BY ERI
KA WIDEN
Doha: Dalya Al Muthanna is the first Emirati woman appointed as President and CEO, GE Gulf, covering the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.
She will be responsible for developing GE’s business strategy for the Gulf, leading growth and driving cross business selling across the organisation’s diverse portfolio.
“As the first Emirati to be appointed to this senior leadership position, I am excited to take up the challenging role as president and CEO of GE Gulf and contribute to strengthening the growth of the company in the region.
“I believe that this will give corporations in the region confidence to hire women to higher positions, underlining the role women play in driving the growth of the region.”
She is also mandated with overall strategic positioning of GE in the Gulf, covering the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman, and entrusted with building a portfolio of profitable growth initiatives while maintaining the highest level of integrity, and promoting national leadership and talent development.
Al Muthanna joined GE in 2008 and is the company’s first Emirati to graduate from GE’s Experienced Commercial Leadership Programme, during which she received multiple global ECLP awards and undertook global rotations in the US.
She has held multiple leadership roles within GE, including as director for growth strategy for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey leading strategic partnership activities and driving growth programmes and strategic priorities in the region.
Prior to joining GE, she founded and managed a multi-million-dollar international franchise. She is a board member of Emirates Solar Industry Association Women in Solar Programme and member of the Steering Committee of MENA Clean Energy Business Council. She holds an MBA degree from American University in Dubai.
“The role of organisations in promoting women in leadership roles is also important. My career growth has been greatly influenced by GE’s nurturing leadership and fostering diversity. I was the first Emirati to graduate from ECLP which opened doors to strong career progression opportunities for me. I also worked as director, Global Growth Strategy for Middle East, North Africa and Turkey for GE before my current role,” Al Muthanna says.
“Before I joined GE, I founded and managed a multi-million-dollar international franchise. Personally, it was a leap of faith, not to explore opportunities in the government sector, and to work with GE, a private sector leader. I hope that my achievements I have received through dedication and determination inspire the same commitment to excellence among all aspiring women in the region.”
Asked what were challenges faced prior to being promoted to CEO and President of GE Gulf, she said there had been a strong and positive shift in general perceptions about women being in senior leadership positions. “This is also led by the focus of women on nurturing their skills through education and continuous training. The value women bring to organisations, not only for workplace diversity, but also to drive innovative business approaches, is increasingly recognised across the region.”
Countries such as the UAE have taken steps to ensure participation, with the cabinet decreeing that corporations and government agencies must include women on their boards of directors.
“To further empower women, we are rolling out the Sawalifna initiative, whereby we will host seminars at universities, partner with women’s associations and host career fairs to nurture women’s talent. We will roll out the initiatives in Qatar shortly.”
She said experience and family support can be drivers in the growth of women in leadership roles. “But I believe that ultimately it is personal passion, determination and hard work that make the difference. Women need to realise their potential, challenge their boundaries and not hesitate in the face of challenges.”
In general, giving opportunities to local employees is one of the leading initiatives of GE Gulf. “One of my job responsibilities is to nurture local talent. GE is committed to promoting local human capital development, and has been voted as the ‘Best Place to Work’ for locals and women. It is good for the region because it instils accountability within the local community to work efficiently and meticulously for the sake of their country. The development and growth of large companies like GE is directly proportional to the innovation in the region.”
GE’s growth in the Gulf is led by three core focuses – building partnerships with government and private sector entities to promote their operational efficiency; driving localised innovation to address regional requirements; and building local human capital.
“Across our core businesses, including oil and gas, energy, power, water, aviation, healthcare and transport, we are building strategic partnerships to support the development vision of the governments. We are committed to building local supply chains, promoting SMEs, and contributing to enhancing economic competitiveness,” she said.
In addition to ensuring continued personal and professional growth of employees, GE has an annual investment of $1bn (QR3.63bn) in employee training and development globally. The company offers training programmes for its employees and promotes entrepreneurial culture.
THE PENINSULA
