APRIL 2021 # 168 THE GUIDE TO GOOD BUSINESS AND BETTER LIVING HIGHER COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY PRESIDENT AND CEO DR ABDULLATIF AL SHAMSI OUTLINES A NEW VISION FOR EDUCATION SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP UA E AED 20 KSA SAR 20 BA HR A IN BHD 2 KUWA IT KWD 2 OM AN OMR 2 www.amaala.com AMAALA, located along Saudi Arabia’s northwest coast, is an ultra-luxury destination that focuses on curating transformative personal journeys inspired by arts, wellness and the purity of the Red Sea. AMAALA will allow travellers to immerse themselves in the finest wellness, art, culture, sports and fitness offerings, redefining the tourism experience. Hidden A GemAP R I L 202 1 CEO MIDDLE E A ST 3 contents 8 10 1618 7 LETTER FRO M TH E ED ITO R Business 8 HEALT H IS WEALT H The health of employees is critical to balance sheet recovery, say Middle East CEOs 10 SUS TAINABL E INVES T ING Are GCC families leading or lagging in sustainable investing? 12 IS YOUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT HUMAN ENOUGH? A cornerstone of company culture, in 2021 your HR team needs to be much more than an enforcer of company policy 14 TH E G E NTLE A R T In crisis times, when the stakes are high, negotiation is crucial, writes Vikas Arora, Chief Financial Officer, Action Group of companies 16 PR OTECT Y O U R WO R K FO R C E Quentyn Taylor, Canon EMEA Director of Information Security, on how to safeguard your team and digital assets at home or in the office 18 B R A N DV I E W: A S C I R A Inside a new education scheme launching in the region 12 April 2021Leadership 20 FIVE LESSONS LEARNED BY CEOS Stephen Anderson, Middle East Strategy and Markets Leader for PwC Middle East, provides his thoughts on the key take-aways from the last 12 months 22 COVER STORY: HIGHER COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY Dr Abdullatif Al Shamsi, president and CEO of the Higher Colleges of Technology, is guiding the UAE’s largest applied higher education institution towards its ambitious sustainability goals 28 A GREENER VISION Renewable energy sources are key for post-pandemic green recovery, says Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi 32 AIMING HIGH Zenith CEO Julien Tornare talks strategy, goals and workplace culture at the luxury brand 34 MAXIMUM IMPACT How did an independent watch company not only survive, but thrive during an economic crisis? Founder Max Büsser tells CEO about the mix of creativity, idealism and working with the very best 4 C EO M I D D L E E A S T AP R I L 202 1 contents April 2021 28 32 34AP R I L 202 1 CEO MIDDLE E A ST 5 44 48 42 Pleasure 36 SUITABLY ATTIRED Spring seasonal style for men 38 EXECUTIVE HEALTH: MEAL PLANS Can a plant-based, nutritionally balanced meal delivery service overhaul your health? CEO finds out 40 EXECUTIVE DRIVE The Lamborghini URUS offers thrills... and space 42 LUXURY LEADER As tasteful, understated and rare as you could hope for, A.Lange & Söhne watches are for the man or woman who understands the true value of quality 44 LOCAL ESCAPE: ATLANTIS CEO rounds up the best of vacations that don't need a travel corridor or PCR test 46 LOCAL ESCAPE: JUMEIRAH BEACH HOTEL Life’s a beach at this popular resort that gives guests the full vacation vibe, minus airport queues 48 FOOD FOR THOUGHT A round-up of tasty tables for April 50 AN ELUSIVE BALANCE The work-life balance is harder than ever, say Lighthouse Arabia's mental health experts. Employers and employees need to work together to find sustainable solutions contents April 2021 366 C EO M I D D L E E A S T AP R I L 202 1 To receive your copy delivered directly to your door, subscribe online at www.itp.net/subscriptions The most important business people and CEOs talk to the most important magazine The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. 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MEDIAA P R I L 2 0 2 1 C EO M I D D L E E A S T 7 ED IT OR ’S P OR TR AI T: O LI VE R @ P HO TO SO LU TI ON S. M E here are several hot topics within the business community that although important prior to Covid-19, have risen to the top of agendas. It has taken the effects of a microscopic virus — effects that continue to reverberate through our lives — to put them in the spotlight. Perhaps the most personal to us as individuals is the huge subject of mental health. Isolation, instability and insecu- rity have exacerbated anxiety in today’s global workforce more than any single event has in modern history. Employers who wish to safeguard everything from their corporate culture to their bottom line must not fail to address this as one of the most pressing issues. It needs to be addressed in a multi- pronged approached, from changing the mind-set of central functions such as human resources, internal communica- tion style, to being flexible enough to re-assess long-held rules and amending them or dispensing with them entirely as the situation demands. CEOs had to address a completely new suite of challenges in 2021 and continue to do so, such as working from home, uncertainty over job security, fear of the virus, and employees with families who have to suddenly balance home schooling. The human resource depart- ment is more crucial than ever, but as our experts discover, there isn’t simply enough ‘human’ in this department in many companies. “When human resources is merely functioning as enforcement of compa- ny policies and procedures, it is sti- fling the work of those colleagues that create their salaries,” writes innova- tion expert Nicola Jane Ablett. Read what she has to say about this critical function in ensuring a sustainable, holistic approach to your workforce, page 12, and see what mental health expert and Lighthouse Arabia psy- chologist Ronette Zaaiman has to say about how parents especially have found the work-life balance harder than ever, page 50. Experts from PwC lend their insights to the broader topic of health on page 8, while on page 38 we are reminded that the foundation for good mental and physical health starts with nutrition. The topic of sustainable leadership and business is of course not a new one, but it is one that needs to be revisited and revised for the current climate. Our cover star Dr Abdullatif Al Shamsi, president and CEO of the High- er Colleges of Technology, is shaping the next generation of global leaders and his insights into education and the business landscape are enlightening and incred- ibly valuable. Sustainability, along with crucial leadership skills, anticipating new challenges, streamlining operations and effectively engaging customers are all topics of concern and interest for many of you; it is our mandate, as always, to reflect these and share the latest best practices from leading voices. Jola Chudy Editor-in-Chief FROM THE EDITOR T Share your views on thought leadership and innovation by getting in touch. Q U ESTI O N S? CO M M E NTS? Jola.Chudy@itp.com JOLA CHUDY Editor in Chief THE ART OF THINKING AND ACTING SUSTAINABLY Shaping the leaders of tomorrow Dr Abdullatif Al Shamsi is the president and CEO of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT)8 C EO M I D D L E E A S T AP R I L 202 1 BUSINESS PWC CEO SURVEY 2021 NEWS INNOVATION MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP HALF OF THE REGION’S LEADERS BELIEVE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF STAFF SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR THEIR ORGANISATIONS MOVING FORWARD ALF OF CEOS IN THE MIDDLE EAST VIEW THE health and wellbeing of the work- force as a top priority, according to the latest survey results from PwC. H HEALTH IS WEALTH FOR THE REGION’S CEOS The consultancy giant’s 24th CEO survey revealed how bosses across the region are applying the lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic in order to seize op- portunities for growth moving forward. With the sudden shift to remote work- ing almost exactly a year ago, as part of measures aimed at controlling the spread A P R I L 2 0 2 1 C EO M I D D L E E A S T 9 wellbeing of the workforce should be a priority that businesses help deliver — up from 46 percent in 2016. The report said: “The physical and mental health of their employees is a “I THINK THERE WAS A CLEAR PICK- UP IN CEOS SEEING THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF THEIR EMPLOYEES AS A FUNDAMENTAL” Human resource The spotlight remains on wellbeing among the workforce as CEOs look to build more resilient, agile organisations of coronavirus, came a subsequent focus on mental health as the line between work- ing from home and leisure time became blurred. Twelve months into the crisis, and while many have returned to the office, the spotlight remains on wellbeing among the workforce as CEOs look to build more resilient, agile organisations. The survey revealed that employee welfare has been pushed up the corporate agenda, with 50 percent of Middle East CEOs agreeing that the good health and business priority, in a world where the pandemic will continue to disrupt work and home life during 2021.” According to the World Health Organi- sation (WHO), the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted or, in some cases, halted critical mental health services in 93 percent of countries worldwide, while the demand for mental health is increasing. It revealed that countries spend less than 2 percent of their health budgets on mental health and it is expected that in the next ten years, depression will put more burden on nations than any other disease. Stephen Anderson, Middle East Strat- egy and Markets Leader for PwC Middle East, told CEO Middle East sister title Arabian Business: “There has been a much stronger focus on health and wellbeing. I think there was a clear pick-up in CEOs seeing the health and wellbeing of their employees as a fundamental.” Alarming Depression will put more burden on nations than any other disease, according to the World Health Organisation “I THINK THERE WAS A CLEAR PICK- UP IN CEOS SEEING THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF THEIR EMPLOYEES AS A FUNDAMENTAL” “I THINK THERE WAS A CLEAR PICK- UP IN CEOS SEEING THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF THEIR EMPLOYEES AS A FUNDAMENTAL”Next >