The 10 Most Influential HR Leaders To Follow, 2023

Mohamad Kheir Group HR Director Power Internaonal Holding

TThe advancements in emerging technologies are transforming the traditional working methods of the business world. It is resulting in the creation of a new transition for the way in which businesses execute their virtual and modern-day operations. These augmentations have led to significant enrichments in management styles and requirements, especially for an HR leader.

Hire character. Train skill.

Over the past few years, HR leaders have been endeavoring with less complex tasks and responsibilities like keeping a track record of the management, adhering to compliance, and fostering healthy employee relationships. However, today, HR pros often find themselves in constant contact with prominent business leaders all over the globe. With the advent of technology, many tasks that were formerly done with a manual approach are now being managed through automated systems.

Today's HR leaders find themselves to be responsible for managing and strengthening the company's culture, managing fast-paced changes, and empowering employees to ensure the smooth functioning of all the primary business operations.

Above all these functions, HR leaders are prompt in ensuring good communication and ensure that the employees and the organization are synced with each other. An essential trait of any coherent HR leader is exhibiting integrity and instinctively caring for the employees in the workplace.

A great leader is one who thrives with a vision—a resultoriented approach, and a goal-oriented mindset. Additionally, they also envision a secure future for the organization with a strategy that maintains the identification of the working principles—mitigation of potential growth opportunities while surmounting the challenges and remaining ahead of the curve.

These leaders are also formulating and deploying their best approach to attract, retain, and enhance operations with a shared vision to boost and scale the progress of the organization through strategic talent management. All these aspects need passion to plan out the essential functions by continuous learning and developing the traits that benchmark excellence for any organization.

Shedding some light on the staunch HR leaders in the niche, Insights Success features some of the enthralling stories of " The 10 Most Influential HR Leaders To Follow, 2023 ."

Flip through the pages and indulge yourself in the odyssey of exhibiting sheer brilliance and achieving the lifelong learning that paves a path to achieving the most valuable asset of your life.

Have a Delightful Read!

Cover Story

Featured Person

Anish Singh Head of HR

The Most Influential

LEADERS 2023

Brief Company Name

Unilever unilever.com

Anish brings unique set of competencies as an HR Leader who creates an institutionalized mechanism for driving business performance, wears Business & HR hat together, galvanize work on growth agenda, Transformation projects, energizes employee engagement and mentors/develops leaders across functions.

Edrees Al Mansour Group General Manager Human Resource

Hoda Elawadi Head Of Human Resources

Katia Hallak Head Of Human Resources

Mohamad Kheir Group HR Director

Prasanth Edassari Global Chief Human Resource Officer

Sahar Taleb

Chief Omnipreneurship

Stacey Geland HR Practitioner

Sunil Kumar Chief Human Resources

Yomna Khalil

Chief Human Resources

Al Babtain Group of Companies albabtaingroup.com.kw

WEHBE Insurance Services LLC

Emirates National Schools wehbeinsured.com

Power International Holding powerholding-intl.com

House of Shipping houseofshipping.com

Al-Dabbagh Group aldabbagh.com

Quantum Foods Holdings Limited quantumfoods.co.za

Frontline Logistics Group flcorporate.com

AstraZeneca astrazeneca.com

Edrees is an HR Leader with a proven record of effectively leading HR functions to support companies’ strategic objectives.

Hoda is a Senior HR Professional with UAE & MNC exposure. Experienced across various industries within GCC.

Katia Hallak is a Head of Human Resources at Emirates National Schools based in Abu Dhabi.

Drawing upon a long-term career Mohamad is an accomplished and top-performing professional with rich experience in strategic HRM, organisational development, talent and performance management, HR transformation & digitalization and compensation and benefits.

Prasanth is a keen observer of human nature with 20 years of experience in people management at senior levels equipped with an MBA in Human Resource Management.

Sahar discovers and develops innovative solutions to foster the transition towards clean energy.

Stacey holds approximately 16 years of experience working in highly pressurized environments, in which she managed to produce a high standard of work.

Sunil has been leading multiple business units and has been involved in the key decision-making processes, strategy formulation and implementation.

Yomna has the ability to understand, isolate, and resolve complex technical problems that lie within the diverse realms of security solutions, operating systems and the often broad nature of a customer’s environment.

Mohamad Kheir

Group HR Director

Power Internaonal Holding

At the heart of every successful organization is a strong culture that fosters engagement, growth and a sense of purpose for its employees.

The role of Human Resources (HR) has evolved

significantly over the years. What was once viewed as a support function has now become a critical driver of an organization's success. Today, HR professionals are at the forefront of leading and shaping an organization's people strategy, residing on the delicate cusp between people and business.

A successful HR leader understands the intricacies of the business's operations and knows how to leverage human capital towards achieving growth.

Mohamad Kheir , Group HR Director of Power International Holding is a proficient leader with a verifiable history of success in creating robust people training and development culture/programs, developing, driving, and executing strategic HR initiatives to promote operational excellence and accomplishing business objectives.

In an interview with Insights Success, Mohamad Kheir shares valuable facts highlighting his professional tenure and his journey as an HR leader in the dynamic business arena.

Below are the excerpts from the interview :

Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at Power International Holding. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today?

Throughout my career, I have gained a broad knowledge and success in HR functions including talent acquisition/retention, benefits, compensation, training, risk management, and employee relations.

Skilled in leading HRIS, HR AI, Metaverse in HR learning, Robotics in HR, applying RPAs in Government affairs, Chatbot AI, succession planning and career development, automation and digitisation, go green initiatives, paperless employee relations transactions. Knack for workforce planning and implementation, staff monitoring, and talent development.

In my existing role as the Regional Group HR Director of Power International Holding, I play a genuine role as an Intuitive leader with expertise in coaching and developing

teams for the organisations to support continuous improvement and drive strategies that improve the business. Reaching here wouldn't be easy without penciling down a proper individual development plan and assertion on reaching your objectives even against the wind.

The Human Resources function has experienced a dramatic transformation over the past century. Along the way, roles and responsibilities have shifted as internal business models, and external market conditions have changed.

The evolution of the perception of HR, however, has not kept pace. HR is beginning to break from its traditional, process-oriented role into a new, strategic function that solves real business problems.

Tell us something more about your company and its mission and vision.

Power International Holding (PIH) is a diversified business conglomerate, grouped into 5 main sectors: General Contracting, Industries & Services, Agriculture & Food Industries, Real Estate and Lifestyle (Hospitality, Entertainment & Catering).

At PIH, we are committed to the sustainability and success of each entity, providing them with the necessary tools, resources, and centralized functional support to ensure development and growth. Our focus on specialization allows each business to strive towards achieving the organization's objectives and goals.

With a rich history of successfully completing complex projects across diverse sectors worldwide, PIH has accumulated a wealth of experience, making us knowledgeable experts in each of our fields.

At our core, we are driven by a powerful vision: to create a brighter future for Qatar and the world. Our mission is to achieve this vision by maximizing stakeholder value through the efficient management and support of a diversified portfolio of businesses.

To achieve this mission, we are committed to continuously refining our business strategies and operations, leveraging our expertise and resources to drive growth and profitability across our portfolio. We strive to foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence within our

organization, empowering our teams to develop and implement creative solutions that address the needs of our stakeholders and the wider community.

Enlighten us on how you have been impacting the HR management sector through your expertise in the market.

As a regional Group HR Director, I direct all the aspects of regional employee relations, government affairs, payroll, talent management, C&B, talent development, HRIS.

Oversee all the facets of human resources function, including providing leadership, encouraging teamwork, collaboration and facilitating related work processes to achieve high-performance standards and staff pride in performance and contribution. Render exceptional HR services and information to leaders, managers, staff, and clients accurately and in a cost-effective manner across Asia and Europe region.

Ensure two-way communication between division and group HR on strategy, changes, developments, and feedback. Act as a core advisor to the executive management team on critical organisational and management strategy. Establish a culture of transparency, diversity equity, inclusion, and personal growth based on HR initiatives. Develop competencies framework and ensure the successful implementation of SAP SuccessFactors.

Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization.

At PIH, we believe that our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is integral to our success as a responsible corporation. We recognize that our economic, socio-cultural, and environmental practices are

Our mission is to maximize stakeholder value by efficiently managing and supporting a diversified portfolio of businesses.

interdependent and that our long-term interests are best served by prioritizing sustainable development and social well-being.

As a responsible corporation, we are dedicated to respecting the interests of all our stakeholders, including our employees, customers, suppliers, industry partners, and the wider community. We strive to create value for our stakeholders through our operations and investments, driving economic growth, social progress, and environmental sustainability.

Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful?

Technology is playing a significant role in driving business performance and boosting productivity. It is becoming essential for day-to-day business running and achieving growth and success when utilized effectively. Undeniably, technology plays a major role in minimizing operational costs and maximizing revenues. In HR, we leverage technology to improve business performance using cloudbased solutions SAP Success Factors, e-learning, AI and integrated career path. I have successfully integrated the competencies framework with every job profile while taking into consideration the levels of proficiency for every role.

What, according to you, could be the next significant change in the HR management sector? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change?

Changing the operating model is essential from a traditional federated, hierarchical HR model with customers on the outside and siloed HR groups to a people-centric HR operating model while taking into consideration the hybrid work model for collaboration.

In addition, with technological advances, the metaverse workplace offers virtual reality environments that let you work from anywhere in the world. While these changes happen in technological aspects, change management implements efficient strategies to execute changes, control them and help people to adapt to them.

Change management should consider digital adoption, identify the change agents, consider the change as part of the culture, and surely to be humanized with a data-driven approach.

PIH is part of that change while considering people analytics where it highlights the following key areas, diversity and inclusion, employee experience, retention, workforce planning and talent acquisition. Furthermore, moving from employee well-being to a holistic, healthy organization that goes beyond the physical health and safety of the employees to more flexibility and opportunities for their training and empowerment.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for Power International Holding?

The digital transformation will never end, starting from automating the day-to-day operations, automating onboarding and offboarding processes, and employee and manager self-services, till we embed AI in our daily work. AI and chatbots are the next big thing to replace tier 0 and tier 1 in the HR service delivery model and while implementing the same, we should always keep in mind that employee centricity shall always domain and humanize the process maps.

It is additionally digitizing the succession planning and integrating it with predefined frameworks from identifying the critical roles across the organization, assessing and selecting the potential successors, evaluating the gap, developing and grooming the identified successors and monitoring to review and track the progress.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the HR Management industry?

If you're an aspiring entrepreneur looking to start a business in the HR management industry, here are a few pieces of advice that could help you on your journey:

Get familiar with the HR industry: It's essential to have a good understanding of the HR industry, including the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities. This knowledge will help you develop a better product or service that addresses the needs of your target audience.

Identify your niche: There are various areas in HR management, such as recruitment, payroll, benefits administration, employee training and development, and more. It's crucial to identify the specific area you want to focus on and build your business around that niche.

Develop a unique value proposition: With so many HR management businesses out there, it's essential to have a unique value proposition that sets you apart from the competition. Identify the key benefits of your product or service and emphasize them in your marketing efforts.

Build a strong team: Your team is the backbone of your business, and it's essential to hire the right people for the job. Look for individuals with experience and skills in HR management, customer service, sales, and marketing.

Leverage technology: The HR industry is becoming increasingly technology-driven, and it's crucial to keep up with the latest software and tools to streamline your operations and provide a better customer experience.

Establish partnerships: Building relationships with other businesses in the HR management industry can help you expand your reach and provide additional services to your customers.

Focus on customer service: Providing excellent customer service is essential for building a loyal customer base. Ensure that your team is trained to provide exceptional customer service and that you have processes in place to address any customer concerns or issues that arise.

Starting a business in the HR management industry can be challenging, but with the right strategy and approach, it can also be incredibly rewarding. Good luck!

At our core, we are driven by a powerful vision: to create a brighter future for Qatar and the world.

Anish Singh Creating a Better Future for Human Workers Anish Singh

The world of work is experiencing one of its most

challenging times in history as disruptive situations and technologies are redefining what the future of work would look like. Terms like a 4-day working week, hybrid mode, and others are becoming common. Artificial Intelligence powered technologies are bringing automation in the most unexpected sectors. In such times of turbulent change, business leaders and workers alike wonder about what success and stability will look like in the future and whether they will be able to cope.

Getting ahead of the trends in the future of work is Anish Singh , Head of HR - Australia & New Zealand at Unilever. Anish is an HR leader who works with business leaders in establishing the Human Resource function as an intangible asset while also leading the future of work programs at Unilever for the future worker.

Anish wears a Business & HR hat together. He brings a unique set of competencies as an HR Leader, creating an institutionalized mechanism for driving business performance, galvanizing work on growth agenda, leading several transformation projects, energizing employee engagement, and mentoring/developing leaders across functions. He loves to work with business leaders to create the future.

In an exclusive interview with Insights Success , Anish Singh paints a picture of what the future of work will be like.

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Briefly describe your professional journey up until now. What challenges did you face along the way?

My purpose is "Play & Paint Together a Masterpiece." I take pride in establishing the Human Resource function as a competitive advantage and love to engage with business

leaders to create the future. In my career over the years, I have had the privilege of working with CPG, the Financial Sector & industrial sectors in various roles. These roles range from Global to Regional, Country Lead role, setting up new businesses, leading large-scale Growth Transformation programs/Strategy, Change Management Programs, Organisation Design, Expertise roles in People Development/Employer Branding, Recruitment, Performance Management, Sales HRBP, Industrial Relations, and advisory board responsibilities.

What significant impact have you brought to the HR industry?

In recent years, I have played a key role in transforming business for profitable growth, demonstrated the largest & longest successful implementation of 4 day working week, been recognized as the employer of choice by Australian Financial Review, and did leading work in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion resulting in Unilever to be recognized as an employer of choice for the last five years in a row.

Tell us about Unilever and its foundation pillar.

Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Its products are available in around 190 countries. Unilever's largest brands include Dove, Sunsilk, Knorr, Lux, Lifebuoy, Sunlight, Rexona/Degree, Axe/Lynx, Ben & Jerry's, Omo/Persil, Wall's ice creams, Hellmann's, and Magnum. Unilever is organized into three main divisions: Foods and Refreshments, Home Care, and Beauty & Personal Care.

How does Unilever promote workforce flexibility, and what is your role in it?

Unilever has always been working to suit the need of employees, and flexibility is our currency. Under Future of Work cornerstones, we promote doing experiments for the

Anish Singh Head of HR, Unilever

future of working (e.g., 4-day working week), future of worker (U work), future of workplace (hybrid), and future skills (future fit plan). These reflect the different development routes that each of our employees may be on at any point in time. They recognize that many people will be working differently. But wherever somebody is, we will help them to be ready for today and their future working life.

What is your take on technology's importance, and how are you leveraging it?

Technology is vital to accuracy in today's fast-paced world, and to our business in every part, it's absolutely important. Our take is to be advancing and keep ahead in the game of HR through technology.

What will be the next significant change in the human resource industry, and how are you preparing for it?

The world of work of tomorrow is going to be very different. HR will move from "process-thinking" to

"experience thinking." The "blended workforce" will grow exponentially. Many experiments will start with the future of work and inside the HR function: virtualize, externalize, unbundle jobs, start networking, live the gig economy by example, partner up with multiple providers, crowdsource.

What are your goals in the upcoming future?

Our goal is our vision is to help make an awesome organization impacting people, profit, and the planet.

What advice would you like to give the next generation of aspiring business leaders?

Listen deeply, co-create, build design thinking, and be agile. Be ready; technology will disrupt and help you, so being ahead of the curve will help.

Edrees Al Mansour

Nurturing Human Capital towards Enhancing Business Performance

With a proven record of supporting companies’ strategic objectives with HR functions, Edrees Al Mansour, Group General Manager Human Resources of Abdul Aziz Saud Al Babtain Group of Companies is leading with great effectiveness.

Edrees has been continually implementing HR initiatives, policies and procedures that attract and retain talent while maintaining productivity and bottom-line results. He has successfully managed multimillion-dollar budgets and worker counts of more than 8000 in corporations with offices in Kuwait, the GCC, and abroad. He has received training in cutting-edge Canadian and British institutions as well as in international HR best practices. He is a specialist in assisting executive management with successful HR strategies.

AbdulAziz Saud Al Babtain & Sons Group began as a consumer goods distributor. It eventually diversified over the years with activities covering a broad spectrum of sectors, such as FMCG,F&B,Tobacco, Consumer Electronics & Home Appliances, Central Air Conditioning, Agricultural, Real Estate, Hospitality, Investments, Manufacturing, and others.

Today the Group is adopting a strategic plan that is aimed not only at maintaining business sustainability but is also growth-oriented. As a result, recently, the Group invested in upgrading its systems and solutions infrastructure, and current executive management is introducing operational efficiencies in all sectors, all geared to ensure a stronger position for the Group and provide it with a competitive edge to gain higher grounds among other large groups of companies in Kuwait.

In an exclusive interview with Insights Success , Edrees shares his wisdom on developing organizations and talent for success.

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Briefly describe your professional journey up until now.

I am a keen and astute HR professional with a track record of leading Multicultural HR and Administration teams at listed companies across Kuwait, GCC, and internationally with oversight of multi-million-dollar budgets and headcounts exceeding 8000+ staff. Trained in international HR best practices from top establishments in UK and Canada, I am skilled at supporting executive management with effective HR strategy aligned with the company vision and mission.

What challenges did you face along the way?

I started working during my graduation studies at Kuwait University. My professional journey began as a teller at Al-Tijari Bank (now CBK, Kuwait). Progressing through the roles of Human Resource Officer, Senior Officer, Manager and Group General Manage Human Resources my career has witnessed the paradigm shift how Human Resources profession has evolved over the years.

HR professionals are always faced with these challengesinstilling the right attitude, culture, and ethical behavior across the organization. If you can ensure that these winning elements are aligned effectively across your workforce, it will help the organization to steer forward way ahead of competition. This involves constant collaboration and leadership with stakeholders and top management.

What significant impact have you brought to your industry?

I am a proponent of the LEAN methodology without compromising on quality. Through these years, I have bought significant cost savings while maintaining employee satisfaction. Streamlining and restructuring the workforce

has helped organizations to prosper and expand far and beyond.

Tell us about your company and its foundation pillar.

With its humble beginnings way back in 1958, the firm has developed into a leading player in the Kuwaiti market, expanding its presence across GCC countries. The company strives “To build successful businesses and lasting partnerships, driven by values.” And the values at the core are Passion, Customer Focus, Excellence, Unity, Integrity, and Accountability.

How does your company promote workforce flexibility, and what is your role in it?

Since I joined our firm in July 2021, we have been encouraging employees to learn new skills as they grow

I am a proponent of the LEAN methodology without compromising on quality. Through these years, I have bought significant cost savings while maintaining employee satisfaction.

Streamlining and Restructuring the workforce has helped organizations to prosper and expand far and beyond. “

along with the organization. Job enrichment efforts, upskilling, and reskilling are a part of our culture now, enabling employees to be more flexible in their jobs and taking up new challenges.

What is your take on technology’s importance, and how are you leveraging it?

Digitization efforts have been an integral part of my experience over the years. I have been instrumental in introducing IT systems and specialists to navigate companies ensuring sustainability and profitability. Reports and analytics play a major part in our decisions. Firewalls

and Network security are important factors in protecting company information. While technology is vital, one thing to bear in mind is that it should be a facilitator and not a constraint. From an HR perspective,reliance on technology should not be a hindrance to employee engagement .

What will be the next significant change in your industry, and how are you preparing for it?

As a firm believer in technology as a facilitator pre and post covid, technology will continue to evolve for the betterment of organizations resulting in timely feedback paving way to improved employee and customer satisfaction. Organization-wide analytics across departments to play a greater role going forward. This is my understanding regarding the trends as someone who spends time meeting with Senior HR leaders across the globe through functions at London Business School and Harvard.

What are your goals in the upcoming future?

As someone who has spent my career with major banks in the region, I am always keen on understanding new trends in the banking industry and looking forward to actively continue my association.

Further, executive leadership training programs are planned to leverage my expertise in this field.

What advice would you like to give the next generation of aspiring business leaders?

Focus on your employees as your most valuable assets. Introduce a performance-oriented culture where they are nurtured and taken care of with competitive salaries, benefits, and bonuses.

Edrees Al Mansour, Group General Manager Human Resources

Abdul Aziz Saud Al Babtain Group of Companies, Kuwait

Mr Prasanth EDASSARI

A Coherent Leader

As an MBA graduate in HR from Oxford Brookes University in the UK, Mr Prasanth Edassari , began his career in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) within the Insurance and Marine oilfield sector, where he worked in administration and customer service for approximately five years.

While working in these roles, he developed a strong interest in people management and its impact on organizational success. To pursue his passion for HR, he made the decision to resign from his position and relocate to the UK to pursue his HR qualification.

After completing his HR degree, Mr Edassari worked for several UK-based companies, including EHS, E&Y, and Adecco. In 2003, he returned to the UAE, where he commenced a career in HR and progressed through the ranks in various industries, including HVAC, manufacturing, electronics, and consultancy.

Currently, he serves as the Global Chief Human Resources Officer at House of Shipping , a business consultancy and advisory services company that caters to organisations in the shipping and logistics industry, where he manages a staff of over 1,000 shipping and logistics professionals from 49 different nationalities, with operations spanning 15 countries and offices on every continent.

In an interview with Insights Success, Mr Prasanth Edassari shares his professional tenure and journey in the niche.

Mr Prasanth Edassari Global Chief Human Resources Officer House of Shipping

What challenges did you face along the way?

My primary challenge has been to persuade other stakeholders of people's crucial role in driving business success.

To convey this message, I often use the phrase "PROFITS THROUGH PEOPLE POWER," which emphasizes the fundamental importance of effective people management.

Despite holding high-level positions, some senior stakeholders may overlook this critical aspect of business strategy. As such, it is essential to continually educate and communicate the value of investing in human capital to achieve sustainable growth and long-term success.

What significant impact have you brought to your industry?

The shipping & logistics industry has always been known to be a 24/7 industry as while we sleep, there are ships sailing across oceans, and the challenge is that our employees always need to be on call whether it's a weekend or a public holiday and even when they are on holiday.

As HR professionals, we bring in as much of a friendly culture in the organization and more flexibility when it comes to working, including work-from-home and hybrid working policies, extended holidays, employee wellness initiatives/allowances, top-class medical insurance, etc. We make sure we work hard and play hard too.

Tell us about your company and its foundation pillar.

House of Shipping is a leading provider of business consultancy and advisory services to clients in the shipping and logistics industry. Our consultancy services cover a wide range of areas, including Legal Services, Human Resources, Finance and Tax, IT, Strategy, and Marketing. Whether a client wants to establish a presence in the shipping, maritime, and logistics sector or expand their existing operations, our team of consultants is available to provide customized solutions tailored to their specific needs.

In addition to our core consultancy services, we also offer a range of value-added services that are designed to help our clients maximize their success. From ongoing support and training to innovative technologies and tools, we are committed to providing our clients with everything they need to achieve their goals.

How does your company promote workforce flexibility, and what is your role in it?

As a senior HR leader, we recognized the need for our industry to remain productive even amidst the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which included working remotely - a particularly difficult feat in our industry. To address this, we implemented hybrid and remote working policies to enable our employees to adapt to this new scenario while still maintaining their productivity levels.

We understand the importance of providing our employees with the flexibility and support they need to navigate these unprecedented times.

Our approach has been to strike a balance between ensuring business continuity and safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our employees. We believe that by investing in our employees' welfare and embracing new ways of working, we can emerge stronger from this crisis.

What is your take on technology's importance, and how are you leveraging it?

As a senior HR leader, I firmly believe that technology plays a critical role in managing people effectively across

To support our HR initiatives, we have implemented SAP as one of the main platforms, which has proven to be a valuable tool in streamlining our HR processes and improving efficiency.

all HR functions, from recruitment and employee relations to performance management and talent development.

By leveraging technology, we gain valuable analytical insights that help us make informed decisions and drive positive outcomes for our employees and the organization as a whole.

To support our HR initiatives, we have implemented SAP as one of the main platforms, which has proven to be a valuable tool in streamlining our HR processes and improving efficiency. Additionally, we have adopted Udemy as our learning platform to cultivate a culture of continuous learning and development within our organization.

To attract top talent, we utilize LinkedIn extensively, leveraging its vast network to connect with potential candidates and showcase our brand as an employer of choice. Furthermore, we invest time in marketing our employer brand across various social media platforms, recognizing the importance of building a strong online presence to attract and retain talent in today's digital age.

What will be the next significant change in your industry, and how are you preparing for it?

As a senior HR leader, I believe that our industry is poised for significant change in the near future, particularly in areas such as environmental sustainability and digitization. From a shipping perspective, the adoption of environmentally friendly fuels and digital freight forwarding will likely be key drivers of innovation and growth.

To prepare for these changes, we have already begun implementing technology and learning programs to support our HR initiatives.

We recognize the importance of proactively addressing these emerging trends and adapting to new ways of working. By embracing digital transformation, we aim to drive efficiencies and improve our ability to deliver value to our employees and customers alike.

What are your goals in the upcoming future?

My vision is to be known as the most work-friendly shipping & logistics organization, and our most recent employee engagement survey by Culture Amp indicated this approach with a score of 81% engagement, which was 5% higher than the top 25 global shipping & logistics companies and we will strive to be better on this journey.

What advice would you like to give the next generation of aspiring business leaders?

As a senior HR leader, I cannot overemphasize the significance of people management, empathy, and emotional intelligence in driving business growth and achieving long-term success. I strongly advise leaders to prioritize these critical elements, even as they strive to increase revenues and profits.

Leaders who prioritize their employees' well-being and professional development are more likely to create a passionate, engaged, and committed workforce delivering exceptional customer experiences.

By caring for your people, you create a culture that fosters loyalty, collaboration, and innovation, which drives business success. In short, investing in your employees is investing in your organization's future.

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Sahar Taleb

Nurturing Significant Business Objectives

Undeniably, a business impacts the life of a person

who indulges in its products, services, or organization. And very rarely is the case that it impacts the lives of the ones who are remotely effected by its offerings. But businesses like Al Dabbagh Group, that inculcate the home-grown philosophy of Omnipreneurship, not only impact the lives of the people they are collaborating with, rather also the lives of the people who are surround by the business.

For businesses as considerable as Al Dabbagh Group, the person who overlooks the implementation of Omnipreneurship, making sure that this aspect of their business is not neglected, is the remarkable leader, Sahar Taleb, Chief Omnipreneurship Officer . Sahar brings outstanding abilities and is a powerful force in the organization with nearly 20 years of experience in HR, PR, and Marketing.

She inspires others to work hard and succeed with her upbeat attitude and boundless energy. Sahar is driven by the Omnipreneurship eco-system that governs Al-Dabbagh Group and uses its principles of giving, earning, and sustaining, as well as its ten golden rules, to help guide her decisions and achieve her goals.

Insights Success had the privilege to interview Sahar, through which she conveyed the true implication of the term ‘Omnipreneurship’ as well as the methodology she utilizes to ensure the impactful delivery of her organization’s objectives.

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Please brief us about your journey in your industry and how you have made Omnipreneurship implementation and communication excel in Al-Dabbagh Group

I come from a strong background in HR and communication; I also worked as a consultant for both: the public and private sectors. This rich and diverse experience

gave me the skillset needed to become the Chief Omnipreneurship Officer in Al-Dabbagh.

First, let me introduce you to the concept of Omnipreneurship.

Omnipreneurship is an approach to living a life of meaning. It is the ecosystem by which we govern all our companies. So rather than looking at things with an entrepreneurial lens and only focusing on earning, we ensure that we are equally focused on giving, earning, and sustaining aspects.

My main task in Al-Dabbagh Group is to cascade the understanding and culture of Omnipreneruship within our organization. In doing so, I work on building a culture where giving lies at the center of our organization and the purpose of our work. Also, with every initiative that we launch, we ensure that we are working towards achieving 1 or 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals. So, we link our earning initiatives to our giving and sustaining initiatives in such a way that each one of them feeds into the other and completes it.

Here, my background in communication helped to spread the message and understanding and to grow a culture that is passionate about giving back to our society and our environment. My background in HR helped me create meaningful training and development programs and to launch engaging initiatives that encourage and foster innovation.

What professional qualities and values do you think your clients, colleagues, and employees admire in you the most?

Honesty, transparency, and integrity are values I pride myself in, and I believe these values are what built and strengthened my professional reputation. Having said that, I am often complimented on my passion and strong dedication to work.

Indeed, this is what enables me to motivate others and grow my team’s dedication so that we are all engaged and highly motivated to achieve our goals.

Additionally, my inherent love for meeting, learning from, and communicating with colleagues has allowed me to engage our community in the Omnipreneural culture we are trying to foster. Thereby helping me create a loyal and highperforming team.

What, according to you, are the qualities of an exemplary HR leader, and what are the traits that make you stand out as an influential HR leader in the modern industry?

In my opinion, successful HR leaders need to have integrity and instinctively care about their colleagues. They need to be passionate about what they do, where they work, and, most importantly, about their teams. To that end, they need to train, develop and empower their teams. Most importantly, they need to prepare them for success.

Successful HR leaders also need to be excellent communicators and problem solves; They need to be able to provide guidance and influence their teams. To facilitate change and avoid a crisis. Most importantly, they need to listen to their colleagues and provide a safe environment for them to express their needs and wishes, building a longlasting relationship with them.

HR leaders need to be forward-thinking. They need to study the sectors they operate in and plan for the future of their workplaces by identifying potential threats and opportunities, as well as implementing positive changes to their organization to build a culture of innovation. It is up to us to design creative approaches to attract, manage, and develop our colleagues and to provide them with the tools they need to passionately give back to our companies.

Throughout my career, what made me stand out was my strong ability to connect and communicate with people. As well as my dedication to building a healthy and nurturing work environment, devoted to building my colleagues’ skillset and nurturing their passion for the work they do. I pride myself on being a life-long learner. In order to improve my effectiveness and ensure I achieve the targets I set out for myself, I never stop learning and networking. I strive to develop my leadership skills as well as to gain new ideas.

Recently, I have been accepted into the prestigious MISK 2030 Leadership program , which is an

exclusive world-class leadership development program devoted to transforming exceptional senior Saudi leaders to change history and achieve our common goals for vision 2030.

Enlighten us on how you are driving impact at AlDabbagh’s Omnipreneural initiatives through your expertise.

With a mandate to spread the knowledge and understanding of all the elements of Omnipreneruship and to foster a culture of innovation, I launched an internal platform called the Omnipreneurship Awards. This platform connects all 15,000 of our global colleagues and encourages them to submit innovative solutions to challenges we share on a monthly basis. Winners of these challenges are awarded meticulously planned courses from HarvardX and MIT to develop a more robust culture of ideation and innovation.

In 2020 we launched the first of our annual open innovation initiatives: a global crowdsourcing initiative that looks for sustainable nature positive solutions to challenges within the sectors we operate. In 2020 we asked how waste from poultry farms can convert to value and awarded one million dollars to the solution provider who shared a proposal for a technology that will convert waste from poultry farms into biodegradable plastic pallets.

In 2021, we launched our second sustainability challenge asking, how used cooking oil can be converted into a biodegradable base oil used for lubricants. We are currently reviewing 2 finalists’ prototypes to choose and announce our winner in the next quarter.

I strive to campaign for new sustainable, innovae, emerging technologies that will have a transformaonal impact on the way we currently do business.

Separate from the sustainable open innovation challenges that we launched, I am also very passionate about launching training and development programs and helping create engaging employment opportunities for aspiring job seekers who are keen to build their experience and skill set.

This is why we are in the process of launching an online training platform called the Omni Academy with a carefully curated training program that will train and develop young Saudis and better equip them with the skillset and knowhow to become responsible corporate citizens who give back to their communities in a sustainable manner.

Being an experienced leader, share your opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies impacts your industry and how is your company leveraging these advancements to enhance its operations.

Our annual million-dollar Omnipreneurship Award is always looking for the next big thing: new sustainable technologies that will help us achieve our goals in a sustainable, cost-effective way. These challenges reach out to academics, startups, and innovators and ask them to come up with innovative out-of-the-box technologies that will dramatically change the way we operate while also giving back to our communities.

Our commitment to finding and implementing naturepositive solutions is not easy: we need buy in from company leadership and colleagues to work together to implement these solutions to ensure we tackle the many climate challenges we are facing and ensure a sustainable future.

Considering the current industry scenario, what challenges do you face, and how do you drive your company to overcome them?

I strive to campaign for new sustainable, innovative, emerging technologies that will have a transformational impact on the way we currently do business.

The Omnipreneurship Awards has aligned its goals with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by identifying innovative challenges, supporting the co-creation of innovative solutions, and contributing to the implementation of sustainable/eco-friendly initiatives.

Our Omnipreneurship initiatives and our sustainability challenges encourage creating a circular economy through sustainable innovations.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the HR niche?

I would advise them to always commit to creating a healthy, engaging work environment where their colleagues can learn and thrive.

Also, ensuring that you invest in well-planned-out training and development programs is key to ensuring you build a skilled workforce.

And lastly, always ensure your organization has strong values and passionately delivers meaningful impact at a measurable scale.

How do you envision scaling Omnipreneurship initiatives in Al-Dabbagh Group’s operations and offerings in the future?

All of our initiatives are piloted locally on a small scale but are then scaled up globally. Since the Al-Dabbagh group employs 15,000 colleagues in 60 countries, and since we are committed to spreading the culture and understanding of Omnipreneruship across all our companies, then every one of the initiatives we launch needs to be scalable and with a positive global impact.

Involving your team in the setting of your goals and growth plan gives them ownership and empowers them to work towards a common goal. Linking these goals to giving and sustaining initiatives grows their passion and loyalty, so you are organically growing and globally scaling up your projects.

Sunil Kumar

A Resolute Leadership Exposing Brilliance

Commencing his career in 1994 in Pharmaceutical Sales & Marketing in India, Sunil Kumar has worked for national and multinational companies for 12 years.

Sunil has also worked with various industries like Construction & Engineering, Facilities Management, Consultancy, Oil & Gas, Hospitality as Head of HR and now working with Logistics & Supply Chain as Chief Human Resources Officer. He left his position as Divisional Sales Manager (PAN India) and moved to Dubai, where he started his career as HR Manager in 2006.

With significant expertise in the industry and a staunch leadership acumen, Mr Kumar is exhibiting excellence as the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of Frontline Logistics Group .

In an interview with Insights Success, Mr Kumar shares his professional tenure and highlights his journey along with the challenges he surmounted to reach the horizons of success.

Below are the excerpts from the interview:

Mr Kumar, tell us about your odyssey in the industry so far. What challenges did you face along the way?

It was not an easy journey in the last two decades, facing the world’s economic slowdowns and pandemic situations. However, the best industry practices, training and development of talents, succession planning, organizational development, strategic and operational ideas, and implementations has helped me to pass through these tough situations.

One of my key leadership skills is the pace of the right decision-making at the right time, with a clear focus on the objectives.

What significant impact have you brought to your industry? How does your company promote workforce flexibility, and what is your role in it?

In the last 5 years, the industry has seen a lot of ups and downs due to various factors of world economic slowdown as well as the pandemic; however, the group stood strong as a team with the support of its Human Capital, which the company values the most. The decision to start Back-office operations started with 5 members and still continues to grow from its present strength of 120 staff.

This BPO process helped the company to reduce the manpower cost by one-third and thus was able to withstand the business operations of another 550 staff in various front offices in GCC, even without a layoff during the tough periods. The company took various decisions such as temporary salary deductions, work from home, part-time work, outsourcing, etc., to avoid laying off the existing staff and supported over 600 families.

We started the Logistics & Supply chain Academy (Frontline Academy of Logistics) to train the young generations professionally for the industry. Most of the students were hired within the group, and many of the rest were placed in India and GCC for other companies, catering to the increasing need for professionally trained talents.

Tell us about your company and its foundation pillar.

A journey of unlimited dreams—The journey began in 2009, at Kuwait, with a small dream of 3 entrepreneurs from a humble background.

B.P. Nassar, President & CEO - Frontline Group

Mustafa Kari- Vice President -Frontline Group

Afsal Ali- Vice President -Frontline Group

Finding trained logiscs professionals was indeed a tough task, and to employ the right candidate, Frontline set up its first academy in the same locaon to train and employ the candidate for the organisaon’s growth.

Sunil Kumar Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Frontline Logiscs Group

With the great support of Ms. Febina Nassar, Director - of Frontline Group

In 2009, from a small office started in Kuwait with fewer shipments, handling operations through tough logistics challenges were effectively managed with dedication and focus.

The strategy of a go-getter attitude led to the growth of Frontline Logistics, a group presently spread across 12 counties with 26 offices and 600 plus professionals over 14 years. Frontline Logistics has been established as a strong service partner for various GCC corporations.

With a simple mantra of ‘Services Unlimited,’ Frontline Group has now ventured into every possible logistical activity that includes, Freight Forwarding, Aviation, Relocation, E-commerce, NVOCC, LCL Consolidation, Procurement, 3PL, Auto Spare parts, Oil and Energy, Military Logistics, Real Estates, Hospitality Projects, and Training & Professional Certifications.

As a part of the Frontline’s CSR activity and upliftment of neighbourhoods in the hometown of the directors, they set up the first Back End support operations in a small village in India named Eramangalam, Kerala state, now providing employment for the local populace and venture them

globally. Currently, 120 staff members from this Back office support the other 26 offices’ functions.

Finding trained logistics professionals was indeed a tough task, and to employ the right candidate, Frontline set up its first academy in the same location to train and employ the candidate for the organisation’s growth. It grew it into a successful venture with students coming far and wide to get trained, that too within a span of 3 years, even during the tough Covid Situation.

Frontline Academy is the only institute in India that offers 6 months of classroom and six months of 360 degree On Job Training to their students with international Certification so as to be employable anywhere across the globe. Recently, the academy opened its second branch in the neighbouring district.

After successfully establishing the back-end operations for own branches, the group now offers BPO services to other multinational firms from overseas. This helps the companies have their remote staffs working from India, thereby saving their operational costs by one-third. This BPO division aims to employ 300 additional staff members for BPO by the end of 2024 and 1000 by the end of 2027.

Frontline Groups Hospitality division manages various properties, including Hotels, Serviced Apartments, Residential Suites, and commercials across multiple cities in South India.

The upcoming mega project of Wellness Tourism under the brand Sathmya Ayurveda Resort is expected to complete by the end of 2024. This aim is to provide job opportunities to around 150 staff from the beginning. Another Ayurvedic treatment centre in the name of Aptha Ayurveda has also been functioning since the last year.

Hospitality Division recently introduced Frontlines Caravan to promote caravan tourism in the state of Kerala. Frontline Logistics plans to establish its presence in Europe and US by the end of 2024.

What is your take on technology’s importance, and how are you leveraging it?

As a group, we are very much interested in the advanced technological impact and implemented various ERP systems and aim to have AI features to facilitate the operations and thereby deliver the best customer service practices.

What will be the next significant change in your industry, and how are you preparing for it?

Industry 4.0 is one of the ongoing challenges and we prepare our Human Capital with sharpened skills and develop a strong team to meet the ongoing requirements. Strong succession planning had helped the organization, as well as the team members, to grow together. (74 promotions in the year 2022, 57 promotions in 2021, and 32 promotions in 2020)

What are your goals in the upcoming future?

We are currently working on a plan for Vision 2027, with 300% overall growth in terms of revenue and human capital and aim to have our presence in US & Europe. Venture into various industry segments, and plan to convert each of our services as independent business units.

What advice would you like to give the next generation of aspiring business leaders?

Having a sharp vision and staying focused on the goals, taking the right decisions at the right time and empowering the team to grow together must be the minimum mantras people should have, couples with 100% implementation of your strategies and regular reviews to ensure that the things work as per your plan. As the proverb says, if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.