Tell us about your experience and your time in the Middle East.

I have spent close to 20 years in the HR Space, working with major brands such as IBM Head of Training & Development for the Eastern Part of the USA based in NYC, Xerox as Director of Human Capital Solutions-NYC, Martha Stewart Living, Vice President of Human Resources, CEO-Great Place to Work-UAE based in Dubai. 

My transition to the Middle East was unique. I was sourced by an Executive Search firm from Xerox for the role of Chief Human Resources and Administrative Officer for a now-defunct company called RGTS. I stayed in that role for approximately one year.

My next stop was the CEO of Great Place to Work-Middle East, based in Dubai. That is how I ended up here. However, I was hungry to start my consulting firm, which is a strategy-focused Group. We are an organizational consulting firm, and our focus has been Leadership Development and Human Resources Development. We spend lots of time working with the C-Suite Level, CHRO, and HR professionals.

How would you describe the culture of your business?

COVID, post-COVID, Innovation, and Disruptions have driven organizations to rethink culture, people, and the dynamics within. We are sought after to design workforce strategies, Leadership Development challenges, etc. We do not offer off-the-shelf development, but our signature course is “The Symphonic C-Suite.”

In today's complex, innovative, and dynamic business environment, senior leaders can no longer go it alone. Executives can collaborate as a symphony of experts playing in harmony to drive their organizations forward.

This is why investing in Leaders, from first-time supervisors to the C-Suite, will offer the organization the greatest ROI.

How do you get direct access to the decision-makers in companies?

Our access is, for the most part, done with referrals.  Our work has satisfied some of the major brands globally, and they serve as reference points to get us into the room.  Once we get there, we use a “diagnostic approach.” I liken it to going to the doctor and telling the doctor the pain points.  Our approach is to ask many questions, understand the industry, and provide a " prescription." Depending on the level of the organizational chart, we provide a “prescription.”  

As I said, we do not offer off-the-shelf products, etc. Our approach is to provide a “bespoke” solution to our clients' needs.

What are the biggest challenges in the next five years?

My focus is on people’s challenges within the organization. Many issues from the post-COVID period are still with us today and will be there for some time. Organizations will need to develop more aligned people strategies, such as something as simple as Work From Home, Work from anywhere, High Turnover, Listing Strategy, or Changing Dynamics in the workforce.  

All this means is that we need to listen more and communicate better—these two things.

• Listening Strategy
• Communication StrategyEvery HR Department/Leader should rethink this dynamic.  The workforce has multiple demographics, and the average age is skewing younger.  Mostly, the younger worker's thought process is NOT to stay with your organization for the next 20 years until retirement.  Those days are gone.  We have a new customer, and that is the INTERNAL CUSTOMER.

What type of skills and competencies are needed in an organization?

People skills should drive promotions, NOT technical skills.  People skills are needed to build high-performance teams.  

My list of Future Focused Competencies is listed below.

Leader as a Coach

• Given that 70 percent of a leader’s development is through on-the-job experience. Instead, this capability creates a coaching culture where leaders develop leaders and support one another in navigating real-world challenges.

Agile execution/Change Management

• The external environment is so fluid and volatile now that it demands a more agile, flexible approach and thinking. Leaders need to become sharper at executing change quickly. Those who can get things done quickly excel at winning hearts and minds at all levels and navigating resistance.

Inclusion and psychological safety

• There’s no team without trust. Safety is about treating people with dignity and respect so they can speak up and take risks without fearing negative consequences. As we’ve all seen, when these are lacking, people hold back. Tensions simmer. The team pulls in different directions. And the leader “hears about all the stuff that’s going well – but not the real problems facing the business.”  That has to change to create an environment where everyone can speak up.

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