RIYADH — Cranfield University UK has established a Saudi Executive Advisory Board to help provide guidance on strategic direction and matters of policy importance relevant to the Saudi context. This Board constitutes a dedicated group of highly recognized executive leaders who will drive, challenge, guide and energize Cranfield’s strategic direction in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Board recently held its maiden meeting in Riyadh. During this meeting, the Board elected the Chair and two Deputy Chairs to lead the group. Walid Abukhaled, CEO, Strategy and Business Development at the Saudi Arabian Military Industry (SAMI) was elected as the Chairman of the Board.

Eng. Faisal Al-Shammari, Deputy Minister of Industrial Monitoring at the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, along with Dr Adnan Al-Turkistani, Head of ELM Jeddah Office, were jointly nominated as the Deputy Chairmen.

Welcoming the newly constituted Board Mark Threlfall, Director, Cranfield Centre for Executive Development, said ‘Cranfield envisions playing a strategic role in promoting leadership development and creating a new breed of leaders in Saudi Arabia’.

Walid Abukhaled, Chairman of the Board, expressed his delight and exclaimed that ‘Cranfield with the support and advice of the local Saudi Leadership will effectively enable the country in its transformation plans and it will equip the future leaders to realize the Vision 2030’.

The meeting, which lasted the full day, included strategy development and vision formulation activities led by Dr Imran Zawwar, Regional Director, Cranfield Executive Development (Middle East). The day was powered with the enthusiasm and energy from the newly constituted board members.

Sharing his excitement, Dr Adnan Al Turkistani said ‘the idea of forming an Advisory Board in KSA led by the Saudi Leadership is an unprecedented step by Cranfield University. It has come at the right time and in alignment with the promising Saudi Vision 2030’.

Eng. Faisal Al-Shammari also endorsed this step and exclaimed that this initiative will fuel the development of industry-led programs, regional case study development and a business model that will ensure sustainability and provision of high quality, affordable and relevant life-long development opportunities to the future leaders in the Kingdom in line with KSA Vision2030.

The members of the Saudi Executive Advisory Board include:

• Walid Abukhaled, CEO Strategy and Business Development at the Saudi Arabian Military Industry (SAMI)

• Eng. Faisal Al-Shammari, Deputy Minister Industrial Monitoring, Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources.

• Dr. Adnan Qurban Al-Turkistani, Head of ELM, Jeddah Office

• Dr Abdullah Abdulkarim, Dean, Majmmah University

• Dr Salah Suood Al-Eissa, SABIC and Advisory Board Member at PIF

• Wafa Alharbi, Manager, Saudi Information Technology Company

• Faisal Al-Khateeb, CEO, Kaizen Technologies, KSA

• Dr Talal Ahmed Al-Maghrabi, Chairman of the Saudi British Marketing and Management Association

• Saud Al Omair, Director Academies, Academies General Directorate, HRDF

• Amal Dokhan, CEO, Global Entrepreneurship Network, KSA

• Rania Gelidan, Head of Advisory Unit, Madinah Development Authority

• Yazan Ghanem, CEO, Esnad International, KSA

• Mujahed Qari, Jeddah Governorate and Entrepreneur/Business Investor

• Jana Yamani, Head of Fellowship & Traineeship, MISK Foundation. — SG