RIYADH — The third edition of Jeel Tamooh is set to guide a new class of young, aspirational students and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) initiated this year’s program with a launch event that ran from Saturday to Monday (April 3-5). BCG introduced the initiative in 2019 to nurture the next generation of leaders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), developing, motivating, and inspiring the country’s most talented and distinguished university students to achieve their full potential over a five-month period.

Success in the past two years has seen Jeel Tamooh’s profile and popularity rise in prominence, with Jeel Tamooh alumni strengthening their leadership, professional, and interpersonal skills. As such, attention was firmly fixed on the launch event, which was successfully delivered in an interactive virtual format over three days to ensure the highest levels of induction and engagement with BCG.

“The Jeel Tamooh launch was the perfect opportunity for us to carry the momentum from previous editions forward into this one,” said Phillipe Cornette de Saint Cyr, head of BCG Riyadh. “The event welcomed a new set of members to Jeel Tamooh, allowing them to engage in our interactive workshops and take part in dynamic sessions and discussions with BCG experts.

“As always, 100 of the most promising students from Saudi Arabia’s most distinguished universities joined us. We were eager not only to meet them, but also begin supporting them right away. Accelerating their personal and professional development is our top priority and the event represented the first important step in this direction.”

Due to the ongoing pandemic’s repercussions, it is crucial to explore the impact of future trends and create a bright future for up-and-coming generations. Therefore, the launch event focused on three imperatives from BCG’s ‘Leading in the New Reality’ theme: Accelerate Digital, Transform to Thrive, and Shape a Better Future.

Over the three-day duration, pressing topics to emerge and further develop in recent times were comprehensively explored. Moreover, key aspects of members’ development progress, such as self-awareness, industry understanding, and personal strengths, were also discussed, with BCG identifying both outstanding qualities and areas for improvement per individual.

“I feel privileged to have been selected for Jeel Tamooh’s third edition. Students involved previously have benefitted from invaluable experiences, applying what they learned in the professional roles they secured afterward,” said Reem Alfares, Jeel Tamooh member.

“For somebody who always wants to improve, it’s really encouraging that particular areas you need to strengthen are worked on straight away, and I’m looking forward to progressing my development over the next five months.”

On day one, Phillipe Cornette de Saint Cyr delivered a welcome speech, which also included a personalized video message from BCG CEO, Rich Lesser, and addressed the importance of navigating the new reality. After the opening remarks, Sophia Frempong, principal, BCG Middle East, hosted a keynote speech revolving around youth and development in the KSA, the new reality, and what it means for members to succeed.

A BCG panel moderated by Beatrice Lemucchi, managing director and partner, BCG Middle East, then held a discussion titled ‘What does it take to be a consultant?’, where members heard from Riyadh-based BCG junior associates and consultants on what it takes to succeed in such roles as they embark on their journey with BCG. Day one then concluded with a networking activity with BCG.

The virtual networking activity allowed members to engage with BCG consultants and partners and learn from them as they shared insights. Jeel Tamooh’s members were highly engaged throughout, and the experience proved to be popular and effective as they became acquainted with their peers and spoke directly to BCG employees.

“For Jeel Tamooh members of this year’s class, the opportunity to interact with BCG junior associates and consultants on their first day served as an additional source of inspiration as they began their Jeel Tamooh journeys,” said Beatrice Lemucchi. “Not long ago, these individuals were planning their respective careers and harnessing their potential as students.

“They have since made continuous strides forward professionally, and it was important for new members to become further inspired through their stories and take added motivation from the fact that these people have achieved remarkable success in a short period of time.”

Day two began with a topic fair with sessions centered around Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital transformation, fintech, social impact, and sustainability. This helped members learn how to navigate and lead in the new digital acceleration and transformation landscape, with a strong emphasis on ensuring that every decision made contributes to shaping a better future.

The second day then concluded with a workshop led by Yassin El Khourouj, partner, BCG Middle East. Centered around problem-solving, creativity, and team skills, the workshop began with a core consulting skills presentation, followed by a crack-the-case activity which students solved in teams.

Tremendous collaboration was demonstrated as members worked together to solve the case, with communication coming through audio features and digital whiteboarding. The workshop also helped members prepare for upcoming interviews with BCG to join the company’s Visiting Junior Associate Program.

The third day first saw a strength-based development workshop led by Aravinthan Gomathinayagam, associate director, people strategy, BCG Middle East. The workshop enabled members to explore their strengths and improve self-awareness and understanding, with tools and content also provided to help them apply these characteristics in personal and professional life. The agenda then saw keynotes on specific development topics.

Joe Azzopardi, partner, BCG Middle East, delivered ‘Your Unique Path’ and explained aspects concerning how members can empower their futures and take control of their respective career paths. Yves Morieux, managing director and senior partner, BCG Middle East, led ‘The Productivity Revolution,’ where he shared new concepts for future ways of working.

A personal branding workshop led by Hasan AlKabeer, partner, BCG Middle East, then took place, where members discovered the importance of building their personal brand and how this can benefit their professional careers, before Beatrice Lemucchi shared key insights on diversity and inclusion. Phillipe Cornette de Saint Cyr then concluded the event.

“The launch event marked the beginning of a five-month period that will be hugely important for my career,” added Talal Al-Shuhail, a Jeel Tamooh member. “What’s particularly encouraging is Jeel Tamooh’s equality principle, which ensures male and female participants are given the same platform and opportunities to develop. I’m looking forward to learning alongside a diverse group of people and working together to shape our professional skillsets and career paths.”

Over the three-day duration of Jeel Tamooh’s launch event, members benefitted from high engagement levels through their webcams, asking various questions in every session and finding all content extremely relevant. The Jeel Tamooh events guide was accessible on both mobiles and laptops, which shared essential information and included interactive features such as a discussion board, photo scavenger hunt game, polls, and leaderboard that showed student engagement levels.

“Participating in Jeel Tamooh launch event is the most beneficial experience I have had to date,” revealed Alanoud Althunayan, another Jeel Tamooh member.

“There were many valuable aspects, and the opportunity to directly engage with speakers, ask questions, and share ideas has already allowed me to better position myself for professional environments in the new reality. Being asked plenty of questions in return by BCG experts was also particularly rewarding and inspiring, and I’m looking forward to learning from them over the coming five months.” — SG