H.E Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash opens 10th Annual HR Summit and Expo in Dubai, UAE 08.10.2013: Three-day event puts spotlight on regional HR best practice; day one features world’s most

Three-day event puts spotlight on regional HR best practice; day one features world’s most prominent management and leadership guru Tom Peters




photo caption:  H.E Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, UAE Minister of Labour opens The 10th Annual HR Summit and Expo today at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, taking place until Wednesday 9 October.


His Excellency Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, UAE Minister of Labour, has officially opened the 10th  HR Summit and Expo today in Dubai, with the world’s foremost management and leadership guru taking centre stage in what is the Middle East’s largest annual gathering of HR professionals under one roof.


Taking place until 9 October at the Dubai International and Exhibition Centre, the three-day event welcomed to the Middle East Tom Peters, the co-author of the best-selling book, In Search of Excellence.


Having authored more than 16 business and leadership books spanning nearly thirty years, Peters single-handedly invented the ‘management guru industry’, discussing today at the HR Summit the ‘people first’ concept that formed the basis of highly evolved dynamic organisations.


Celebrating 10 years in 2013, the HR Summit and Expo has attracted a speaker line-up of more than 40 regional and international HR heads from some of the biggest regional and multinational organisations in the world.


The third day of the dedicated summit will feature Chester Elton, the co-author of the New York Times bestselling book, All In, who will address more than 2,000 delegates throughout the region about how positive leadership and fostering an organisational culture of belief can triple a company’s productivity.


Elton said: “In All In, we built a seven step road map from researching 300,000 people in 25 countries, which shows managers how to build a positive organisational culture in any type of company.


“Organisations such as those in the Middle East with diverse workforces might not follow the same cultural path as one of the USA’s iconic organisational cultures such as Apple, but by following the seven steps, they can build a culture that is uniquely theirs, one that its people will buy into and believe in.”


The HR Summit and Expo features 45 free-to-attend HR seminars, while an exhibition floor will provide a dedicated platform for more than 50 companies to share their latest HR solutions.


One of the highlights on the second day of the summit (Tuesday 8 October) will be a case study panel discussion about how top regional organisations are preparing their leaders for the future.


Mark Bechtold, Senior HR and Organisational Development Advisor at Saudi oil & gas giant, Saudi Aramco, and one of the speakers on the panel commented: “Every effective leader must be highly proficient in the technical aspects of business management, but the real key in this day and age is the connection with people.


“A leader is only as good as his or her people, so getting the most out of employees in an organisation is a much an art as it is a science. I look for quick learners who think systematically and who demonstrate virtuous values and a willingness to take risk – those who consider employees and colleagues as primary customers.”


RicardaRuecker, Vice President of Leadership & Organisation Development at Middle East Communications Network (MCN), and another panellist, added: “When assessing leadership potential, behavioural attributes and the ability of managing people are key. The willingness to learn and the level of self awareness also play an essential role. Many leaders fail because they are lacking these skills, not because they are not functionally or technically savvy.”




photo caption:  Tom Peters, co-author of best selling book, In Search of Excellence, addresses delegates at The 10th HR Summit and Expo.


Other speakers at the HR Summit and Expo include Saleh Al-Harthi, General Manager of Leadership Development at STC Group; AshwaniDahiya, Vice President of Global HR Analytics at American Express; Paula McManus, Senior Vice President of Talent Development at the National Bank of Abu Dhabi; and Henrik Hansen, Global Head of HR Information Technology at Medtronic.


Celebrating a night to remember for a year of hard work, the Middle East HR Excellence Awards and gala dinnerwill also take place tomorrow (Tuesday 8 October)recognising the achievements of individuals, departments, teams and organisations that have contributed to the growth and development of the Mid East HR industry.


The HR Summit & Expo returns with the support of headline sponsors, Profiles International, , Daman, and CEB – SHL Talent Measurement; platinum sponsor TTM Associates and IBM; gold sponsors BTS, and Oracle; and silver sponsor Aetna. The strategic partner for the event is Gulf Talent; More information is available atwww.hrsummitexpo.com.


Gareth Wright / Hanae Ouakrime,Total Communications Dubai also photos