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Group News
*Watch the full interview ‘Up Close & Personal with Mohammed Khalaf Al Habtoor’
The Vice Chairman and CEO has been
keeping himself busy. He took part in
an up-close and personal interview
with Professor Christopher Abraham,
Senior Vice President - Institutional
Development, and Head of SP Jain
School of Global Management as part
of the second edition of the Emirates
NBD Global Business Series. We bring
you the highlights of the discussion held
on May 28, 2014 at Villa Romana Saint
Tropez Dubai at the Habtoor Grand
Beach Resort and Spa.
What is your company’s secret to
achieve business success?
We have mastered the art of networking
and communication. We know how to
Mohammed Al Habtoor appeared as
exclusive guest at the First Gulf Bank
Mid-Year off-site event held on June
16, 2014 at the Habtoor Grand Beach
Resort and Spa where he sat down with
Simon Penney, Senior Executive Vice
President, Head of Wholesale Banking
Group. They discussed the new trends
in Dubai’s hospitality market, industry
best practices and local vs. international
banking.
Mohammed Al Habtoor commented,
“Banking is very competitive - retail,
corporate, investment or private. The
services and facilities provided by
banks and the response time is the
most important…We deal with all
international and local banks in the
UAE but of course we have banks that
deal with 206 nationalities present in
Dubai, which is perhaps our secret of
success.
How do you manage to keep your
team together and motivated?
When we hire a person, we envisage
a career plan for him/her. We do not
want our employees to hold the same
position for a long period. We want
them to grow and build their careers
too. Furthermore, we offer plenty of
industry exposure and ample number
of opportunities. For instance, we have
employees who had joined us as sales
executives and have become sales
directors today. The key to keep your
employees happy is to appreciate their
work. This will not only motivate them,
but also develop their loyalties towards
the company. We have instituted annual
awards to appreciate and celebrate the
work of all our employees–right from the
lower level to the senior level.
What do you want the world to say
about you as a person 40 years down
the line?
I would want to be remembered as a
person who took his family business
to exceptional heights, took his father’s
legacy forward and created success
stories. I’d also like to be remembered
as a good family person who took care
of not only his children, but also his
siblings and other family members.
Global
Business Series:
Q&A with
Mohammed
Al Habtoor
Vice Chairman and CEO talks
banking in the UAE and abroad
have been servicing us very well. And in
honest opinion, we found this with your
bank.”
