11 Apr 2016
Investcorp, a leading provider and manager of alternative investment products, organised its annual Investcorp Leadership Program at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. The four-day program, held between 29 March and 1 April 2016, was attended by 41 aspiring young business leaders from the GCC. This program is part of Investcorp’s on-going commitment to further develop human capital in the Gulf by providing a platform to foster knowledge sharing and promote understanding of critical issues influencing the global economy and business world.
This year’s edition of the Investcorp Leadership Program was specifically designed by Investcorp and Oxford Saïd to equip the next generation of Arab professionals with the leadership, innovation and management skills necessary to succeed against the increasingly challenging dynamics of the world today. Attendees were provided with a platform to debate some of the most critical trends and issues shaping business, with distinguished faculty members and globally recognized experts.
Mohammed Al-Ardhi, Executive Chairman of Investcorp, said, “Since its inception Investcorp has acted as a bridge between the Gulf and the West. This role is more than creating investment opportunities and we have a responsibility to support the next generation of Arab business leaders by providing them with the tools to strengthen their leadership and business skills. It is this generation that will lead Middle Eastern economies and societies to the next stages of prosperity. We see great potential in these young professionals and we are proud to have created a developmental path for them to enhance their capabilities and enrich their knowledge.”
The program officially began with a keynote address by Mohammed Al Ardhi, Executive Chairman of Investcorp, who spoke about the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship, followed by a traditional dinner at Balliol College, University of Oxford. Faculty from Oxford Saïd delivered a series of interactive sessions on shaping the markets in which companies operate, embedding entrepreneurship in organizations and scaling family businesses. Demonstrations of the latest cutting-edge research in bioresearch and microscopy were also organised at the University’s Advanced Bioimaging Unit.
Dr Andrew White, Associate Dean for Executive Education at Oxford Saïd, said, “It has been an absolute pleasure to work alongside Investcorp to design this unique, tailor-made program. At Saïd Business School we aim to develop programs that inspire individuals, enable transformational thinking and create significant business impact and this is exactly what we hope to have achieved during the Investcorp Leadership Program.”
The program concluded with the final day spent at Investcorp’s London office, where the participants attended a presentation led by Investcorp’s Corporate Investment Europe team.