: VFS GLOBAL Zubin Karkaria continues to make investments in technology and customer experience 28 ENTERTAINMENT: STARZPLAY Maaz Sheikh of StarzPlay shares his journey to the top 32 TRANSPORT: SERVICEMYCAR.AE Ozair Puda reveals why the industry has nowhere to go but up 34 ISLAMIC FINANC: EQUITATIVA Racha Alkhawaja shares her formula for overseeing the largest Sharia-compliant REIT in the world4 C EO M I D D L E E A S T AU GU ST 2 0 19 35 HEALTHCARE: MEDICA GROUP Group CEO Elias Chabtini is changing the face of the medical beauty industry 36 C O N G L O M E R AT E : LULU GROUP INTERNATIONAL Adeeb Ahamed believes in the importance of embracing acquisitions as a strategy for expansion, but also in giving back 38 LAW: KING & WOOD MALLESONS DUBAI Managing partner Tim Taylor believes in the ‘power of together’ as a unifying theme for an international team 40 PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING: LINKEDIN MENA MENA head Ali Matar says the region needs to seize top talent and provide opportunities in this era of artificial intelligence 41 LOGISTICS: DHL Regional CEO Nour Suliman says not even conflicts in dangerous areas can deter the company from delivering its customers packages 42 MEDIA AND MARKETING: MOJO PR Communications expert Tara Rogers is passionate about telling brand stories and mentoring a new generation of PR mavens 44 AUTOMOTIVE: MERCEDES-BENZ Industry leader Thomas Klein reveals what has fueled his career trajectory and how he fosters a culture of excellence at the car maker 45 EDUCATION INITIATIVES: DANUBE WELFARE CENTRE Director Shabnam Kassam reveals how its education programme is benefitting blue-collar workers at Danube 46 WEL FARE AND SOCIETY: SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES Jumana Abu-Hannoud is serving a programme that has helped more than 13 million children around the world 50 PRIVATE EQUITY: BERKELEY ASSETS Entrepreneur Omar Jackson says a modern business leader must prioritise workplace culture and employee happiness Pleasure 54 S TYLE: JEWELLERY One of the most versatile jewellers, Boucheron pieces span the classical, modern, minimalist and extravagant 56 STYLE: MEN From Berluti suits to Bally wallets, we present the must haves for men with an eye for style 58 STYLE: MEN’S WATCHES We take a look at some of the timepieces that enjoy an affinity with motorsport 60 STYLE: WOMEN The latest offerings from Dolce & Gabbana, Henry Jacques, Longchamp and Louis Vuitton 62 STAY: SHERATON GRAND PARK LANE, LONDON The landmark is renowned as the best Art Deco hotel in London 64 CLIENT DINNER: PARU BY AKIRA BACK Contemporary Japanese food with a global flair at Caesars 65 BUSINESS L U NCH: MINA BRASSERIE, DIFC A slick city eatery ideal for mixing business with pleasure 66 SUSTAINABLE GEMS Is the watch and jewellery industry doing enough? contents August 2019 54 58 28 3538 56 62IFCampaign_CEOME_ENG_205x270_OL.pdf 1 6/25/19 5:02 PM6 C EO M I D D L E E A S T AU GU ST 2 0 19 T CEO MIDDLE EAST, WE WRITE about the business of doing business. It’s our belief that the best kind of leadership – visionary, empathetic, sustainable and responsible – makes the world a better place. In a world where high-profile leaders are increasingly notable for traits of intolerance, obfuscation, dishonesty and corruption, we think it’s important to shine an unwavering light on the men and women who are diligently building empires that simultaneously make a contribution to the greater good. Uniting people and the planet with profit (thank you, Jumana Al-Hannoud for that satisfyingly alliterative description) is the overriding theme that unites our Lessons from Leaders edition, the first of two. In this issue, we are delighted to celebrate the achievements of visionaries whose commercial successes have gone hand in hand with a determination to give something back, whether to employees, the environment or society. Responding to our questions about innovation, decision making and principles, they share life experiences with generosity. It is our aim to elevate and educate through sharing these insights and their answers affirm our beliefs about success. One of the questions we asked was ‘What are the three characteristics of great leadership? “Not expecting a colleague to do anything you wouldn’t be prepared to do yourself” was one answer. “Empathy, consistency and fairness,” was another. Transparency, a positive mindset and willingness to take calculated risks were some of the other qualities identified by our group of interviewees. Turn to page 24 to begin your journey through the region’s winning mind-sets. Meanwhile, in our Leisure section we once again cover some of the ways in which the fruits of your entrepreneurial success can be enjoyed. We take an indulgent look at some of the finest new timepieces – one of our favourite ways to discreetly signify your success – as well as suggesting venues in which to unite the pleasure of a good meal with a business discussion out of the office. Restaurants are one of our favourite places to do business and there’s something wonderfully intimate about sharing a meal with someone while you discuss your day. It not only breaks down barriers, but it forges bonds. This month, we visited Mina Brasserie in DIFC, a stylish and conveniently located restaurant with a focus on fuss-free food. We also took a trip down to Paru at Caesars Palace – if you’re looking for a restaurant with a ‘wow’ factor, the combination of incredible sea views and fantastic dishes cannot be beaten. Turning to matters sartorial, we anticipate cooler times with the advent of autumn style collections. It seems like summer’s relentless weather may never end, but it’s good to have something to look forward to if like us, you’ve spent a disproportionally large amount of time in the region this summer. And judging by the number of CEOs we met with over the past few weeks, it seems that the traditionally ‘quiet’ time of the year isn’t all that quiet after all; or at least not if you are possessed of the kind of work ethic displayed by the men and women we’ve been speaking with. Enjoy the issue. LET’S PUT PEOPLE AND THE PLANET ALONGSIDE PROFIT FROM THE EDITOR A Share your views on thought leadership and innovation by getting in touch. J O I N TH E C E O D I S C U S SI O N Jola.Chudy@itp.com JOLA CHUDY Editor in Chief ED IT OR ’S P OR TR AI T: O LI VE R @ P HO TO SO LU TI ON S. M ECelebrating 15 years of recognising the most iconic projects, influential figures and ground breaking companies in the Middle East construction sector, the Construction Week Awards are the ultimate accolade for industry professionals in the region. Come to celebrate the success of the industry and visit www.constructionweekonline.com/awards today to find out how you can be involved in the event. 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