عائشة آل نهيان

I am the founder and owner of this management consulting firm, dedicated to helping companies achieve measurable benefits through the practical application of strategic and operational planning. I linked strategy, innovation, execution and management in ways that master complex business challenges to deliver sustainable results for my clients.

I provided business, management and human resource consulting expertise in the form of strategic planning, advice, and facilitation within all industries from small to large corporations and public organization across the UK & MENA region.

I have provided my expertise in the form of advisory & consultancy to either the board, executive leadership or project committee of the companies that have selected to retain me. I am often retained for leading maturity transitions in which I undertake strategy planning & development, performance & organisation development, business & process modelling, organisational restructuring, workforce re-alignment, change management and executive talent acquisition, coaching & mentoring.

Over the years my clientele have included Al Masa Holding (Dubai), Bin Laden Group (Saudi), Oman Football Club (Oman), Jumeirah Group, , Jordan Telecom Group (Jordan), twofour54 (Abu Dhabi), ADFSC (Abu Dhabi) Creative Zone (Dubai), Sobha Holding (Dubai), First Group (Dubai), Dubai Health Experience (Dubai), Apparel Group (Dubai), Al Serkal Group (Dubai), Juma Al Majid Group (Dubai), Buhairah National Insurance (Sharjah), Arabtec Construction (Dubai), Al Salam Group (Kuwait), Plan b Group (Dubai) to name a few.

COMPANY BACKGROUND: A management consulting firm, dedicated to helping companies achieve measurable benefits through the practical application of strategic and operational planning. We link strategy, innovation, execution and management in ways that master complex business challenges to deliver sustainable results for our clients.

• UNITED KINGDOM • GCC • CANADA • GLOBAL

Overtime I have become trusted and reliable professional in the Infrastructure, Transport & Rail and Construction & Engineering industry for Key Executive Search Placements and Professional & Technical Positions for major companies and projects across the UK & Middle East.

• INDUSTRY NICHE: Built Environment, Infrastructure, Transport (Rail), Aerospace & Aviation, Energy & Utilities & Power, Oil & Gas.
• TALENT FOCUS: Senior Level Technical Professionals to the Executive Director Level in Design, Engineering, Construction/Manufacturing and Maintenance & Repair.

As a specialist, I provided top quality consulting services to national and multinational companies that need to recruit, grow and retain the very best leadership talent in their individual markets. Through proactive and research-based recruiting service to organizations seeking the very best executive talent to lead their companies. Ultimately what really defines me is my ability to unearth talent that thrives.

My mind-set is never transactional, it is always future oriented. My performance is directly correlated with the performance of my placements and talent I recommends. I ensure my client satisfaction thorough knowledge of the client’s business, markets and culture. All this is critical in my finding and recommending the right person for the right position. Hence, each assignment I takes on directly is therefore personally overseen from brief to completion.

Over the years (1997 - 2006) my private sector clientele has included AECOM (Canada), AMEC (Canada), Golders Associates (Canada), Hatch Mott (Canada), CH2M Hill (Canada), Worley Parsons (Canada), Balfour Beatty (UK), Laing O’Rourke’s (UK), Fitzpatrick’s (UK), Skanska (UK), Kier (UK) and Network Rail (UK).

COMPANY BACKGROUND: A Division of 360° Management Consultants that provide consulting services to national and multinational companies that need to recruit, grow and retain the very best leadership talent in their individual markets.

Acted as an organizational and commercial adviser to the CEO on strategy and corporate development challenges and issues. As a key member of the Executive Management team I play a leading role in creating, developing and executing the group’s growth and diversification strategy.

Defining the future needs of the group based on the CEO’s vision and desired strategies. The objective was to create a forward thinking, maturing and highly professional, robust group. Additional responsibilities included the leadership and management of corporate shared services namely IT, Marketing & HR.

COMPANY BACKGROUND: Sawaeed Employment LLC is the leading manpower outsourcing organization in the Abu Dhabi with over 10000 employees onboard catering to all industries across the Emirates. Sawaeed Employment LLC's Subsidiaries: Sawaeed Investment LLC, Sawaeed - Certis Security LLC, Sawaeed Facilities Management, Sawaeed Events & Parties Management.

In ALES HR, I provided strategic and consultative HR insight and support to the MD of ALES. (7000+ employees in the ALES subsidiary), part of the Abu Dhabi based Al Jaber Group. Reporting operationally to the MD of ALES and functionally to the Group HR Director, the key objective of this as ALES HR was to establish a strong partnership between the Group HR and the ALES Subsidiary to establish a synergy and a productive and efficient working relationship.

In the ALES subsidiary, my role acted as a change agent and employee advocate, I was tasked with performance & organisation development, business & process modelling, organisational restructuring, workforce re-alignment, change management and executive talent acquisition, coaching & mentoring.
In my second role, I worked on Special Projects and Critical/Key Executive Search Assignments (C/VP/D level positions) reporting directly to the internal stakeholder Mohammed Al Jaber. The purpose of my purpose of my role was to utilize a strategical approach to help Al Jaber Group achieve its long-term growth and sustainability objectives by sourcing chief executives and whole teams to strengthen the position of Al Jaber in an ever-increasing competitive marketplace.

Company Background: Al Jaber Group (AJC) is a privately owned multi-faceted group of companies, based in Abu Dhabi. AJC provides its professional services in the sectors of Construction, Heavy Lifting & Logistics, Industrial and Trading. With a workforce, more than 60, 000 and a total asset base exceeding AED 18 billion, the Group is geared to meet the constantly changing demands of the market by investing in the latest engineering and IT.

The UAE Market was still in recession, and the markets were generally slow for any kind of business or work, none the less I continued my career working as an individual freelancer in the interim. I was retained by clients on project/assignment basis either on a service for fee or on occasion for a fixed term contract period to fulfil a role or job requirement working onsite at the client’s premises. On many occasions, I was concurrently working on two or three assignments.

Executive Search & Selection Successful Assignments:-

• Bin Laden Group (Construction) - Operations Mgr./General Manager/2x Project Mgr.
• twofour54 (Media) - Channel Dir. /Customer Service Mgr. Program Dir.
• Al Masa Holding (IT) - Sales & Marketing VP
• Agility - Logistics Mgr.
• Royal Mirage - CFO
• Jumeriah Hotels & Resorts - CMO/Head of Business Development
• Prominent Local Family (Confidential) - General Manager/Marketing Dir. Events & Media Mgr.
• Oman Football Association - Commercial Dir. /PR Media and Com. Dir. /HR & Administration Dir. /Finance Dir.

Management Consultancy Assignments

• 800Mayfair & Mayfair Int. Dubai UAE - Interim Corporate Director - Organisation development, organisational restructuring, workforce re-alignment, and executive talent acquisition.
• Royal Phuket Yacht Club Part of Pura varna Hotels & Resorts - Phuket, Thailand - Interim HR & Administration Director - Strategy planning & development.
• Private Office of Sheikh Faisal Al Qassimi - Sharjah, UAE - Project Leader - Project: Royal Hospital Restructuring - Organisational restructuring & workforce re-alignment.
• Private Office of Sheikh Ahmed Saqr Al Qassimi - Sharjah, UAE - Project Director - Research and Strategy planning & Development.
• Al Shaali Group - Ajman, UAE - Project Director - Corporate Planning, Commercial Restructuring and Business Development of the Group (group included, Yachts, Boats, Marine Parts, Glass Factory, Metals Factory, School and Real Estate)

I arrived in the UAE in a Crashing Economy when others were struggling to make placements, having just started work and had barely settled in, yet I quickly learned that major companies in the UAE were laying off in the 100’s and 1000’s. I decided that I wasn’t going to try make placements, I was going to make outplacements from Dubai to other countries, to the original home town of the laid off expat's.

Within a week of starting my employment, I was proactively building new relationship with HR Directors offering consultancy for outplacement services, they welcomed the contact and my input, and seeking advice and guidance whilst also providing me with lists of western professional and technical staff being laid off in order that I could help with the difficult task they were faced with.

I draw upon her network of contacts from across the globe and begin outplacing top expat executives from some of the leading Oil, Gas & Energy, Construction & Engineering, & Infrastructure companies in the UAE companies in Australia, USA, Canada, UK & Ireland and Germany. Fees were charged both to outplacing company and the hiring firm.

Within a month C’Level executives who suspected that there was possibility of being laid off knew through the grapevine that I could be found at the Arabian court of the royal mirage for anyone who wanted to confidentially discuss their career options?

I was featured in a story on the coverage and three page article in the national newspaper magazine as the go to consultant.

Reason for leaving: Mutually negotiated between my old employer and next employer

I was headhunted and pursued by the owner/MD of the company. Even with reluctance, she approached my previous employer to buy me out. She made an offer of a leadership role irrespective of my title, I acted as an executive director and advisor to the MD. I was hired for the fundamental purpose of restructuring the whole organization and turning the CEO vision into a reality.

As part of role I participated in all board level and management decisions. I made a significant difference in the overall direction and success of the company with my unique and unconventional approach to driving a business forward with my knowledge and capabilities.
Key accomplishments:

• LEO Sterling’s was successfully restructured and launched during the crashing Dubai real estate market.
• I head-hunted, retained, supported and developed an executive team of the best in the industry in addition she hired seasoned and self-motivated performance driven sales people.
• When I first joined there were only a handful (4/5) of people working at the firm. I head-hunted, retained, supported and developed an executive team of the best in the industry in addition I hired seasoned and self-motivated performance driven sales people.
• LEO Sterling’s was a highly profitable within 90 days when other firms were collapsing.

Company Background: Leo Sterling previously known as Jamal Al-Habtoor Real Estate Brokerage which was a part of the Al-Habtoor group of companies prior to a management buyout.

Reason for leaving: My core strength lies in Start-ups and restructuring of maturing organizations. LEO sterling retained me for this sole purpose, upon achieving this purpose and having further gained confidence in her abilities and accomplishments I had decided to pursue and seek assignments that present unique opportunities and challenges.

Hired for the establishment of this subdivision in Canada for Hays. Specializing in Civil, Structural and Environmental.

Industry Focus: Construction & Property Division
Sector Focus: Civil, Structural and Environmental Unit.

Role required Strategy planning & development, performance & divisional development, workforce planning and headhunted award winning and hard to find candidates for senior level positions (60-100K).

COMPANY BACKGROUND: Hays Specialist Recruitment Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hays plc, which has been at the forefront of the global recruitment industry for over thirty-five years. With annual revenues of over £2.1 billion, Hays Specialist Recruitment is the largest specialist recruitment consultancy in the world.

REASON FOR LEAVING: Relocation to Dubai, United Arab Emirates