Souad Jamal AlSerkal, Tabreed

Souad Jamal AlSerkal

Vice President – Strategic Communications

Tabreed

For women to be accepted, they have to be overachievers. The bottom line is whether we can deliver added value, demonstrate the connection to share price and monetary value.

What aspects of Tabreed’s gender empowerment programmes are you most proud of and why?

At Tabreed, we are strongly committed to building a diverse and inclusive work environment and culture. An initiative named Women in Tabreed was launched at the start of 2021 – the culmination of planning and a response to one of the Tabreed Employee Engagement Results 2019 focus areas. Our vision is to be the best-in-class in Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), and this initiative aims to engage and empower women across Tabreed to excel, raise awareness and transparency, and alter mindsets thereby fostering a strong culture of D&I.

How has Tabreed encouraged and benefited from women in leadership roles and management positions?

Tabreed’s stance on women in leadership roles has always been one of encouragement and support, not just in management positions, but across the board and, as mentioned above, Women in Tabreed is an initiative we can all be extremely proud of. Three words underline everything we do in this regard: Engage. Empower. Excel.

What is Tabreed’s vision towards sustainability, and what steps are being taken to achieve Tabreed’s sustainability goals? How do you engage employees in sustainability efforts?

Tabreed prides itself on being an environmentally conscious ‘green’ company and has well-documented achievements. This is not limited to our cooling services to our clients, but includes our internal policies which aim to reduce waste in our day-to-day operations and promote efficiency. In 2020, Tabreed received The Energy Management Insight Award, the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label Award, and the Future Workplace Award, in addition to harbouring the Quality Management System (QMS): ISO 9001:2015, the Environment Management System: ISO 14001:2015 (EMS), the Occupational Health and Safety Management System: ISO 45001:2018, and the Energy Management System (EnMS): ISO 50001:2018. These awards and ISO certifications are a testament to Tabreed’s focus on energy management, operational innovation and excellence, and its people.

If environmental sustainability becomes a way of life, there will be a profit margin with time. The most important part of getting there is having everyone ride the same wave.

What does Tabreed do to help its employees maintain a healthy work-life balance?

We’ve adopted many policies, such as providing employees with flexible work hours and working from home, especially for the benefit of mothers with young children. Due to the global pandemic, Tabreed has ensured that all personnel, particularly those with children, are afforded the necessary support to ensure that their responsibilities at home are tended to. We have introduced the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which offers staff and their family members a platform with 24/7 free professional support in a wide range of areas, such as mental/physical wellbeing, legal expertise, emotional support, and more.

What does women’s empowerment mean to you?

To recognise the talent, power, capabilities in each other and strive to uplift and support one another to achieve our greatest potential. At Tabreed, we believe that women’s roles are essential and key to the company’s future growth – we complement our male counterparts and without this synergy progress cannot be made.

How would you say tackling women’s empowerment changes from region to region? How is it the same?

Here, I believe, cultural nuances and historical precedence come into play. In some regions, historically and culturally, the dominant norm is the matriarchy, so empowering women to voice their opinions, be influential and make important decisions comes with ease. However, when patriarchy takes precedence, like in the majority of the world, it is truly a solemn responsibility for our brethren to step up, speak up, and allow women to occupy the space they require.

What have been your challenges navigating leadership roles as a woman in the Middle East and abroad?

Fortunately, I am in a country where the government holds women in high regard as key members of society and provides every opportunity for them to flourish. While this may not be the case across the Middle East and abroad, it is slowly being recognised as not just a necessity, but a fundamental requirement for a modern society looking forward to a prosperous future.

How do you feel your leadership is helping drive your company and the industry in a positive direction?

My perspective brings a lot to the table. The way I work is to look on a project from multiple angles, which, in turn, allows for multiple outcomes. I am a listener by nature and that helps me put a face and personality to the problem, which consequently allows me to best tackle the situation. Understanding personalities and the way each thinks allows one to 'speak the same language' as them and use the optimal solution to move forward.

In what ways are you and Tabreed helping to create leaders?

We hold 360 evaluations with external consultants who assist us with identifying each one’s strengths and weaknesses. Based on the findings, we are then able to maximise on our existing skills and address the ones requiring advancement.

Do you believe that profitability and environmental sustainability can coexist?

Absolutely. If environmental sustainability becomes a way of life, there will be a profit margin with time. The most important part of getting there is having everyone ride the same wave.

What are the challenges facing women in leadership?

The lack of support, feelings of doubt, and the difficulty of being heard in maledominated industries.

What will be the challenge for the biggest generation of female leaders?

To earn trust and overcome scepticism. For women to be accepted, they have to be overachievers. The bottom line is whether we can deliver added value, demonstrate the connection to share price and monetary value.

What advice would you give to women who are seeking out leadership roles?

My life motto is: Never change, just improve! With that, I would advise my sisters to develop thick skin, never take anything personally and continuously develop their skills and broaden their horizons.

In your opinion, are programmes and initiatives enough to close the gender gap?

No. It requires a combination of the above and education. The full mindset of the existence of the gender gap needs to be addressed.

A growing number of governments, organisations, and businesses across the world want to advance women in the workplace, but not always know how. What would you advise to them?

To simply speak, listen, then take action. Listen to women, ask about what their needs are, try and understand their perspective, and always provide a platform for women to be heard and resources to support them.

Do you believe in affirmative action policies? DoesTabreed have any affirmative action policies in place?

Certainly. Tabreed has ensured that all of our personnel are afforded equal opportunities in the workplace, particularly with a workforce as diverse as ours, who come from many different cultural backgrounds and walks of life. Currently, we have a large number of women working in senior and managerial roles within the company, including three female VPs of different departments. When opportunities arise to fill positions, we take an active approach in including all qualified personnel irrespective of their gender, religion or nationality.

How would you describe Tabreed's culture regarding women in leadership?

It is maturing. I started off with Tabreed in 2018, being the only female in top management. Today, we have three on that board and it is exhilarating to see where we’ll go next.

What is your most important diversity goal at Tabreed right now?

Diversity is a positive across all parts of society and the workplace especially. We are determined to promote the right talent into positions irrespective of someone’s gender or background – a goal every company should be aiming for, not just ours. Talent is what’s important, and we will do all we can to nurture that in our people.

SOUAD JAMAL ALSERKAL

VICE PRESIDENT - STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, TABREED

Souad Jamal AlSerkal, Vice President of Strategic Communications at Tabreed, is on Zayed University’s College of Communication and Media Sciences (CCMS) National Advisory Council and is also an Executive Board member at the Middle East Public Relations Association. She possesses extensive experience in PR, government relations, and corporate communications. She holds a Master’s degree in Sciences of International Business Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Sciences.

In her role at Tabreed, AlSerkal orchestrated communication strategies, in turn reflecting on brand positioning, brand profitability and market share. She oversees programmes that promote the company’s experts and executive management to the public and internal activities that drive employee engagement and position the communications department as an integral component of the business cycle.