OAB hosts graduation ceremony for LEAD development programme

MUSCAT: Reinforcing its commitment to nurture and develop future leaders within the banking and finance sector, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) recently hosted a graduation ceremony for the members of its staff that successfully participated in and completed the first edition of its talent development programme titled ‘Leadership Enhancement And Development’ (LEAD).

As part of the ceremony, each of the 20 talented Omani staff members was presented with a certificate and a token of appreciation from the bank. The graduation ceremony was held at Bait Al Zubair, under the auspices of Tahir bin Salim bin Abdullah Al Amri, the executive president of the Central Bank of Oman. The event was attended by Khalid Al Zubair, chairman of Ominvest (Oman International Development and Investment Company), and overseen by Amin Al Husseini, chief executive officer of OAB.

Commenting on OAB’s LEAD programme, Al Husseini noted, “LEAD is a unique and specialised leadership training program that has been developed in line with the management’s strategy to ensure the continuous development of OAB talent. As such, the programme begins each year with the identification process for high potentials (HiPos) in various departments and disciplines across the bank; conducted by the bank’s HR Division.

“These selections are not dependent on their grade or department; they are based purely on their qualifications, potential to grow and handle future key positions, together with the necessary attributes to progress to more senior levels. Following such a carefully moderated system helps us in building a pool of talented employees, while at the same time also contribute towards supporting and building up the Sultanate’s national workforce.”

The event commenced with a speech by Adil Al Rahbi, head of the Human Resources Division, who said, “The six-month programme, which has been developed with guidance from the globally renowned leadership and management performance consultancy firm Inspirational Development Group (IDG), utilises best practices in order to empower participants with opportunity, managerial expertise, and highlevel workplace solutions. LEAD (1) has been an incredible suc- cess for the Bank with each of its 20 candidates acing the course. In fact, a majority of them have already taken up positions of greater responsibility within the bank.”

Shortly after Adil’s speech, a short video was played that provided the attendees with a quick insight into the LEAD programme and the participants’ journey over the course of the year.

This video was then followed by a speech by Gerry Woods, the Middle East Regional Director at Inspirational Development Group (IDG), the company who helped develop the programme and conducted the training.

Commenting on the successful outcome of OAB’s LEAD programme, Gerry Woods noted, “It has been my privilege to work closely with the bank to deliver leadership excellence, and I commend the CEO Amin Husseini for his foresight in instigating such a challenging developmental programme. Leadership is a privilege, and I believe that if this philosophy is embraced, leaders at all levels can set the conditions for the success of their colleagues.”

“The LEAD journey begins by being able to manage oneself and the impact individual behaviours can have on others.

“This can be a real eye-opener for many people as behaviours and their effects are made explicit even for very experienced delegates; even after just the first module, we can see changes occurring,” Gerry Woods added.

Sara Al Kalbania LEAD (1) graduate, then addressed the audience saying, “This programme has been an incredible learning experience for each one of us; having been taught a number of new skills that have already had a significant positive impact in our day-to-day jobs. On behalf of every candidate, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to members of the board and the executive management at OAB for providing us with this valuable opportunity. It has benefitted each one of us greatly and will no doubt reflect positively on our performance going forward.”

Following the conclusion of the speeches, each of the graduates was handed a certificate and a token of appreciation from Tahir bin Salim bin Abdullah Al Amri for their successful completion of the course.

Congratulating each of the graduates, Al Husseini said, “On behalf of the board and executive management at OAB, I would like to congratulate each of our 20 graduates of LEAD (1).

“I hope their success in the LEAD course and subsequent promotions to positions of higher responsibility will inspire other staff within the bank to work harder and put in extra effort for an opportunity to be selected in future LEAD programmes.”

The graduation ceremony follows in the footsteps of the launch of the LEAD (2) program launched in November 2017. As with LEAD (1), the 20 new LEAD (2) candidates were also selected from across all employee rankings within the bank, pinpointing the bank’s most talented staff members. A robust and constructive development centre preceded their acceptance into the leadership programme.

The participants have already commenced on their first training modules, where they work side by side with some of the best motivational experts, specialised in leadership development. As the course progresses, each of the candidates will be equipped with enhanced leadership skills and behaviours that will ensure effective people development in the coming years. LEAD (2) also features an additional module on business innovation from Cass Business School and other activities related to team building in addition to group projects.

The ‘LEAD’ programme has been designed in cooperation with Inspirational Development Group (IDG) and is facilitated by a team from IDG, a globally renowned leadership and management performance consultancy. The company has channelled its long history of experience delivering high-quality and intensive work programs to some of the most prestigious organizations in the world. Closely affiliated with the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, IDG has worked with some of the most important public and private sector companies in the region from its Middle East office based in Muscat. Former and current clients include the King Abdullah II Fund for Development in Jordan, Shell Petroleum in Qatar, and the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority among others.

The LEAD graduation ceremony saw the attendance of excellencies, members of the board and senior management of Oman Arab Bank, together with representatives from the banking sector in Oman and senior figures from the private sector.