INSEAD, the leading international business school, hosted its second Talent and Career Development Forum in Dubai to connect regional recruitment professionals with more than 250 INSEAD students and alumni. The event, which was held at Jumeirah Beach Hotel Conference Centre, attracted the participation of 55 companies, including Abraaj Capital, BCG, Chalhoub Group, Mubadala, L’Oreal, Louis Vuitton, Schlumberger Business Consulting and Uber.
The UAE’s economically dynamic environment has transformed the country into an international business hub and the preferred destination for global corporations to establish their regional headquarters. Dubai has been ranked by INSEAD alumni as the most attractive city in the world to reside in terms of professional and private life.
Miguel Lobo, Associate Professor of Decision Sciences and the Director of INSEAD’s Abu Dhabi campus said: “This was a great opportunity for our students and alumni to gather the latest insights on talent strategies from experts in the UAE and to network with recruitment professionals from across the region. We are pleased to deliver yet another successful career development event that brings into focus subjects that are so relevant to the region’s human capital and strengthens our mission of realising business as a force for good and laying the foundation for a knowledge — based economy”.
Participants at the forum learned about key recruitment trends, the sectors for which MBA talent is most in-demand, and discussed challenges and opportunities that companies face when recruiting in the region.
Commenting on the future of talent acquisition, Matthew Lewis, Partner at Boyden Middle East said during the panel discussion: “The nuances of the region are diverse and complex, therefore understanding the regional and cultural landscape and its languages are critical. The region affords expansive entrepreneurial opportunities, especially to those interested in working in dynamic, emerging markets like the Gulf and North or Sub Sahara Africa. Extensive travel into these areas is often expected and therefore suits the adventurous and inquisitive type who likes to learn about new people, geographies and cultures”.
“INSEAD continues to serve as a unique, critical source of talent for The Boston Consulting Group (BCG),” said Godfrey Sullivan, a Partner and Managing Director at BCG Middle East. “INSEAD’s rigorous academic program provides students with the opportunity to focus on the Middle East and delve deep into this region’s ever-evolving, complex business landscape. As a global management consulting firm BCG, is proud to partake in this renowned career forum. We hope that, through our participation, we helped equip them with the right tools needed to excel in their respective fields.”
Stella Mandehou, Head of Corporate Partnerships and Career Development at the Abu Dhabi campus echoed these sentiments: “The INSEAD Talent & Career Development Forum once again highlighted the tremendous opportunities available in the UAE to top talent from across the world. With the upcoming Expo 2020, INSEAD talent has a great opportunity to satisfy the recruitment needs of organisations that will be looking to rapidly attract and expand their headcount within the region.”
This year’s INSEAD Talent and Career Development Forum saw a high number of corporate recruiters and decision makers from various sectors engaged with INSEAD students and alumni in career development discussions. These interactions served as a reminder of the significance of nurturing, recruiting and attracting the right talent for the region.
Among those participating in the event were Meg Feenan, Solutions Director, Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Cielo; Matthew Godfrey, Director Middle East at Mackenzie Jones; Matthew Lewis, Partner Middle East and Africa at Boyden; Saurabh Mittal, Associate Partner Middle East at AON Hewitt; George Xavier, Director of Consulting at The Talent Enterprise; the Talent Acquisition and Development panel discussion was moderated by Professor Peter Zemsky, Deputy Dean and Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation at INSEAD.
