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ABA Holding Group Learning and Development launches new digital platform

Revolutionizing the way our team members gain access to training at Ali Bin Ali Holding, the Group Learning and Development Department has introduced a digital learning platform – The ABA Learning Hub.

The platform was ceremoniously launched on February 26, 2023, at a small gathering held at the ABA Head Office in the presence of Senior Managers, the Learning and Development team and the users. There was also a significant online participation by ABA staff members in Kuwait, K.S.A and also Qatar.

The ABA Learning Hub is a storehouse of a wide range of courses and study modules that ABA employees can avail of at their own pace and in their own time. The easily navigable portal is user friendly and allows the user to check the modules available, select courses that suits her/his business need and even form groups to discuss topics. The e-learning platform is accessible from different gadgets beyond a desktop and laptop and can be accessed via an app on tablets or the mobile phones, whether they are in the workplace or at home.

500 ABA staff members from different divisions and departments of the Holding have been selected by their Managers to pilot the new e-learning platform. All users are being added in the backend by the Learning and Development Team and can set up a profile with the ABA email address.

The ABA Learning Hub is a part of the Group Learning and Development Department’s vision strategy to achieve learning autonomy, learning agility and to repurpose talent. The platform encourages ABA staff to consistently be curious to gain new knowledge and skills. The new platform is a breakthrough for the whole organization as we step into the future with the digitally advanced Learning and Development Department, which allows our staff the flexibility to keep learning as per their availability.

Speaking at the launch, Guest speaker Mr. Sébastien Farhat, emphasized the importance of Learning and investing in one’s own growth, while Ms. Gizelle Lacson – ABA Learning and Development Lead said: “Digitization is the future and it’s a proud moment for all of us to be able to offer this platform to our teams. The core of all these is learning – as it facilitates the resilience of the workforce. It is essential that we keep learning to advance in our professional as well as our personal lives. Learning can happen anytime, anywhere and we want to make it flexible, convenient and fun. The ABA Learning Hub is all of that and I am sure it will be an asset for the employees and the Group.”

 

 

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Ali Bin Ali Holding’s Administration Department Hosts Annual Team Get-Together

Ali Bin Ali Holding’s Administration Department has built an ongoing tradition over the years to celebrate the year gone by at its annual Team Get-together. The 23rd of December 2021 marked the special day and the administration Team made it an event to remember. The team gathered together for a celebratory lunch, held at their office in Ali Bin Ali Tower.

The get together drew the entire Administration team including Mr. Moataz Ahmed Eid, General Manager Administration and HR, with the only absentees being the team members who were on leave. According to everyone present, the Department staff who were away on leave were roundly missed at the gathering.

The afternoon began with a warm welcome speech delivered by Mr. Moataz. The General Manager made it point to affirm and encourage the team as he placed on record his appreciation for the efforts of the full administration team. Special mention was made about the fact that Ali Bin Ali Holding’s Administration staff excelled at holding fort during tough times and have served the group efficiently during the pandemic.

Even with COVID-19 at its peak, the team continued to support the full spectrum of the Ali Bin Ali group and ensure business continuity. Mr. Moataz rounded off his address by wishing each and every staff member and their families an enjoyable and peaceful holiday season. He did not forget to add a word of encouragement, requesting the team and their families to stay safe. He ended his speech by wishing the Administration Team all the very best for the year 2022.

To add a layer of excitement to the event, organizers had planned several games and interactions, that were enjoyed by all. Team members also received certificates of appreciation and goodie bags. To add to the atmosphere of joy there was a raffle draw with surprise gifts for several lucky staff members. The sessions was concluded with a sumptuous lunch and promise of similar get-togethers in the future.

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ABA Holding employees graduate from The Harvard Managementor Program 2020-2021

Ali Bin Ali Holding is proud to congratulate 44 ABA graduates, who successfully completed the Harvard ManageMentor program 2020-2021. As a premier capacity building and skills development course run by Harvard Business Publishing, under Harvard University, the program ranks as the world’s leading digital learning experience that leverages on-demand, world-class content to develop leaders at all levels.

ABA Holding is delighted that 44 of our professionals, drawn from different ABA business streams elevated themselves, their skills and knowledge and capitalized on the learning opportunity provided for them. ABA particularly recognizes the commitment and focus of these graduates who firmly stayed on course, despite the pandemic related challenges that 2021 brought. By graduating from a world-renown course, not only has the year ended well for them, but they have also enriched the company by growing and developing their skills and competencies, which will no doubt advance performances at all levels.

Warmly congratulating the group of graduates Group General Manager Human Resources Aldrine Fernandez said, “We celebrate the 2021 batch of Harvard ManageMentor graduates and we applaud their achievement. We were privileged to witness the level of commitment to their learning journey during a challenging year. Today, these graduates stand as a group who have successfully upscaled their skills, knowledge and capacities. That is something we can all be proud of. From HR perspective, ABA Holding always steps forward to equip and empower our people at the highest levels possible. It is heartening for us to see our employees embrace the opportunities they have been given and make maximum use of programs like Harvard ManageMentor”.

The Harvard ManageMentor Program is composed of 25 short online courses that are available to all learners to help develop the most in-demand skills for today’s global market.  Each course summarizes critical ideas and advice on essential management topics such as leading teams, project management, strategic thinking, and much more.  A series of café sessions were facilitated as a platform to interact and learn from one another – share best practices and work as a team to formulate best conclusions on case studies.  These sessions were primarily conducted by Eleni Ntoulaveri, Group Learning & Development Manager with a couple of sessions conducted by Aldrine Fernandez, Group General Manager Human Resources.

 

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ABA Holding achieves new high, recognized as an ACCA Approved Employer

Adding a new feather to the Group’s hat, Ali Bin Ali (ABA) Holding has been recognized as an ACCA Approved Employer.  Effective 20 July, 2020, the conglomerate is part of the ACCA Approved Employer Program that recognizes employers’ high standards of staff training and development.

Founded in 1904, ACCA – the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants – has more than 227,000 fully qualified members and 544,000 future members worldwide.

ACCA awarded the recognition to ABA Holding in view of the continuing professional development opportunities provided to our staff in the Finance and Audit communities.

Through this award, ABA Holding has proved that we are committed to ensuring that our Finance professionals have the right skills, ethics and competencies to add value and drive the business forward.

Speaking about this latest achievement, ABA Group Chief Financial Officer Mr. Iftekhar Ahmad said: “Our people are our biggest asset and we prioritize their development. Ali Bin Ali Holding is continuously exploring options to keep our staff up-to-date with latest knowledge and developments that can assist their professional growth. I thank ACCA for recognizing our efforts.”

ACCA has a set of standards that needs to be met before they can recognize an organization as an Approved Employer.  This also reflects highest standards practiced at ABA Finance and Audit.

The recognition will be beneficial to ABA Holding at multiple levels with regard to recruitment (by gaining access to ACCA qualified professionals), retention of talents, research and industry insights, network, events and pricing reductions on a range of ACCA offerings and training solutions.

 

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HR celebrates the graduation of ABA & Harvard Manage Mentor Program 2019

Celebrating the successful completion of the Ali Bin Ali (ABA) & Harvard Manage Mentor Program, ABA Holding’s HR Department organized a certification ceremony for 56 staff members from different divisions who graduated with flying colors.

At an exclusive event held on October 31, 2019 at Em Sherif Restaurant, the graduates were awarded certificates and appreciated for achieving professional recognition. Apart from the 56 awardees, present at the event was Group Human Resources General Manager Aldrine Austine Fernandez and other senior representatives from the management.

The event began with a pictorial recap of Ali Bin Ali Holding and Harvard Business School Publishing’s journey through the Harvard Manage Mentor Program. The months of effort put in by the students was reflected in the story.

Opening the event, Group Learning and Development Manager Eleni Ntoulaveri congratulated the graduates and said: “We are extremely proud of our staff who have put in additional effort, above and beyond their highly demanding jobs, to elevate their skills and knowledge. It is very satisfying to see how the number of graduates every year is consistently increasing. An organization is only as good as its people and Ali Bin Ali Holding is always keen on investing in the potential of its employees.”

 

This was followed by a ceremony where certificates were handed over to each of the graduates by the GMs and COOs of different divisions.

 

Ali Bin Ali Holding presented the certificates in collaboration with Harvard Business School Publishing to acknowledge completion and understanding of the principles, approaches and best practices presented in Ali Bin Ali & Harvard Manage Mentor.

 

The program was part of the company’s efforts to support its employees by providing an opportunity to attend professional training and achieve certification with the Institute of Certified Professional Managers. Marking it a perfect ending, the evening concluded with the guests socializing and enjoying some light snacks.

 

We congratulate the graduates and wish them all the best!

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ABA Management Academy launched in collaboration with Harvard Business Publishing

With the aim of heightening the competence and enhancing the skills set of Ali Bin Ali (ABA) Group’s future leaders, the Group Human Resources team has launched the ABA Management Academy in collaboration with Harvard Business Publishing. 

 

On September 18, 2018, the participants nominated to the academy, together with the ABA General Manager community, were invited to the launch of the ABA Management Academy at Al Mayass restaurant, The Pearl-Qatar. 

 

Introducing the event, ABA HR Group Learning and Development Lead Ms. Eleni Ntoulaveri said: “This program is the result of our extensive previous experience and it is specifically designed to address the development needs of our growing management community.  We partnered with Harvard Business Publishing to create a bespoke development solution, which will be a great asset and a real gem in our HR solutions portfolio.”

 

ABA Group HR took this opportunity not only to announce the launch of the training initiative, but also demonstrate the functionality of the Harvard online learning tool – Harvard Manage Mentor – and share its vision for future training initiatives.

 

Mr. Stefaan Van Waes, who is heading the Middle East Region for Harvard Publishing Corporate Learning, was invited to host this face-to-face launch session for Ali Bin Ali on the premises of Al Mayas restaurant at The Pearl-Qatar. He presented the Harvard Manage Mentor and Spark tools and addressed queries from the participants.

 

This event set the tone for the training agenda of ABA for the next period. Training initiatives will address the operational needs of the divisions, and at the same time foster and promote the growth of the Group’s talent pool. 

 

 

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HR celebrates the graduation of ABA Management Development Program 2017 batch

In a proud moment for Ali Bin Ali (ABA) Holding, 45 staff members from different divisions of the Group completed the ABA Management Development Program and graduated with flying colors.

 

It was part of the company’s efforts to support its employees by providing an opportunity to attend professional training and achieve certification with the Institute of Professional Certified Managers.

 

The initiative was divided in 2 streams – Foundations of Management (for new / junior managers or potential employees) and Certified Manager (for experienced in the field managers). For the first time there was 88% completion rate for a management initiative, which sets the bar high for the future programs.

 

To commemorate this feat, the ABA HR department organized a small gathering on Thursday, February 22 at the Ali Bin Ali head office and the batch of 2017 was awarded their certificates and appreciated for achieving professional recognition

 

Apart from the 45 graduates, the guests at the event included senior representative from the management. They expressed their satisfaction with the efforts and the success of the participants in the program.

 

Opening the event, Group General Manager Human Resources Mr. Aldrine Austine Fernandez congratulated the graduates and said: “It is great achievement for all of us. I am so happy to see so many familiar faces from our previous development programs. This demonstrates our company’s and employees’ commitment for continuous development.”

 

This was followed by a ceremony where certificates were handed over to each of the graduates by the GMs and COOs of different divisions.

 

Group Leadership Development Manager Mr. Nikolay Stoichkov said, “It is a proud moment not just for the graduates but all of us. It is really encouraging to see such promising and committed students who, despite their hectic work schedule, give their best and really work hard to earn these accolades.”

 

Marking it a perfect ending, the evening concluded with the guests socializing and enjoying some light snacks. Now it is the turn of the managers to demonstrate their capabilities, through knowledge transfer, high dedication and more success in future.