Commercial Bank & HEC Paris’ Youth Leadership Acceleration Programme comes to a close

Doha, Qatar: Commercial Bank, Qatar’s oldest and largest private sector bank, is pleased to announce that 17 Qatari nationals aged 16 to 19 have completed the third Youth Leadership Acceleration Programme.

 

The Youth Leadership Acceleration Programme first launched in February 2013, and is a partnership between Commercial Bank, one of the leading full service banks in Qatar, and HEC Paris, a member of Qatar Foundation and the region’s leading hub for executive education, to develop the leadership skills of young Qataris with high potential.

 

The objective of the Youth Leadership Acceleration Programme is to help talented young Qatari nationals build key leadership skills, identify their personal areas for development and to consider themselves as future leaders in Qatar. Themes on the agenda included answering the call to leadership, different leadership styles, teamwork, goal setting, communication and driving change in the context of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

 

The Programme was conducted by senior HEC Paris faculty members Rolf Pfeiffer and Sherena Mistri-Ylannouka, culminating in a certification ceremony lead by Commercial Bank CEO Abdulla Saleh Al Raisi and CEO and Academic Dean of HEC Paris, Laoucine Kerbache.

 

Speaking at the certification ceremony, Commercial Bank CEO Mr Abdulla Saleh Al Raisi said:

 

“Commercial Bank is wholeheartedly committed to developing human capital in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. We demonstrate this commitment by investing heavily in the skills and training of Qatari nationals to lead them to rewarding careers, and by providing Education Loans to cover the cost of tuition fees. Commercial Bank Education Loans are available at interest rates as low as 4.99% per annum and with easy, flexible repayment options over a period of up to 72 months.”

 

“Our active role in the Youth Leadership Acceleration Programme demonstrates our ambition to support the leaders of tomorrow and extends the impact of our structured training programmes and educational initiatives beyond those for our own staff. Commercial Bank is proud of our Qatari heritage, especially during our 40th anniversary year in 2015. By investing our resources towards the personal and professional development of Qataris, and by providing favourable loans to cover the cost of education, we help to fulfill our commitment to the Qatari community to which we feel a strong bond,” he added.

 

CEO and Academic Dean of HEC Paris, Laoucine Kerbache said: “I would like to thank Rolf Pfeiffer, Sherena Mistri-Ylannouka, the team from HEC Paris and the students themselves for a successful week full of self-improvement, inspiration and learning. I look forward to working again with our partner Commercial Bank to further develop the leadership skills of young Qataris.”

 

In reference to young Qataris on the Programme, Commercial Bank Chief Human Capital Officer Sharoq Al Malki said: “If you are not branding yourself, you can be assured that others will do it for you. You need to decide what you stand for and how you want to be perceived. Each and everyone one of us are CEOs of our own companies and in today’s society the most important position is to be Head of Marketing of brand ‘You.’ Build your brand based on the ethics you want to reflect and be known as hard working, responsible, honest and ethical.”

 

Zahra Abdulla Al Raisi, a graduate of the 2013 Programme said: “As a former student of the Youth Leadership Acceleration Programme hosted by Commercial Bank and alongside its partner HEC Paris, I would like to consider myself as a successful example of the Programme’s graduates. It was after I completed the Programme that I decided to change and become a leader. I can say that because of this Programme, I now manage three projects and give lectures about my experience from the first step I took, to the point that I was considered a leader. Such programmes will help create and polish responsible leaders for Qatar’s future.”