CIO Chief Information Officer & Digital Transformation
AlKifah Contracting Company
Total years of experience :15 years, 0 Months
Highlights:
• Responsible for IT Services Delivery and IT Governance, Digital Transformation which support the Business Processes
that Drive the Organization.
• Functioned as Trusted IT Advisor to the CEO & AlKifah Board in establishing Digital Transformation Vision, IT
strategy, IT Security, yearly IT operating/ capital budgets, KPIs, as well as determining priorities, planning, and
allocating resources to get the maximum ROI.
• Instituted 3-year IT & Digital Transformation plans. Served as a visible leader who cultivates innovation and supports
change to ensure the business continually evolves. Led annual planning, budgeting, and established performance targets in
alignment with corporate direction and strategy.
• Embedded a continuous improvement culture to ensure that the service and team maintain pace with a
constantly changing technology landscape.
• Heading IT Steering & Digital Transformation Committee.
• Establishing IT Center of Excellence for SAP Implementation.
• Member of Senior Leadership Team. Involved in Day to Management Decisions.
• Reviewing and suggesting recommendations for Changes in DOA (Delegation of Authority).
Responsibilities:
• Proffering global technology vision, strategy & leadership for developing/delivering value-added technology solutions.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive IT and digital strategy that is aligned with the overall business strategy and
goals, and that leverages technology to drive growth, efficiency, and competitiveness.
• Lead the development and implementation of technology solutions that improve operational efficiency, enhance user
experiences.
• Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement in the use of technology, encouraging experimentation and
collaboration to drive digital transformation.
• Build and manage a high-performing IT and digital team, providing coaching and mentorship to develop the skills and
capabilities of individuals and the organization.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all IT and digital matters and develop and maintain relationships with key
stakeholders and partners, including customers, suppliers, regulators, and industry associations.
• Managing and mentoring our technology team, ensuring that they are motivated, productive, and aligned with the
company values and culture.
• Ensuring the quality and performance of our technology products and services, and continuously improving them to meet
the changing needs of our clients and the industry.
• Identifying new technologies and trends that can help the company stay ahead of the competition and exploring ways to
integrate them into our products and services.
• Ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations and maintaining the security and integrity of our data and
systems.
• Collaborating with other departments to align technology initiatives with business objectives and communicating
effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Managing the IT and Digital technology budget and ensuring that resources are allocated effectively and providing regular.
reports to the executive team on the performance of Digital Transformation, Innovation, technology products and
services.
Highlights:
• Served as Roshn's top technology architect and established essential IT services, including infrastructure, database management, unified services, critical applications, and the IT roadmap.
• Design and Project Management of a comprehensive IT Setup for the new Roshn Head Office & Shifted Complete IT in a Timely Manner.
• Instrumental in managing IT Enterprise Architect and owning innovative solutions to challenges faced by regions' leading Group.
• Ally of the Senior Management, building aligned strategies & solutions that transform business operations, delivery, and profitability.
Responsibilities:
• Proffering global technology vision, strategy & leadership for developing/delivering value-added technology solutions.
• Employing broad competencies in project management, providing solutions for straight-forward/complex projects, to deliver on time, budget with unrivaled quality and service to the clients.
• Conducting end-to-end software / hardware / system testing prior to roll-out and commissioning of the project in order to ensure optimum performance.
• Designing and Implementing IT Target Operating Module. Reviewing existing Module, Providing Recommendation for Future IT State.
• Ownership of implementation of IT infrastructure projects, ensuring that Roshn has a robust, scalable, automated, reliable and efficient infrastructure that supports its' mission-critical business operations.
• Established annual IT operational budgets, setting direction and strategy, leveraging extensive understanding of IT cost structure and drivers while expanding the scope of optimization from IT cost to IT cost and value.
• Owning information security for the company, ensuring adequate preventive security measures, including installing high- end anti-virus and firewall systems, to protect and safeguard critical data. Administering Systems Maintenance, ensuring implementation of an IT security strategy and disaster recovery/business continuity plan that minimizes the risk of data loss and breach of privacy of the company's information. Authorized to approve execution of the annual periodic Preventive Maintenance plan.
• Managing and Enhancing the stability of Roshn Private Cloud; i.e. Nutanix Virtualized Environment and Citrix Virtual Desktop.
• Superintending a dynamic project team, building, managing, coaching & mentoring a high-energy, high-impact squad capable of delivering transformational results.
• Development of enterprise security policies, procedures & standards.
• Developing Information security technology /security architectures.
• Ensure compliance with the changing laws and applicable regulations such as NCA.
• Integrated Cyber Security in to day to day IT Operations.
Key Projects to Credit:
• Created Roshn IT Policies and Procedures such as IT Service Management, Acceptable Use Policy, Access Management, Business Continuity, Change Management, Configuration Management, Data Retention, Incident Management, Asset Management, Information Security, Physical and Environmental Security, Problem Management, Release Management, Vulnerability Management etc. for Roshn IT Dept.
• Design & Implemented Complete Roshn Private Cloud.
Design Data Center for the New Roshn Head office.
• Design and Project Management of a comprehensive IT Solution for the new Roshn Head Office.
• Project Manager for Managed Migration and Movement of complete IT to the New Roshn Head office.
• Design Network, Video Conferencing, Meeting Room Systems & Digital Signage Solution.
• Design and installation of a comprehensive IT Infrastructure for Head office, Sales office in Riyadh & Jeddah.
• Designing & Implementation of Service Now modules for IT Service Management such as Service Level Management, Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management, Request Management, Knowledge Management. Including the Service Catalog.
• Designed and implemented Citrix Virtual Desktop over Nutanix Virtual Environment.
MESC Specialized Cables manufactures industrial, Instrumentation, and process control cables as per international standards tested and certified by prestigious worldwide institutions. It is ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 certified for all its activities right from the selection of raw material suppliers, schedule planning, production, testing up to the delivery of the cables.
Highlights:
• Instituted 3-year IT plans for UAE & KSA region. Served as a visible leader who cultivates innovation and supports change to ensure the business continually evolves. Led annual planning, budgeting and established performance targets in alignment with MESC's corporate direction and strategy.
• Hand-selected for an influential, decision-making role - lead strategic planning, development and implementation of IT Department strategy in alignment with organization's overall vision, current & long-term business and growth objectives.
• Provided leadership to build a culture of continuous improvement, process focus & functional excellence
• Successfully led Oracle Fusion Implementation.
• Led the detection and incident response activities of multiple attacks and being the detector of multiple state-sponsors attacks including being the first reporter of advanced persistence attack across entire organization.
• Designed & implemented to-be network and security infrastructure. Led evaluation, selection and deployment of information security technologies. Designed operation model and created Cybersecurity structure.
Responsibilities:
• Commanded establishment of departmental long- and short-term goals, objectives, programs and budgets. Envisioned breakthrough IT strategies, provided transformational change leadership and optimizing operations as a technology leader.
• Instituted Enterprise Infrastructure Roadmaps for providing secure, scalable, reliable, future-proof standard solutions.
• Designed, developed and implemented new systems and ensure they meet business needs and requirements within time, quality and budget parameters.
• Re-engineered IT systems, policies and procedures. Developed and enhanced the organization's enterprise IT strategy, architecture, and framework to guide the organizations' IT investments and services.
• Conducted periodic Audits to ensure business optimization and continuity. Maintained a thorough understanding of changes in audit practices, regulatory requirements, and risk frameworks to understand their impact on internal auditing.
• Ensured provision of a business intelligence system to provides the necessary information and facilitate the organization leadership to take key business decisions.
• Supervised generation of regular achievement reports and progress against targets and budgets for senior management.
• Implemented IT security strategy and disaster recovery/business continuity plan to minimizes the risk of data loss and breach of privacy of the company's information. Balanced real-world risks with business drivers such as speed, agility, flexibility, and performance.
• Development of enterprise security policies, procedures & standards.
• Developing Information security technology /security architectures.
• Ensure compliance with the changing laws and applicable regulations such as NCA.
AlRashed Group is a dynamic, leading conglomerate in Saudi Arabia. For more than five decades, the Group has been instrumental in the development of the Saudi Arabian Infrastructure. It operates in seven Business Areas, namely Building Materials, Cement & Bulk Materials, Finishing Materials, Contracting, Industrial Products, Automotive Products, and Food Products.
Highlights:
• Instrumental in accelerating the modernization of Group's IT infrastructure environments in order to deliver business value.
• Significantly contributed to group-wide initiatives and future-state development.
Responsibilities:
• Established Group's technical vision, IT strategy, policies and procedures, and infrastructure roadmap in support of the broader business strategy.
• Proffered strategic consultancy to the Group and its subsidiary companies with regard to enterprise IT systems, network implementation, technology deployment etc.
• Recognized for driving continuous improvements to current Infrastructure across the Group by implementing innovative technologies, thereby facilitating sustainable change.
• Defined project deliverables, finalized SLAs, and ensured compliance with industry best project management practices to achieve required results.
• Planned and executed mission-critical program to manage ERP Application within the Group's operational framework, owing to finance, HR, sales and other such modules.
Highlights:
• Functioned as Trusted IT Advisor to the Group CEO in establishing IT strategy, yearly IT operating/ capital budgets, KPIs, as well as determining priorities, planning and allocating resources to get the maximum ROI.
• Embedded a continuous improvement culture to ensure that the service and team maintain pace with a constantly changing technology landscape.
Key Projects to Credit:
• Design and installation of a comprehensive IT Infrastructure Solution for the Group's new Head Office
• Implemented and Managed Data repository for Emails, Databases and user-related data.
• Implementation of Microsoft Dynamic Axapta ERP including finance, real estate, HR, project, and investment modules
• Implementation of Oracle ERP for Industrial Sector.
• Implementation of IP Telephony Solution for the Head Office
• Implementation of SharePoint Server for Document Management Systems
• Formulation and roll-out of IT Asset Disposal Policy.
• Implementing SonicWALL Firewall across all Group Companies.
• IT Infrastructure Establishment and Management for Various Group Companies.
• Designed & implemented to-be network and security infrastructure. Led evaluation, selection and deployment of information security technologies. Designed operation model and created Cybersecurity structure.
Responsibilities:
• Partnered with the CEO to lead the company's technology vision and its implementation, including continuously assessing emerging technologies' potential.
• Established IT strategy of the Group in alignment with the business objectives. Identified and reported improvement areas within the Group wherein innovative technologies can bring about sustainable change.
• IT Strategy leader; defined IT vision, mission & goals based on business demands. Facilitated transformation / Delivered innovative concepts with a firm commitment to innovation, high-performance standards and ROI.
• Development of enterprise security policies, procedures & standards. Developing Information security technology security architectures.
• IT Consultant / Advisor chaired meetings with Department Heads and Business Leaders to understand operational challenges and provided consultancy to implement profitable IT solutions to overcome them.
• Led planning, scheduling, and implementation of IT milestones and deliverables with a focus on employment of industry best quality assurance practices.
• Planned, scheduled, and executed numerous high-end projects for the Group and its subsidiary companies, pertaining to network infrastructure, communication infrastructure, and network security.
• Led implementation of ERP solution, thereby streamlined, regulated, and enhanced operational flow of work between various Departments
• Established and managed the Group information security vision, strategy, and program to ensure information assets and technologies are secure.
• Planning and Budgeting expert estimated the monthly/annual expenditure required for driving various internal IT projects and formulated the overall operational budget.
• Acted as Subject Matter Expert for procurement and implementation of the latest technology, including high-end systems, hardware equipment, and enterprise solutions.
• Conducted comparative costing to determine cost-effective, reliable, and scalable technology solutions, followed by appropriate selection of authorized IT-vendors.
• Conducted periodic audits of the IT infrastructure, analyzed data and recommended corrective measures to improve performance.
• Provide clear risk mitigation directives for projects with components in IT, influenced strong, company-wide security culture awareness program for all employees and established metric to measure the effectiveness.
Previous Assignments
• Aug 2004 - Sep 2008: IT Supervisor, Axiom Telecom, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Dec 2001 - July 2004: Sales and Support Engineer, Prologix Ltd, United Arab Emirates
• Mar 1997- Dec 2001: Technical Executive, BITS Computer Education, United Arab Emirates
Human Resource Management. Quality Management. Marketing of Services. Digital Marketing (Online Commerce). Leadership for Management & Business. International Business Law. Financial Accounting and Reporting. Strategic Management. Entrepreneurship & Entrepreneurial Management. Project Management. Foreign Market Analysis. Corporate Social Responsibility. Production & Operations Management.