Summary
Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Languages
References
Timeline
Generic

WAHID AL JAHDHAMI

Dubai

Summary

I am an ambitious and versatile Human Resources Leader with over 18 years of expertise in the Middle Eastern Banking and Financial Services sectors. I specialize in leadership hiring, workforce planning, and strategically forecasting and budgeting for resources. I have a track record of implementing comprehensive talent strategies that drive recruitment, training, onboarding, and retention efforts. As a Growth Catalyst, I excel at leading organizational restructuring, improving productivity, and integrating HR functions to enhance process efficiencies across multicultural business units. I bring deep expertise in multiple facets of HR, including policy formulation, culture building, performance management, learning and development, succession planning, and employee engagement. With strong commercial acumen, I am skilled at balancing business functions with HR initiatives to drive results. I take pride in my ability to build and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders, leveraging my interpersonal, influencing, and negotiation skills. As a leader, I am passionate about motivating and coaching teams, fostering a collaborative environment that consistently delivers extraordinary business results.

Overview

18
18
years of professional experience

Work history

GROUP HEAD OF HR

SIDRA CAPITAL
DUBAI, UAE
10.2023 - Current
  • Leading the global HR function for the Group's various offices in the UAE, KSA, the UK, and Singapore.
  • Developing and implementing talent management strategies aligned with the organisation's overall business goals and objectives.
  • Designing and executing leadership development programmes to strengthen leadership capabilities across all levels of the organisation.
  • Led the design and implementation of learning and development initiatives that align with business objectives and future skill requirements.
  • Overseeing the development of personalised learning paths, leveraging both traditional and digital learning tools.
  • Managing relationships with external L&D partners and vendors to provide best-in-class training solutions.
  • Overseeing the design and execution of the organisation’s performance management system, ensuring it fosters continuous improvement, and employee development.
  • Developing strategies to enhance employee engagement, creating initiatives that promote a positive work environment, and fostering strong employee morale.
  • Driving organisational change initiatives by aligning HR strategies with business transformation goals.
  • Leading culture-building efforts, fostering an inclusive, innovative, and performance-driven organisational culture.
  • Implementing and managing a robust succession planning framework to ensure a smooth transition for key leadership roles.
  • Leading workforce planning initiatives to identify current and future talent needs, ensuring a pipeline of high-potential employees for critical roles.
  • Collaborating with C-suite levels to develop the organisational strategy and KPIs, aligned with the organisation's goals and objectives.
  • Driving continuous improvement of HR processes, tools, and systems to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in talent management and organisational development.
  • Overseeing talent acquisition, employee engagement, retention, workforce planning, and organisational development.
  • Reviewing and recommending updated 'Nomination and Remuneration Committee Charter and Responsibilities' based on industry and market practices.
  • Managing compensation/benefits (includes developing pay scales and grading structures) to ensure competitiveness and employee satisfaction.
  • Managing the HR department's budget and ensuring efficient allocation of resources.
  • Benchmarking and implementing HR systems to enhance employee and organisational experience and efficiency.

HUMAN RESOURCES BUSINESS PARTNER

EMIRATES ISLAMIC BANK
Dubai, UAE
08.2019 - 10.2023
  • Collaborated with business stakeholders, senior management, and HR support functions to enhance their performance in the marketplace.
  • Provide HR guidance by looking at market trends and creating metrics with the HR groups to develop solutions, programmes, and policies.
  • Effective stakeholder management overseeing functions such as Compliance, Finance, and Audit.
  • Prioritising business/programme priorities to address recruitment, retention of critical talents, employer branding, leadership hiring, and development.
  • Coaching, advising, and guiding management to invest in quiet hiring through internal employee growth and mobility, fostering employee empowerment, and reducing the time, effort, and cost of new hires.
  • Focus discussion on enhancing manager capability to improve and build their people skills.
  • Collaborating with talent acquisition and learning & development to ensure we hire, engage, and retain the right talent through re-skill and up-skilling initiatives.
  • Developing strong working partnerships with senior and executive leadership teams to develop and execute strategic, values-based human capital strategies, and initiatives.
  • Assisting in re-designing the organisational structure and instituting in-depth pre-employment testing and potential assessments, executing the light touch, high-impact weekly check-ins, quarterly engagement pulse, and quarterly performance pulse.
  • Enhancing employee experience and deep engagement through inclusive policy design, and reinforcing listening platforms such as quality circles with result-oriented action plans to build people trust.
  • Advisory in the areas of people strategies, talent planning, performance management, compensation, investigations, resolution of employee grievance management, and administration of all HR policies.
  • Enhanced staff engagement through effective initiatives, such as continuous development plans, fair equity, and inclusiveness, to promote retention and reduce attrition of key talent by 7%.
  • Served as the key person in driving regional priorities, such as developing high-potential employees, and strengthening the leadership pipeline through succession planning for key roles and learning initiatives.

ASSISTANT MANAGER LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

EMIRATES NBD BANK
Dubai, UAE
03.2019 - 08.2019
  • Strengthened community engagement by delivering training to existing and new UAE national hires induction programs outreach in Dubai, Nad Al Sheba and Ras Al Khaimah offices
  • Improved team efficiency by training and mentoring individuals through diligent team meetings and setting goals
  • Working with the business units to create and drive a learning development plan for their teams
  • Conduct non-process training
  • In charge for Emirati staff's training and engagement
  • Tracking and driving training.

ASSISTANT MANAGER (RECRUITMENT & EMIRATIZATION))

EMIRATES NBD BANK
Dubai, UAE
05.2017 - 08.2019
  • Reviewed and improved current recruitment process through back filing Emirati roles to ensure maximum effectiveness
  • Ensured diligent new starter and leaver processes, maintaining continued employee experience compliance
  • Managed full recruitment process through for UAE national sourcing, hiring and department onboarding
  • Maintained high suitability standards through thorough screening, interview and assessment processes, securing optimal outcomes
  • Handled end-to-end recruitment processes, ensuring smooth and swift transactions from initial advert to job offer
  • Created engaging adverts for UAE nationals’ vacancies using job portals such as Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation, Career fairs and Internal company communications.

SENIOR HUMAN RESOURCES BUSINESS PARTNER

EMIRATES NBD BANK
Dubai, UAE
06.2014 - 06.2017
  • Coordinated activities of human resources team, distributing resources and personnel effectively across organization to meet business needs
  • Maintained optimal staffing levels by tracking vacancies and initiating recruitment and interview processes to identify qualified candidates
  • Worked with managers to achieve compliance with organizational policies, providing clarifying information and recommending necessary changes
  • Briefed new hires on essential job information, such as company policies, employment benefits and job duties
  • Achieved maximum user engagement for campaigns through effective communication strategy
  • Facilitated communication and coordination between employees and management by addressing the action plans from the employee engagement survey and consistent actions to address relevant concerns
  • Provided resolution to complex and confidential issues by such as handling disciplinary action and consequence management
  • As well as managing senior stakeholders through effective communication.

LEAN CONSULTANT

EMIRATES NBD BANK
Dubai, UAE
01.2012 - 06.2014
  • Leadership role aimed to drive and support elements of the end-to-end integration and transformation for new Emirates NBD and Emirates Islamic Bank Units into Tanfeeth
  • Leading business teams in implementing Tanfeeth Operating model including Lean Six Sigma practices as well as breakthrough projects
  • Key projects: reengineering and cost optimization for all non-voice and voice units.

OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR

EMIRATES NBD BANK
Dubai, UAE
10.2006 - 06.2012
  • Collaborated with management to evaluate credit strategies and develop improvements
  • Developed strategies to expedite payments and customer resolutions
  • Optimized credit approval and collection processes, improving operational efficiencies by over 70%
  • Worked cross-functionally with sales, management and other departments to maintain effective flow of operations
  • Maintained full knowledge of current regulatory environment and made proactive adjustments to meet changing requirements.
  • Reconciled cash drawer and resolved discrepancies
  • Identified and mitigated potential fraud and transaction risks
  • Consistently met service quality targets by maintaining in-depth knowledge of bank products, services and best practices
  • Employed in depth focus, knowledge of currency handling and concentration to balance cash drawers, achieving zero shortages or overages
  • Ensured safety and confidentiality of clients and bank assets, adhering to bank security policies across all tasks
  • Built and strengthened customer relationships by leveraging excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  • Upheld strict financial controls by keeping funds secure and accurately transferring excess funds through Emirates Trans guard
  • Processed customer transactions, including loan payments, safe deposit boxes and cheque cashing.
  • Reconciled cash drawer and resolved discrepancies
  • Identified and mitigated potential fraud and transaction risks
  • Consistently met service quality targets by maintaining in-depth knowledge of bank products, services and best practices
  • Employed in depth focus, knowledge of currency handling and concentration to balance cash drawers, achieving zero shortages or overages
  • Ensured safety and confidentiality of clients and bank assets, adhering to bank security policies across all tasks
  • Built and strengthened customer relationships by leveraging excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  • Upheld strict financial controls by keeping funds secure and accurately transferring excess funds through Emirates Trans guard
  • Processed customer transactions, including loan payments, safe deposit boxes and cheque cashing.

Education

CIPD Level 5 – Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development -

PWC Academy (Dubai)

Masters of Business Administration -

Murdoch University

Leadership Essentials Certificate -

New York University

Skills

  • Visionary Leadership
  • Talent Management
  • HRBP
  • Employee Engagement
  • Performance analysis & management
  • Competency Framework
  • Leadership Hiring
  • Regulatory compliance
  • HR Policies & Process Implementation
  • Work Culture Development
  • Organisational Development
  • Induction and Onboarding Process
  • Learning and Development
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • HR Regulatory Compliance

Accomplishments

  • 15 Years Long Service Milestone Award from Emirates NBD Bank - 2021
  • Clariden (2015) ‘Dealing with poor performance, absentees and stress (from a HR and Legal perspective) course
  • Values Ambassador Award (2015) For role-model behavior and inspiring others.
  • Bravo individual Award (2014) Delivering consistently high performance
  • Foundations of leadership (2014)
  • EIBFS - Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (2014) Effective leadership Ambassador Award (2013) Outstanding performance in delivering first external transformation project in Kuwait
  • Outstanding contributor Award (2013)
  • CAP Program (2009) Certified Associate Program

Languages

English
Proficient (C2)
Arabic
Native
Swahili
Native
Hindi
Fluent
Urdu
Fluent

References

References available upon request.

Timeline

GROUP HEAD OF HR

SIDRA CAPITAL
10.2023 - Current

HUMAN RESOURCES BUSINESS PARTNER

EMIRATES ISLAMIC BANK
08.2019 - 10.2023

ASSISTANT MANAGER LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

EMIRATES NBD BANK
03.2019 - 08.2019

ASSISTANT MANAGER (RECRUITMENT & EMIRATIZATION))

EMIRATES NBD BANK
05.2017 - 08.2019

SENIOR HUMAN RESOURCES BUSINESS PARTNER

EMIRATES NBD BANK
06.2014 - 06.2017

LEAN CONSULTANT

EMIRATES NBD BANK
01.2012 - 06.2014

OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR

EMIRATES NBD BANK
10.2006 - 06.2012

CIPD Level 5 – Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development -

PWC Academy (Dubai)

Masters of Business Administration -

Murdoch University

Leadership Essentials Certificate -

New York University

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WAHID AL JAHDHAMI