Aref AlAjmi

• Executive Advisory: Provide C-suite consulting on HR strategy, employee engagement, and change management to align human capital practices with business objectives.
• Organizational Development: Design OD frameworks, restructure governance models, and facilitate succession planning strategies for clients undergoing transformation.
• Capability Building: Deliver leadership development programs, coach high-potential executives, and oversee training modules tailored to industry and regulatory needs.
• Operational Efficiency: Guide clients through HR technology selection and implementation, improving data-driven decision-making and administrative automation.
• Client Portfolio: Advise clients in sectors including retail, healthcare, construction, and government, ensuring custom solutions that align with culture and compliance needs.

• HR Transformation: Reengineered AAW’s HR model into a Center of Excellence; built scalable frameworks for recruitment, talent development, performance, and engagement.
• Strategic Advisor: Partnered with C-suite to drive company vision, aligning people strategy to long-term business goals.
• Operational Oversight: Directed administration for all business units including Procter & Gamble, Pfizer, Nike, Siemens, and over 100+ global brands under AAW and Safwan Trading umbrellas.
• Employer Brand: Cultivated a high-engagement workplace; positioned AAW as a top employer of choice across Kuwait’s private sector.
• Policy & Performance Leadership: Designed HC strategic frameworks, set reward philosophies, and implemented performance management systems enterprise-wide.
• Administrative Management: Supervised cross-functional units in procurement, facility management, telecommunications, HSS, and government relations.

Accomplishments:
• Instrumental in establishing a training academy.
• Supported setting new policies for security and facility management.
• Served as key member in compensation and benefits project.
• Bought focus and rigor in Performance Management Process, establishing key result areas, objectives & standards at department & individual level, ensuring effectiveness and timely compliance.
• Supported the roll-out of the performance management and appraisal system.

Key Responsibilities:
• Directed the Kuwait Store and Head Office’s administration activities, managed departments including Human Resources, Administration, Facility Management, IT Support, Non-Commercial Purchasing and Customer Accounts.
• Designed and delivered HR solutions on a broad spectrum of HR matters. Analysed business requirements and provided inputs for developing functional strategy with respect to talent acquisition, development and retention.
• Established an effective linkage and clear processes, bridged Head Office and local remote offices and abroad branches. Streamlined the company’s internal communication plan and processes.
• Spearheaded several projects to ensure that best Human Resources practices are adopted in the organization including a new automated self-service system, a new filing system, updating of all employees’ master data in the HRMS and new attendance system.

Accomplishments:
• Served as a catalyst for building strong talent pools, leadership teams and top-tier performance cultures.
• Established annual business plans, budgets, policies and procedures to support divisional and organizational business strategy.
• Commanded the project of updating the company’s Policies & Procedures Manuals, Organizational Structure and Authority Matrix.
• Member of the Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Committee, Policies & Procedures Committee and the budgeting committee.

Key Responsibilities:
• Established and implemented HR goals and objectives in alignment with the company’s business needs.
• Designed HR departmental strategy in line with the company’s business strategy, established effective HR processes, policies and procedures, developed organization structures, job grading, performance management, compensation and benefits and training and development plans for the organization.
• Managed a robust succession planning and talent review program. Built a sustainable leadership pipeline through internal talent development and recruiting.
• Proffered strategic guidance to reinvigorate performance management system and developed an employee-oriented company culture that emphasizes quality, continuous improvement and high performance
• Developed compensation programs and strategies to attract and retain the best talent and to ensure company’s competitive positioning. Critically reviewed and analyzed current payroll, benefits, and compensation policies & procedures in order to recommend and implement changes leading to best-practices within the organization.
• Concomitantly handled Human Resources, Administration, Information Technology, Legal and Complaints departments as well as Corporate Communication department.
• Dexterously implemented new policies & procedures manuals, HRMS, administration system, job descriptions and all review of internal processes for HR, Administration & Corporate Communication.

Joined the organization as Dar Al-Etisalat (VIP) Team Leader, moved on upward career trajectories, to merit promotion to the position of Training & Development Team Leader

Designation Chronology:
• 2004-2007: Training & Development Team Leader
• 2003-2004: Corporate Sales Team Leader
• 2001-2003: Dar Al-Etisalat (VIP) Team Leader

Key Responsibilities:
• Established & managed a training center. Played an important role in planning, execution and implementation of various training approaches and processes.
• Delivered an integrated training and development strategy, knowledge transfer and enhancement strategy, competence development and performance management strategy.
• Commanded the training initiatives, drove the overall effectiveness of training and development programs by identifying and arranging suitable training solutions for employees.
• Optimized training program success through astute management and trainer development programs
• Designed and implemented effective methods to educate, enhance and recognize performance as well as new gap analysis for the training & development purpose.

Accomplishments:
• Instrumental in designing an integrated training and development strategy, knowledge transfer and enhancement strategy, competence development for MOI.

Accomplishments:
• Played a key role in establishing internal collection unit - a step prior to external collection.
• Maintained high collection rate of up to 90%.

Accomplishments:
• Administered pre-launch processes & preparations of a world class high tech contact centre
• Led the contact center team for an excellent customer service and established a roadmap for world quality service delivery