Our independent panel brings together senior HR leaders — CIPD members and non‑members — who reflect the region’s strategic depth and diversity. Representing a wide mix of industries, nationalities and professional backgrounds, they uphold CIPD’s mission to champion better work and working lives across the Middle East.
Using a rigorous two‑stage process of independent pre‑scoring and virtual finalist interviews, judges apply a consistent, principles‑led framework grounded in the CIPD Profession Map. This ensures every submission is evaluated with objectivity, professionalism and the highest standards of people practice.
Our judges
Abdulmajeed Alqusaibi, FCIPD | Chief Human Resources Officer | King Saud University
Abdulmajeed Alqusaibi is the Chief Human Resources Officer at King Saud University, where he leads human capital strategy and HR transformation for one of the region’s largest universities, serving more than 24,000 employees and 60,000 students. He has over 18 years of leadership experience across government, financial, aviation, and academic sectors, including senior HR roles at the Ministry of Finance, the Saudi Central Bank, and Riyadh Airports Company. Abdulmajeed specialises in organisational transformation, governance-driven HR models, and leadership development. In recognition of his contributions to human capital leadership, he was awarded GOV HR Leader of the Year – Public & Government Sector at the GCC GOV HR & Youth Awards 2025, and CHRO of the Year 2025 at the Future Workplace Awards.
Adrian Waite, FCIPD | Managing Partner | Peoplecraft Performance
Dr. Adrian is a multi-award-winning Consultant, Assessor, Leadership Architect, and Systemic Coach with 30+ years’ international experience in strategic HR, leadership development, and organisational performance. Known for inclusive and impactful approaches, with deep expertise in systemic coaching, C-suite assessment and large-scale performance interventions. Adrian’s work has earned recent awards recognition for Best Leadership & Executive Development in the Middle East, and personally, a Top 50 HR Innovator, L&D Leader of the Year, and OD Leader of the Year.
Ahmad Al Janahi | Associate Director - People, Performance and Culture | KPMG
Ahmed Al Janahi is an Associate Director – People, Performance and Culture at KPMG Middle East, specialising in Emiratisation, talent development, and HR transformation. With over a decade of experience across government and private sectors, he has led nationalisation strategies, talent acquisition, and workforce development initiatives that advance Emirati participation in the private sector. Previously, he held key roles at the Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation and Dubai Holding. Ahmed is a member of the Nafis Youth Council (2025–2027) and contributes to national policy through the Dubai Government Human Resources Department. He holds an MBA in Human Resources from the Canadian University in Dubai.
Ahmed Salah, FCIPD | Managing Partner | K7 Consultancy
Ahmed Salah is a strategic HR leader and trusted partner who combines deep operational experience with a data-driven, people-centric approach to deliver sustainable HR transformation, strengthen organisational capability, and enable businesses to achieve long-term performance and growth across the MENA and GCC regions.
Allan Freed | Group Head of HR | Mauritius Commercial Bank
Allan Freed is a strategic and high-impact Group Head of Human Resources with a proven track record leading large-scale cultural, leadership, and organisational transformation in complex, multinational environments. Currently leading the people strategy for MCB Group, Africa’s most awarded bank, where I have been the driving force behind a group-wide performance-focused, people-centric transformation aligned to business growth and workplace excellence. Recognised thought leader with published work on HR strategy, leadership, and culture, and a passion for building high-trust, high-performance organisations that win both in the market and in the workplace.
Andrew Timming, Academic FCIPD | Professor of Management | Alfaisal University
Dr. Andrew R. Timming is Professor of Management in the College of Business at Alfaisal University, located in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. He has spent most of his academic career in the United Kingdom and Australia and is now happily settled in the Middle East. An organisational psychologist, Professor Timming researches and teaches in the areas of the social psychology of work and employment and human resource management. He has also dabbled a bit in evolutionary psychology. Professor Timming has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles, many appearing in top international journals such as Human Resource Management, Human Relations, and the Industrial and Labor Relations Review, among others.
Anja is an accomplished HR leader with over 18 years of experience shaping people strategy, strengthening organisational capability, and leading HR through periods of growth, change, and complexity. With experience across multiple sectors and culturally diverse environments, she brings a commercially grounded and human-centred perspective to people leadership. She is passionate about championing impactful people practices, mentoring and developing others in the profession, and recognising work that delivers meaningful outcomes for both people and organisations.
Ayca Demiran PhD(c), FCIPD | Business Psychologist - Lecturer | Purpose Business Psychology Consultancy
Ayca is the founder of Purpose Business Psychology Consultancy and an experienced business psychologist with over 15 years in Human Resources. She has worked with multinational corporations and government organisations, specialising in organisational transformation and employee engagement. For the past 6 years, she has served as Head of HR, driving workplace well-being and strategic HR initiatives. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s in Industrial and Organisational Psychology, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Business Psychology. As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD), she is recognised for her expertise in HR and workplace well-being. Ayca is also a lecturer at Heriot-Watt University Dubai and a contributing author for Harvard Business Review Türkiye.
Dr Allen Baby | CEO | Talent Fourth Generation Group (TFG)
Dr Allen is a Talent strategy thought leader in the Middle East region, acclaimed for designing and delivering one of the most successful National talent upskilling projects in the Middle East. He was formerly the Chief Learning Officer of a leading Financial Training Institution in Middle East and senior leadership roles with a Fortune 500 institution. He has served as a judge on the CIPD panel for past two years. His exemplary academic records include a PhD from University of Liverpool , is an alumni of University of Oxford in the Leadership domain. He also serves on the Academic Board of a leading UK University campus in the UAE. He also served as a member of a National Committee constituted by the Government for a skills-based competency framework. Dr Allen is currently the CEO of TFG, a leading Talent marketplace in Middle East and APAC, powering talent transformation for the disruptive era.
Dr. Ammar Al Shamsi | Talent Management Expert
Dr. Ammar Saif Al Shamsi is a Strategic Talent Management Leader driving organisational excellence and he specialises in aligning HR strategies with long-term organisational visions. Holding a Ph.D. in Business Administration, his expertise is further grounded by prestigious credentials including CIPD Level 5. Passionate about integrating AI into government frameworks and utilising hyper-personalisation for continuous learning. Dr. Ammar is a recognised industry voice and multi-award winner.
Emma Jordaan | CEO | Infinite Consulting
Founder and CEO of Infinite Consulting, a training consultancy that provides cultural training and coaching. Emma is a thought leader in Cultural Intelligence (CQ), a field dedicated to understanding and improving cross-cultural interactions in global and diverse environments. Emma is a CQ Fellow, part of an elite group of global experts specialising in the application of Cultural Intelligence. Emma is a TedX Speaker and has been a Keynote Speaker at major events such as Gitex, HRSE and the L&D Summit and been featured in numerous Middle East business publications such as Gulf Business Leaders & Middle East Consultant Magazines, along with appearances on DubaiEye 103.8 radio station. Emma is also the co-host of The HR & CQ Show podcast, where she discusses HR trends and cultural intelligence in the UAE. Plus she has an upcoming Cultural Intelligence (CQ) Strategy book which offers practical insights and strategies to help professionals thrive in a diverse workplace.
Farrah Qureshi | CEO | Inclusion Intelligence Practice
Farrah is a trusted advisor to CEOs and c-suites across the world with leading brands and companies such as Walmart, Samsung, Facebook, London Olympics 2012 delivery authority, World Bank, Petroleum Development Oman, and Shell. Accomplished and respected global consultant, futurist, keynote speaker, author, investor, thought and practice leader and Executive coach. Committed to leveraging tried and tested expertise and impact with leading brands, companies and countries to accelerate the UAE’s Vision 2030, Nationalisation strategy, strengthening social bonds, foster shared responsibility in 2025: the Year of Community in the UAE to unlock potential for inclusive and sustainable growth, and economic ambitions.
Fiona Robson, FCIPD | Professor of HRM and Head of Edinburgh Business School Dubai | Heriot-Watt University Dubai
Professor Fiona Robson joined Heriot-Watt University’s Dubai campus in May 2023 as Head of Edinburgh Business School where she assumes overall leadership for the School. Professor Robson has designed and delivered a number of global Executive Education programmes and is passionate about people development. Fiona has published several HR focused books and contributes dozens of media articles each year. After being nominated by the CIPD and BSI Fiona led a global team to develop the first ISO standard in Employee Engagement. Prior to arriving in Dubai, Fiona held leadership posts in Qatar, London and Newcastle. Fiona is an Academic Fellow of CIPD.
Gary Brady, FCIPD | Head of HR | RCSI Medical University of Bahrain
Gary Brady leads organisational development, talent strategy and HR operations within a medical university environment. A CIPD chartered Fellow, Gary has extensive experience across higher education and healthcare, with a strong focus on data-driven decision making, employee experience and leadership development. He plays a key role in shaping strategic workforce initiatives and advancing people practices aligned to organisational growth. Gary is particularly interested in the application of AI in HR, fostering wellbeing at work, and building sustainable, high-performing teams.
Hassan AlHindwan, MCIPD | Employer Branding and People Communications Leader | Ex AstraZeneca, Sanofi
Hassan AlHindwan, MCIPD, is an employer brand and people communications leader with over a decade of experience across the GCC, having worked with AstraZeneca, Sanofi, Careem, CHEP and Henkel at moments of transformation, cultural reset and rapid growth. Born and raised in the Gulf, he brings both regional depth and global perspective to building organisations that top talent actively chooses, cultures people want to be part of, and employer brands impossible to ignore. His work has moved employer brands from #4 to #1, built national talent pipelines across multiple markets, and enabled organisations to earn Best Workplaces recognition across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.
Hassan Trad, FCIPD | Head of Talent Management | Finance House Group
Hassan is a dedicated, enthusiastic HR/L&D Leader, CIPD approved Trainer, and Master NLP/Coach/Hypnotist/Timeline Therapy practitioner with more than seventeen years of experience in global human resources management in telecom, Financial Services, and insurance/reinsurance sectors. Experienced in adding significant value to fast-paced, change-orientated organisations across a diverse range of industries, combining a sophisticated variety of influencing styles and psychological tools for engineering robust performance-enhancing initiatives at all levels. Highly skilled in developing, delivering and implementing L&D strategies including Talent Management, Performance Management, and Succession Planning and articulate it into workable goals and objectives to provide outstanding measurable results. Well‐versed in all strategic HR divisions, including assessing needed competencies, and evaluating people potential and performance. Able to design people development methodologies to enhance human capital capabilities, business results and return on investment.
Hatim AlAtiyah, FCIPD | HR Director | The Financial Academy
Senior HR leader and Chartered Fellow of the CIPD (FCIPD) with over 20 years of experience driving people strategy, culture, and organisational transformation. Currently leading HR at The Financial Academy in Saudi Arabia, partnering with executive leadership to align workforce strategy with business goals and national priorities. Hatim has a proven track record across public and private sectors, including engineering, oil & gas, consulting, and higher education. Expert in Saudi labour law and regulatory frameworks, building compliant, resilient HR ecosystems that enhance performance. Focused on talent, leadership development, engagement, and performance to enable agile, high-performing organisations with sustainable competitive advantage.
Hisham El Saied, FCIPD | Leadership Development and Talent Advisor | Independent
Hisham is an executive coach and leadership development consultant with 20 years of experience across the Middle East, Europe, and North America. He has worked with organisations in sectors including energy, manufacturing, government, and professional services, designing and facilitating leadership, culture, and people development initiatives. Hisham is known for combining practical business insight with strong facilitation and coaching expertise. He is an ICF-certified coach, CQ Certified Facilitator, and CIPD Chartered Fellow (FCIPD), with a track record of supporting leaders and teams to grow their impact in complex and fast-changing environments.
Hoda Hussein, FCIPD | Managing Director | Hussein & Company Evidence-Based Advisory
Hoda Hussein is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and a British Psychological Society (BPS) Chartered and HCPC-registered Occupational and Coaching Psychologist, as well as a Fellow of the BPS. With over 20 years’ international experience, she specialises in talent strategy, assessment, leadership development, inclusion, wellbeing, and evidence-based practice. Hoda advises governments and organisations on building sustainable, high-performing, and inclusive workforces aligned to national priorities, including UAE Vision 2031 and KSA Vision 2030. She is an award-winning practitioner and doctoral researcher specialising in workplace mental health disclosure.
Imran Ahmad, FCIPD | Founder & CEO | Fidelio People Advisory
As a Chartered Fellow of CIPD and an awarded HR Leader, Imran helps organisations navigate the Organisation Transformations & Change management and helps build human capital as a business differentiator. Over the last 24 years, Imran has worked with MNCs and Large Local groups in Retail, Manufacturing and Consumer Distribution sectors across GCC, successfully shaping each of the organisations into people-centric, high-growth, high-success organisations. Change Management, Digital Transformation and Disruption-driven behavioural dynamics are Imran’s core areas of focus. Imran is a sought-after thought leader, Board advisor and an international speaker. He frequently speaks at various regional and international conferences and summits.
Jebin Thomas, FCIPD | Senior Vice President and Head of HR | Landmark Group
Jebin is a senior HR professional and Chartered Fellow of CIPD, with over two decades of experience across consulting, manufacturing and retail. He brings strong business focus and leads projects that drive organisational change and sustainable performance. He partners with CEOs and C-suite leaders to deliver end-to-end transformation. His expertise spans organisational transformation, strategy articulation, organisation design, talent management, and change communication. He is outcome-oriented and passionate about building healthy organisations that create lasting value. Jebin mentors and develops future HR leaders through an empowering leadership style.
Jo Bteddini, FCIPD | HR and L&D Consultant | JBHR Solutions
Jo is an experienced HR and organisational development professional with over 20 years of international experience across MENA and Africa. She is passionate about helping organisations build strong leadership capability and future-ready workforces. Jo partners with government and corporate clients to design impactful learning and HR capability solutions. She is a Chartered Fellow CIPD, certified coach and assessor with a strong interest in innovation, digital learning and the evolving role of HR.
John Hague, FCIPD | AVP - Director of L&D | Emirates Flight Catering
John has spent his career helping people grow—individually, in teams, and across organisations. At Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC), he supports a workforce of over 14,000 colleagues, shaping learning, leadership, and talent initiatives that make a real difference on the ground. His approach blends structure with humanity: combining evidence-based practice with a deep belief in people’s potential. Whether designing leadership programmes or coaching individuals, John focuses on building confidence, clarity, and capability. He is passionate about creating environments where people can do their best work—and feel proud of it.
John O'Reilly | Director of Executive Compensation | Aramco
John is an experience HR leader and an expert in talent management, leadership development, and compensation with experience working with some of the world’s top companies. He has a genuine passion for identifying and developing potential and combines strategic thinking with strong consulting, coaching and facilitation skills. Having worked with clients from all parts of the globe and lived in Kenya, Libya, Ireland, Great Britain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, John has a truly multicultural perspective.
Julia Powell, FCIPD | Head of Regional People & Capability Team | Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office
Julia has worked in this region for the past 20 years supporting change, people development and improving organisational impact, across the private and public sector. She works with senior leaders across this region every day, and believes leadership capability is crucial to the success of any team or organisation. Leaders should strive to be role models for their people. Their behaviour will make a difference to the culture of the organisation - this is my passion. Helping people lead successfully through change, and developing managers to be 'at their best' is Julia’s main focus - to build a positive workplace culture, and ultimately meet their business needs.
Kevin Vaz | VP, People and Culture | Hexagon
With a strong background in human resources and a passion for entrepreneurship, Kevin Vaz is driven by a commitment to nurturing talent and building high-performing organisations. His experience spans talent acquisition, people experience, and organisational transformation, alongside ventures in the food and beverage sector. As a founder, he has combined commercial acumen with HR expertise to create engaging workplace cultures and distinctive customer experiences. These experiences have shaped his belief in adaptability, collaboration, and resilience, alongside a consistent focus on delivering excellence and meaningful impact through people and business.
Khaled Fathi | Managing Director | Front Talent
Khaled Fathi is the Founder of Front Talent and a CIPD-qualified HR expert with over 18 years of experience across the GCC. He specialises in talent strategy, assessment, and organisational development. Khaled has served as a judge for the CIPD People Management Awards for the past three consecutive cycles, contributing his insight into what drives impactful and sustainable people practices.
Khalid Khadim, FCIPD | Sr. Director Human Capital | GCAA
Khalid has over 14 years of HR experience in Telecom, Digital Government and Civil Aviation. He has successfully managed several projects focused on leadership upskilling and employee capacity building. A Chartered FCIPD and holding a Master's degree in HR and Leadership from the University of Dubai, he is also a MBTI – step II practitioner, the Kirkpatrick four levels evaluation model practitioner, and CPMP. He has led various innovative projects endorsed by the Global Innovation Body (GINI_ and has played a crucial role in revamping the learning strategy within GCAA to cultivate a lifelong learning culture.
Kristina Khokhiashvili, FCIPD | Group Advisor - HR Strategy & Transformation | Earthlink Group
Kristina Khokhiashvili is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and holds Master’s degrees from King’s College London and the University of West London. She is a senior HR Leader known for transforming organisations through progressive, business-aligned people strategies. With experience across high-growth startups and global organisations, Kristina specialises in organisational design, strategic workforce planning and culture transformation. Her work sits at the intersection of digital transformation and AI-driven, data-led HR, underpinned by agile HR, design thinking, customer experience (CX) and responsible AI. Kristina is recognised for turning strategy into sustained execution, moving beyond concept to measurable impact and for repositioning traditional HR functions into true drivers of business performance.
Lauren Brennan, FCIPD | Executive Director | Ki Global
Lauren is the Founder and Director of Ki Global, a people, leadership and organisational development consultancy operating across the UAE and UK. With over 15 years’ experience in HR and talent strategy, Lauren specialises in leadership development, reward, and supporting women returning to and progressing in the workforce through her MPower programmes. She is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and an experienced CIPD Associate at Levels 3, 5 and 7. Lauren is passionate about advancing evidence-based people practice, ethical leadership and inclusive workplaces, and brings both academic rigour and practical insight to her work with organisations and professionals.
Mario Bastoni | Executive Director People & Development | Abu Dhabi Department of Finance
Mario Bastoni is Executive Director of People & Development at the Department of Finance – Abu Dhabi, where he oversees all HR matters. Previously, he served as Senior Director of Human Capital at the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in Riyadh, supporting the attraction and development of world‑class talent. Mario has built his career across global financial hubs including Milan, London, Paris, and Abu Dhabi, holding senior HR leadership roles at UniCredit Bank, Pioneer Investments, and Amundi Asset Management. His experience spans retail banking, asset management, consumer finance, and sovereign wealth funds, with a consistent focus on talent, resilience, and organisational growth.
Maurice Collis, FCIPD | Global Head, Talent Management Strategies, VP Leadership Development & OD | Agility
Maurice has a long career in HR, and within the region for almost thirty years. He is a specialist in all aspects of HR but particularly Leadership & People Development, Talent Management, Employee Engagement and Industrial Relations. He also serves as a member of the World Economic Forum CLO Group.
Mike Elgin, MCIPD | Partner - Head of People and Performance | AcuityX
Mike is a senior strategic human capital leader with over 25 years of global experience driving organisational transformation and talent excellence. As Head of the People and Performance Practice at AcuityX, he supports organisations across the GCC in building world-class people strategies. Previously, he led Human Capital at Lunate and successfully orchestrated the complex integration of ADQ, ADG, and Chimera through the merger. His background spans senior HR leadership roles at world-class institutions, including the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Russell Investments, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he consistently delivered talent management, leadership development, and organisational change initiatives across global markets. He thinks strategically and tackles local issues with global solutions: with expertise spanning succession planning, performance management, and rewards strategy, he partners with leadership teams to truly unlock human potential and drive sustainable business growth.
Mohamed H. Ameen | Global Head, Talent Management Strategies | TAQA GROUP
Mohamed is a global human capital and talent management strategist with over 20 years of experience. He is a member of the Advisory Board to the Chief Talent Officer Magazine on the Global Trends of Talent Management industry and has been named as “Global Thought Leader in Talent Management” by People Management Magazine UK.
Mohammed Al Waibari, FCIPD | CHRO & Sr. Advisor
Mohammad is an experienced Chief Human Resources Officer and HR Strategy Advisor. With over 20 years of leadership in public and non-public listed organisations and advisory roles, he focuses on HR strategies that drive organisational success and enhance employee engagement. His work centres on organisational development, total rewards, recruitment and talent acquisition, talent management, end-to-end digitalisation of HR, and HR operations. He has led transformation projects and complex situations, including implementing shared services models and HRIS systems, supporting international business and KSA operations during COVID-19, and developing a business continuity policy for an international HR team of over 100 HR employees.
Mohammed Jaber Aljohani | General Manager | Confidential
Mohammed is a Senior Human Capital and Talent Management leader with over 10 years of experience building integrated talent systems across government, semi-government, and private sector organisations in Saudi Arabia. His work focuses on designing and implementing talent strategies that align workforce capability with organisational growth and national development priorities. He has contributed to national capability development initiatives with the Royal Commission for AlUla, supporting community workforce readiness programs and institutional transformation efforts. He is particularly passionate about building talent ecosystems that connect learning, performance, leadership, and organisational strategy to create sustainable workforce capability.
Moustafa Hassaaan | Sr. Manager Learning and Development | Alfanar
Moustafa Hassaan is a senior people and capability development leader with extensive experience shaping strategic learning, leadership, and workforce development agendas across complex organisations in the Middle East. He has led high-impact initiatives that align people capability with business priorities, organisational performance, and long-term talent sustainability. Known for combining strategic perspective with operational execution, he brings strong insight into the design, delivery, and evaluation of impactful people practices.
Nic Wagstaff, FCIPD | Owner | Inspire – Rewire
Nic Wagstaff is a leadership and wellbeing specialist with over 20 years in Learning and Development, including serving as Group Head of Learning and Development for a global company. A CIPD Fellow with a Master’s in Psychology, her research focused on leadership burnout, an experience she has personally overcome. Nic founded Inspire Rewire in 2015, delivering 90+ retreats and programmes across the UAE and Europe for both the public and corporate. Nic is an advocate for self-leadership - working with emerging talent, leadership and c-suite, helping create high-performance cultures that prioritise psychological safety, wellbeing, and sustainable success.
Paul Young | Associate Vice President | NMC Healthcare
Paul Young is AVP of Learning & Development at NMC Healthcare, leading enterprise learning, leadership development, digital learning, succession planning and UAE National Development for over 11,000 employees. An experienced senior people professional and Chartered Fellow of the CIPD with a PhD in Organisational Psychology, Paul specialises in learning and talent strategy, performance psychology, curriculum design and wellbeing within large, complex, high-risk environments. He has designed and led award-winning initiatives for more than 35,000 leaders across healthcare, education, elite sport and corporate sectors in the UK and UAE, delivering organisational learning impact at scale.
Radha Bharj | CEO & Founder | The Future of Work Management Consultancies
Radha Bharj is an internationally recognised AI and digital expert with over 20 years of global experience across digital transformation, employee experience, and capability building. She is known for combining strategic insight, technological fluency, and a strong human-centred approach to help organisations navigate change and prepare for the future of work. Radha brings deep expertise in AI adoption, digital innovation, and practical implementation, with a strong ability to assess both impact and execution. Her work focuses on making complex technology accessible, relevant, and actionable for organisations, leaders, and teams operating in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Rahul Bharti | CEO & Founder | EDGE Group
Strategic Human Resources Executive with 15+ years of global leadership experience partnering with Boards, CEOs, and executive teams to drive enterprise transformation, organisational scalability, and sustainable performance. Proven expertise aligning human capital strategy with commercial priorities, including profitability, operational efficiency, governance, and risk management across multi-jurisdictional and emerging markets. Recognised for building high-performance leadership teams, strengthening succession pipelines, and leading complex organisational change, including post-merger integrations. Known for embedding strong governance frameworks while preserving organisational agility, enabling businesses to scale effectively, navigate complexity, and deliver long-term value through people, culture, and leadership capability.
Rami Busbait, FCIPD | Group Head of Talent Management | Confidential PIF Company
Rami Busbait is a senior HR and talent management leader with extensive experience shaping workforce strategy and organisational capability in Saudi Arabia. With a career spanning multiple sectors, he specialises in leadership development, succession planning, and performance management. Rami is known for aligning talent strategies with business goals, driving transformation initiatives, and building future-ready organisations. He also contributes thought leadership on the evolving role of HR, focusing on innovation, skills development, and the integration of technology to enhance organisational performance.
Reem Alkhudhairy is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD (FCIPD) and a seasoned HR leader with more than 30 years of experience at Saudi Aramco, the world’s leading energy company. She is recognised for her expertise in strategic human resources management, talent development, and governance, as well as for pioneering large-scale ethics and fraud awareness programmes that have strengthened integrity and transparency across the organisation. Currently serving as an Audit Specialist in the Special Audits Department, Reem designs and delivers training programmes and awareness campaigns that reinforce ethical compliance and accountability. Her previous roles include HR Business Partner, Career Counsellor, and HR Development Unit Supervisor, where she led career frameworks, succession planning, and leadership development tracks. Holding over 15 international certifications in HR, coaching, and career guidance, Reem is also a certified ICF Professional Coach. She is passionate about mentoring, diversity, and enabling future HR leaders to thrive.
Rohit Manucha, FCIPD | Director - AI Factory | Core42
A seasoned professional with over 18 years of experience across industry and consulting, Rohit Manucha has worked across diverse sectors and markets, enabling organisations to align with their strategic objectives and deliver large-scale transformation programmes. As an AI practitioner, he focuses on building future-ready workplaces where artificial intelligence augments human potential in meaningful and scalable ways. He partners closely with boards and C-suite leaders to drive enterprise-wide transformation, consistently elevating organisational performance across varying levels of business maturity and operating models. His work sits at the intersection of people, technology, and strategy, translating complex AI and digital capabilities into tangible business outcomes.
Sarah Brooks, FCIPD | Owner & Managing Director | Fikrah HR
Sarah is the award-winning founder of Fikrah HR, a Dubai-based "HR-with-a-Heart" consultancy serving UAE SMEs. Holding Chartered Fellow status with CIPD and an MBA in HR, Sarah brings nearly three decades of GCC and UK expertise across multiple sectors including hospitality, healthcare, retail, and technology. Championing cultural intelligence and demystifying UAE labour law for entrepreneurs. Sarah transforms personal resilience into authentic, empathetic HR advisory that balances compliance with human-centred workplace culture.
Stephen Carter, FCIPD | Co-Founder, Barber Carter & Partners | Barber Carter & Partners
Stephen Carter is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD with 28 years’ experience of talent acquisition and management, over half of which in the Middle East, and most recently serving as Head of Talent Acquisition & Talent Deployment for Qatar Investment Authority for 12 years. He has since co-founded Barber Carter, a boutique leadership practice dedicated to supporting senior leaders at critical transition points in their careers through proprietary coaching and mentoring frameworks combined with leadership strategy and advisory. Focusing especially on coaching and mentoring people relocating to the Middle East and those being promoted within the region, his priority has always been on balancing candidate/employee experience with organisational priorities and goals, while developing local talent.
Suha Issac, FCIPD | Head of Training Department and Education Scholarship Department | Kuwait Institute of Banking Studies
A distinguished Kuwaiti leader with over 23 years of experience in the banking and investment sectors, including 16 years dedicated to talent development and leadership empowerment. Eng. Suha is renowned for her expertise in curriculum design and training program development, aligning with global best practices. She has led the creation of leadership and professional development programs tailored to the needs of the labour market and banking industry, successfully aligning them with international accreditation standards—thereby enhancing the quality and institutional impact of training. She holds a Master’s degree in International Business Strategy and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD). She is also a certified trainer and president of ICF chapter in Kuwait and FranklinCovey consultant.
Tareq Mazid, MCIPD | Head of People & Culture | AL Rajhi United
Tareq is a strategic HR and Total Rewards leader with extensive experience in executive compensation, incentive design, succession planning, and governance. Throughout my career, he has focused on aligning people strategies with business objectives, strengthening performance cultures, and driving sustainable organizational growth. His work spans board-level reward matters, leadership effectiveness, and workforce transformation across the Middle East. He brings a practical and market-informed perspective, with a strong passion for recognising organisations that create meaningful impact through innovative people practices and talent excellence.
Tina has over 18 years of HR experience, with a background in blue-chip UK businesses such as Esso Petroleum, Vodafone, Honda UK and heading up the HR function in Virgin’s ground-breaking and exciting foray into Automotive retailing with Virgin Cars. After a spell as an HR Consultant supporting SMEs and independent businesses, Tina moved to the Middle East with her family and has carried out headhunting, recruitment and consultancy assignments in Dubai and Oman. She worked with CIPD in the Middle East for almost 10 years before returning to the UK in early 2026.
Veronica Fox | Head of HR | Grant Thornton
Veronica Fox is the Head of People & Culture at Grant Thornton UAE, with extensive experience leading people strategy across professional services in the Middle East. She oversees a broad portfolio spanning talent, performance, learning, workforce transformation, and Emiratisation, and works closely with senior leadership to align people practices with business strategy. Passionate about ethical leadership and sustainable people outcomes, Veronica is committed to recognising initiatives that balance commercial impact with genuine employee experience and long‑term value for organisations and communities.
