Business & Money | Sunday 17 April, 2016 2:17 pm |

On its mission to empower professionals with advanced skills and knowledge for career growth through cutting-edge training programs and initiatives, the Qatar Finance and Business Academy (QFBA) has recently added to its multitude of offerings the acclaimed Future CEO program, an Elite International Certification for senior managers and corporations eager to invest in leadership development. QFBA is the exclusive partner for The CEO Institute to offer the pioneering executive training program in Qatar.

The Future CEO program is a blended model of facilitated and experiential learning in a supportive peer-to-peer environment. The program focuses on real, everyday issues faced by experienced Executives as they work to develop their firms, their careers and their own sense of ability and worth, all under the guidance of a chairman-facilitator with both professorial credentials and business experience. In the process, members enjoy precious networking and business development opportunities as they learn and grow together.

After attending 15 full-day meetings, eligible Future CEO Members will be awarded Provisional Certification as a Certified CEO, conferred by The CEO Institute, in its capacity as the first global certification body for chief executives.

Reckoning that the Academy’s adoption of the Future CEO program will raise the bar for chief executive capacities in Qatar, Dr. Abdul Aziz Al Horr, CEO at QFBA, said:

 “We’re proud to be contributing positively to future business leaders and we are confident this program will provide them with the necessary learning tools and experiences to enhance their skills and influence their career paths. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for those aspiring to hold leading positions in their industry. QFBA’s actions contribute majorly towards achieving the country’s national 2030 vision with particular emphasis on Human Development to sustain a prosperous society.”

According to Dr. David Gilbert, Associate Professor at Melbourne’s RMIT University and a Future CEO Chairman since 2012, the program is for ‘individuals who are not satisfied with sitting still’. “It invites members to present, discuss and problem-solve real world challenges and opportunities, in achieving optimal outcomes for their businesses and their careers”, said Dr. Gilbert.

One of the key aspects that attracted QFBA to the Future CEO program is its adaptability to meet the specific needs of local business leaders. 

“Besides the Curriculum Framework prescribing 15 key subject areas that Chairmen use to develop focused meeting agendas, five core topics are specified annually for each region to deliver outcomes directly relevant to the local business environment,” explained Esme Alfred, The CEO Institute’s Global Manager - Certification & Licensing. 

According to Ms Alfred, certification ‘lends credibility and support towards career progression, locally as well as internationally’. “Having an independent entity verify your credentials as a CEO-in-waiting, and being able to use the post-nominal CCEO(prov), provides Future CEO members with a valuable point of difference”, she noted.

Since its founding in 2009, QFBA, a set up by Qatar Financial Center (QFC) Authority, has been playing a key role in the development and empowerment of human capital.  Along with the institutions and bodies operating in the State of Qatar and the region, QFBA continues to assist talented and professional youth to stay on top of changes within the business sector, as well as promote innovation and create new opportunities in the sector’s vast fields, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.