PROFILE
one particular style of management and
leadership for all situations. important to give them the opportunity to do
so whether they are in work or not.
How important is a consultative
approach to the way you do your job? What do you see as the biggest
cyberthreat facing organisations in
the Middle East?
I believe a consultative approach is very
important. Running departments, businesses
or developing new ways of doing business
requires working together with people,
getting the best results requires them to
be aligned to shared values and goals and
finding common ground among them.
You’ve been described as having
a real passion for developing the
skills of others, how have you put
this into practice?
Learning and developing skills is a
continuous process and it is important to
develop your skills and the skills of others if
you want to move your organisation forward
as people also need to move with you. I
believe in the importance of embedding
training and education into work activities
and outside of work to help improve the skills
of others.
LEARNING AND
DEVELOPING
SKILLS IS A
CONTINUOUS
PROCESS AND IT
IS IMPORTANT TO
DEVELOP YOUR
SKILLS.
to use the latest technologies and change
business processes and value propositions,
will position businesses ahead of competitors
and enhance the experience for customers.
What is your managerial style?
I believe for management and leadership
styles there has to be flexibility and
adaptability to use the style appropriate to
the situation which is preferable to using
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What advice would you give to
aspiring CIOs?
Shape the future through technology. Use
technology to give your businesses an edge
and enhance the experience of customers
and lifestyle of people.
In what ways do you see the use
of technology enhancing the
experience of your customers?
There are technology solutions which
use IOT, Machine Learning, AR, Artificial
Intelligence, analytics, robotics, Blockchain
and cybersecurity across the different
verticals but work together across the
ecosystem. These solutions will enable
smart homes, enhance the community
experience, provide better facilities
management, improve the educational and
retail experience.
What is the best way to tackle the
skills shortage in IT?
Training and education can tackle the skills
shortage. People like to learn and develop
so they can progress in their careers and it is
Cyberthreats are an evolving landscape
and there are a number of threats that face
organisations in the Middle East and also
globally. The importance of vulnerability
assessments and penetration testing as well
as deploying security solutions, whether
through software, hardware, or security
operation centres, are important to mitigate
the risks.
What will the data centre of the
future look like?
Data centres will be more powerful, cost
effective, sustainable and environmentally
friendly. Data centres will continue to be
deployed around the world which will enable
businesses within the countries and citizens
to get access to the latest technologies and
digital services.
How do you see the technology
landscape evolving over the next
few years?
The technology landscape will continue to
grow and evolve, and be more integrated
with people’s lifestyle with the infrastructure
also in place to support the deployment of
the latest technologies.
What is the most important lesson
you have learnt in your career?
Have a meaningful goal. It will enable you to
stay motivated and passionate about what
you want to achieve in your career. Using
technology to enhance people’s lives and
lifestyle is a goal I strive towards.
What recent implementations have
you been involved with?
I am currently involved with a number of
implementations across the group from
ERP, property, educational, retail, facilities
management solutions, ERP, infrastructure,
cybersecurity, as well as looking into new
digital solutions for the group including
smart buildings and communities, IOT,
analytics and AI. n
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