Countdown begins to Saudi Arabia’s first Top CEO Conference and Awards

A previous edition of the Top CEO event held in Dubai. (Photo courtesy Mediaquest)

JEDDAH: The Top CEO Conference and Awards is set to be held in Saudi Arabia on April 10-11, marking the first edition of the event in the Kingdom.
Some of the burning issues facing corporations today will be discussed at the conference, which is being held at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) near Jeddah.
The event, which comes after successful editions held in Dubai, will shine a spotlight on the transformation in the way C-level executives function and businesses prepare to make strides toward a sustainable future, the organizer said.
This edition of the Top CEO Conference and Awards will address the issues of disruptive leadership, innovative corporate strategies and changing dynamics of the business ecosystem.
Held under the theme “Adapting to Disruption: New Roles, New Realities,” the event is organized by Dubai-based TRENDS magazine, an international publication on Arab affairs, in association with leading business school INSEAD.
Julien Hawari, co-CEO of Mediaquest Corp, the publisher of TRENDS magazine, said: “The Top CEO Conference and Awards has carved a niche for itself not only as a pioneering regional business conference and awards ceremony, but also as an essential leadership event. Our well-thought-of conferences will bring global issues to light in a regional context.”
Speakers at this year’s conference include: Faisal J. Abbas, editor in chief of Arab News; Elisabetta Martini, consul general of Italy in Jeddah; Faisal G. Kayal, CEO for Saudia Private Aviation; Khalid Abdulla Janahi, group CEO of Dar Al-Maal Al-Islami Trust; Sam Barnett, CEO of MBC Group; and Michael Garin, CEO of Image Nation.
The Top CEO Conference and Awards will include both on-record and off-record sessions. Some of the topics that will be covered include: New technologies, challenges of slow growth, the “broken job machine”, private-public partnerships, “leadership 2.0”, the Saudi Vision 2030 reform plan, and the Arab image in the West.
“Businesses in the GCC and the Middle East are at a turning point, with the era of abundance coming to an end, old business models changing and slow growth haunting the region,” Hawari said.
“New technologies are being ushered in and the region is fast embracing the concept of a new reality. So, we are trying to put these perennial issues at center-stage, initiate a dialogue and draft a roadmap for a smooth transition.”
The event focuses on all aspects of effective leadership, and is designed to act as a platform for executives to get together and discuss the present and the future of business in the region, the organizer said.
Miguel Sousa Lobo, associate professor of decision sciences and director of INSEAD’s Middle East campus in Abu Dhabi, said: “The Top CEO Conference and Awards is helping to move the region’s business culture in the right direction, one where there are more incentives and rewards for real performance. It offers great networking opportunities.”
In its third edition in 2017, The Top CEO Awards will honor the top 100 chief executive officers after evaluating their companies’ listings on GCC stock exchanges.
The Top CEO Awards works with corporate governance institute Hawkamah to ensure that elements of good governance remain an integral part of the overall ranking system. Also, Deloitte, one of the world’s largest professional services networks, will assist in the evaluation of the financial statements.
The Top CEO Conference and Awards will be held at Bay La Sun Hotel & Marina in KAEC, Saudi Arabia. More information can be viewed at http://www.topceo.me/agenda-2017/agenda.