1. Tell us about your career journey in HR.

With over 15 years of experience in both the government and private sectors, my career has been shaped by significant achievements in HR transformation, talent management, and organizational development. Currently, I hold the role of Chief Shared Services Officer (CSSO) at AJEX Logistics Services, a Middle East leader in express distribution and shipping solutions. In this capacity, I oversee human resources (HR), procurement, facilities, and legal operations across six countries. 

My career began with pivotal roles in prominent organizations such as McDonald’s, Aljomaih Consumer Division (Pepsi Cola), and National Air Services (NAS), where I initially focused on recruitment and Saudization. Over time, I progressed into leadership roles, including Head of Recruitment at Flyadeal, Talent Acquisition Consultant at Tabadul, and HR Director at Flynas.

Throughout my career, I’ve been dedicated to building robust HR frameworks, leading transformation projects, and implementing strategic talent initiatives that align HR with business goals.

Currently, I am advancing my professional growth by pursuing an Executive MBA (EMBA) at King Saud University (KSU), a program designed to enhance leadership and strategic decision-making skills. 

2. What are the highs of your career so far?

National talent development has been an ongoing focus throughout my career, and I am proud to share that I have successfully implemented Saudization strategies that have increased local talent representation while ensuring business continuity and efficiency.

One example is my work in developing the AJEX Future Leaders Program. The program has resulted in two tracks – the Internal Career Path Program which enables customer service employees to transition into officer-level roles through structured internal hiring and training; and the Future Leaders Program, which is designed to build a strong pipeline of future leaders. Today, AJEX has proudly achieved a Saudization rate of 31%. Part of our winning workplace culture, in 2024 AJEX also earned the Great Place to Work certification in Saudi Arabia.   

Another highlight of my journey at AJEX has been leading shared services operations, where I helped set up and manage HR, procurement, and legal functions. I also worked closely with top consulting firms to drive key strategic growth initiatives across the company.

These milestones reflect my passion for nurturing talent, driving business transformation, and positioning HR as a strategic enabler of organizational success.

3. What is your current role, and how are you creating value for your company?

As Chief Shared Services Officer, my role at AJEX extends beyond traditional HR management—it is about creating strategic value, optimizing workforce capabilities, and ensuring business agility. For example, I have led on the implementation of talent acquisition and retention strategies, including structured career development programs, such as the CS-to-Officer track and the AJEX Future Leaders Program, designed to ensure long-term career growth, enhance internal mobility and cultivate a strong pipeline of future leaders within AJEX. 

On the operational side, I also streamline HR, procurement, and facility management processes, improving compliance, reducing costs, and enabling business scalability. I have also introduced data-driven approaches to HR, enhancing workforce planning, performance management, and employee engagement. 

Through these efforts, I ensure that HR and shared services drive business growth, operational efficiency, and long-term organizational success.

4. What are the challenges you foresee for the next five years?

The HR landscape is evolving rapidly in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and indeed the world, presenting increasingly complex challenges for organizations. One key challenge is talent retention: with mounting competition for skilled professionals, companies must focus on career development, employee engagement, and effective retention strategies to build long-term workforce stability. Organizations will also need to invest in leadership development programs–like the AJEX Future Leaders Program–to ensure a strong, adaptable leadership pipeline for the future. 

Regulatory compliance, particularly in relation to nationalization strategies and evolving labor laws, will also be vital. HR leaders must navigate localization policies while maintaining operational efficiency. Additionally, managing hybrid work models will be another challenge. Leaders will need to balance remote, hybrid, and in-office work while maintaining productivity, culture, and collaboration. 

Furthermore, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital transformation in HR will reshape traditional HR functions. This shift will require the continuous upskilling and adoption of HR analytics to drive decision-making. Addressing these challenges will require HR leaders to be agile, data-driven, and deeply aligned with business strategy.

5. How do you see your role in HR developing?

HR is no longer just a support function—it has evolved into a strategic enabler of business success. For example, in terms of the digitalization of HR, predictive analytics and AI-driven insights will continue to enhance workforce planning, performance management, and recruitment strategies, requiring new skills to oversee. With that in mind, it is critical to underscore that HR should be aligned with business growth strategies, as it is essential to ensuring people are a key driver of organizational success.

At AJEX, we understand this and looking to the future we will continue to focus on leadership development, expanding initiatives like AJEX Future Leaders Program to nurture high-potential talent, and launching workforce transformation initiatives that focus on reskilling, upskilling, and developing talent to keep pace with changing business needs. We also pride ourselves on our workplace culture, and enhancing the employee experience will remain a central focus, as we work to ensure the well-being and mental health, and build a high-performance, employee-centric organization.

As I work toward completing my Executive MBA (EMBA) at King Saud University (KSU), I aim to further elevate my leadership capabilities, driving innovation in talent management, and strengthening the role of HR in AJEX business transformation.