2016
Abu Abdulrahman A Transformational Leader
YOUSEF BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL ZAMEL
The name ‘Al Zamel’ originates from the old Arabic phrasing which means ‘to comfort’
This commemorative tribute is dedicated to H.E. Mr. Yousef Abdulrahman Al Zamel Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy SAUDI BASIC INDUSTRIES COMPANY Former Managing Director GULF PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES COMPANY (GPIC) ON THE OCCASION OF OUR CELEBRATION OF HIS EXCELLENCY’S ESTEEMED LEADERSHIP Please accept this commemorative testimonial as a token of appreciation and valued tribute for the profound impact you have had and engraved on the Petrochemical Industry within the Middle East and around the world. Your leadership and visionary approach will guide us always. Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery, GPIC President, Kingdom of Bahrain
“He is a great negotiator, a skilled motivator, a decisive judge, a far-sighted visionary, an innovator, a seasoned businessman, a wise decision maker, a powerful communicator, a gifted strategist, a kind and warm hearted soul.�
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H.E. Mr. Yousef Abdulrahman Al Zamel
Introduction It is the dream of any current leader, or indeed, future leader, to effect change in an industry. One only has to glance over His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel’s career and bio to realize his many accomplishments and how he has managed to transform so many businesses, subsidiaries, institutions, industries and leaders with such passion and fervour, that those incredible and positive impacts will last forever. His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel has been, and continues to be the epitome and characteristic of what lies behind the meaning in his name. The name ‘Al-Zamel’ originates from the old Arabic phrasing which means ‘to comfort’; it means ‘to hold close’; it means ‘to protect’. And this truly does describe the incredible man I have come to know throughout my own career and journey at GPIC. His Excellency’s accomplishments are far-reaching and impossible to easily summarize. I humbly write these few words to try express the utter gratitude and awe I have for this great man. To try and characterize His Excellency is difficult – I do not believe that there are enough words in the dictionary or in any language that would truly pinpoint the man’s essence. He is a great negotiator, a skilled motivator, a decisive judge, a far-sighted visionary, an innovator, a tough businessman, a strong decision maker, a powerful communicator, a kind warm-hearted soul, and a gifted strategist. The proof of all of these characteristics and aptitude is clearly evident in that His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel has been distinctly different from many other leaders – he has constantly repeated his success. If ever one needed to ‘bottle’ the essence of sustainability, one would look no further than His Excellency Al-Zamel. 5
“ Focusing on his people always tops his agenda and efforts.�
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H.E. Mr. Yousef Abulrahman Al Zamel meeting with GPIC staff during the Turnaround
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His Excellency’s accomplishments are far-reaching and impossible to easily summarize.
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Visit of HRH Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim to GPIC on the occasion of inauguration of the charity gardens
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“His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel believed in himself. He turned what many believed impossible into reality.�
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During a visit by Her Highness Queen Margrethe II to GPIC in 2011
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H.E. Mr. Yousef Abdulrahman Al Zamel
Career His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Abulrahman Al-Zamel currently serves as Executive Vice President for Corporate Strategy at SABIC. He has worked his way through the ranks of this great organization, starting way back in 1977 when he was one of the very first employees to join SABIC. Over the years, this great man has taken on so many complex roles and strategic projects and, has been instrumental in so many incredible changes in the industry, that it is hard to keep pace with his accomplishments. His Excellency also served as Managing Director at Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company until June 2, 2016, and we have been wonderfully blessed to have had such a remarkable and powerful leader at our helm. In these years at GPIC, His Excellency has guided us, shaped our prosperity and given us all the possible tools and most incredible knowledge to continue to take this company forword. Every single one of us here at GPIC, is immensely humbled to have worked with such a great man. His Excellency, also took on the role of Executive Vice-President of Chemicals of SABIC Americas, Inc. and has filled this strategic role since September 2002. H.E. has also operated as an Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy & Planning for SABIC and took on the challenging role of Vice President of Chemicals Business Unit. All of these key leadership roles is testament to his expertise and immense ability to develop all of those around him. When we talk about leadership, we think of someone who is a true mentor and a true inspirer for people; someone who guides through tremendous knowledge and understanding of both the technical aspects as well as the intricacies of human behaviour. This is how I, and 13
so many others have come to experience and gain so many precious memories and moments that we have had the utmost pleasure of spending with His Excellency. He also served as vice president of marketing (SABIC Marketing); as general manager (SANAPIK - Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Marketing Company); and has held different positions in SABIC’s petrochemical, engineering and operations.
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“To try and characterize His Excellency is difficult – I do not believe that there are enough words in the dictionary or in any language that would truly pinpoint the man’s essence.“
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“ His Excellency has taught me the most powerful lesson – and that is to continuously seek to reinvent oneself.”
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H.E. Mr. Yousef Abulrahman Al Zamel during his visit to GPIC complex during the Turnaround
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A group photo with GPIC Participants during the Sixth Annual GPCA Forum
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“This great man has taken on so many complex roles and strategic projects and, has been instrumental in so many incredible changes in the industry.�
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“ If we analyse His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel’s life, one characteristic that stands out for me, is his radiating inspiration. “ 22
H.E. Mr. Yousef Abdulrahman Al Zamel
Character One of the many admired characteristics of this great man, lies in his tenacity and pure drive for success – success not only for the business, but true and tangible success for those who worked with him and around him. He is a man who, in the many years that I have come to know him, has never given up, nor ever walked away from a challenge or crisis. He has always steadfastly pursued the dreams, aspirations and visionary outlook of the great company he works for and, he has always put his colleagues and his employees first. His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel is clearly passionate about the company he works for and the people he mentors. I have, like so many, been privileged to be mentored and guided by such a great man. His Excellency taught me many great lessons in leadership and life. I will be forever grateful to His Excellency for his support to our humble company and his visionary approach to making GPIC the success it is today. His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel, was always destined to change this industry – and so many other industries over the years and during his time at SABIC. From Operations, to Finance, to Marketing to Strategy, His Excellency has driven the success of not only SABIC, but GPIC forward. Through his drive and passion, he has allowed us all to prosper and deliver over and above what we could ever imagine we could achieve. If we analyse His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel’s life, one characteristic that stands out for me, is his radiating inspiration. In business, everything comes down to people – you can have a brilliant product, a great price and even an incredible and efficient
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“His Excellency’s philosophy is that we do not know where the next incredible idea or innovative change will come from – listen to every person on every level and in every job function – we are all equal in our ability to be great.”
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H.E. Mr. Yousef Abdulrahman Al Zamel
process. But His Excellency, always knew what was of the utmost importance - and he put 100% of his efforts and focus into his people. This is what generates ongoing prosperity – and this is what true leadership is all about. His Excellency’s philosophy on putting your people first is so engendered into everything we do here at GPIC, that we have become the epitome of sustainability –because of these prominent values and beliefs of this great man. Further, it can be seen that His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel believed not in concepts or products, but in dreams and possibilities. His Excellency taught us that anything is possible – that all it takes is strength in belief and passionate and dedicated people around you. His Excellency has proven, time and again, that passion, enthusiasm and a sense of purpose beyond the actual product, is what separates average companies and average people, from those companies that are powerfully prosperous and people who are tremendously passionate about what they do? Breakthrough innovation requires creativity, and creativity requires that we think differently about the way we think. His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel has demonstrated and highlighted the importance of creativity and uniqueness in the way we do business. His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel created new ideas precisely because he has spent a lifetime sharing knowledge, gaining knowledge, looking at the industry and the products from completely fresh eyes. His Excellency believes in bringing together vastly different groups of people and diverse experiences in order to generate those new ideas and new inspirations that will set a company apart from the others. Further, His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel believes in deep and meaningful trust and respect amongst colleagues, peers and subordinates.
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A group photo during the Annual Celebration 2015
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H.E. Mr. Yousef Abulrahman Al Zamel during an event organised by the Labour Union to honour Employees’ Children
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H.E. Mr. Yousef Abdulrahman Al Zamel
Leadership The term, ‘leadership’ is often banded about the place, in boardrooms, in corridors, in the vast number of books and articles out today. We know that there are basically two types of organizational leaders – the transactional and the transformational. Transactional leaders are the ones who work with the safety of the status quo. Transformational leaders strive with all their might to change the existing order of things. They are the ones who bring about major, positive change for a group, organization or society. We have seen that His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel was able to direct his people and make them do things which they had never done before, but these things were also essential for the realization of his vision and plans. For His Excellency, leadership boils down to the ethics and the integrity of the person placed in the position to lead you. Essential to these ethics and integrity of leadership, is the belief in oneself. His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel believed in himself. He turned what many believed impossible into reality. This focus helped him and the many divisions and sectors he led within SABIC, to overcome difficulties, uncertainties, and new beginnings, and made him the architect of many successful company results. His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel believes that passion and determination drives innovation. He has also believed and helped us understand that any Manager or Leader is only as good as the people who surround them – in fact, His Excellency strongly believes that the people around you reflects the person you are inside.
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“Essential to these ethics and integrity of leadership, is the belief in oneself.“
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His Excellency also has driven the importance of relationships among employees and a company’s customers, into our values and philosophy. His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel has always intuitively understood that the greatest advantage of any organization remains its people. So throughout his esteemed and incredible career, his focus has not mainly been on managing products, but on inspiring and developing the great future leaders of the company. I strongly believe that this is what has continued to motivate his many department and division teams, and indeed this humble company of GPIC, to achieve the impossible. His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel has always had the extraordinary ability to not just take an average individual, but already great people, and push them even further to make them even better.
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“Through his drive and passion, he has allowed us all to prosper and deliver over and above what we could ever imagine we could achieve.� 36
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“ For His Excellency, leadership boils down to the ethics and the integrity of the person placed in the position to lead.�
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H.E. Yousef Abdulrahman Al Zamel in a group photo with GPIC Ladies
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“ There are not enough words or language to describe this great man.�
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“His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel has always had the extraordinary ability to not just take an average individual, but already great people, and push them even further to make them even better.“ 42
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H.E. Mr. Yousef Abdulrahman Al Zamel
In Closing As I have tried to express in the beginning, there are not enough words or language to describe this great man, His Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel. He is truly an entrepreneur, a philosopher and above all, one of the most incredible teachers I will ever have the privilege of meeting and working with for so many years. His unique way of looking at and relating to life has inspired so many hundreds, if not thousands of people working in our industry – not only in SABIC, but across the region and around the world. His Excellency has taught me the most powerful lesson – and that is to continuously seek to reinvent oneself. Whether by improving one’s knowledge and understanding of a business, product or process, or by developing a new and empowering psychology that shapes the values, morals and ethics by which we strive to live. His Excellency’s practical yet profound mentorship has given us great insight into what is important and what it takes to succeed. When leaders are asked to look back on their careers, and think about what shaped them the most, they invariably point to certain experiences they’ve had. The ones that taught them to deal with uncertainty, perhaps, or to stand up to a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Although possibly some training or experience on the job may have helped them along the way, it is the mentorship they receive from another leader that makes the real difference in their understanding; in their career, and in their lives. Your Excellency, Mr. Yousef Al Zamel, you are our experience, our mentor and you have made a real and long lasting difference in all of our lives.
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We thank you for all of your years with us and we cannot come close to expressing our utmost gratitude to you and for your exceptional and significant leadership throughout the years.
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“Your values and your philosophy will be with us always.”
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