In conjunction with the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources in preparing well-qualified leaders, Shell Egypt celebrated their first batch of graduates from the American University in Cairo (AUC) Leadership Program, as part of the ministry’s Middle Management Program under the umbrella of the Modernization Project. The ceremony was held on February 3, at Shell’s premises in Cairo.
Inaugurating the event, Khaled Kacem, Country Chairman and Managing Director at Shell Egypt, stressed on the importance of safety as Shell considers health, safety and environment (HSE) to be a top priority, saying that, “We always say that everyone has to go back home safe every day.” Kacem clarified that “If we have the right people, if we have the right skills, if we do things properly, if we plan for our activities, if we comply with our goals, and if we take our time, we will do things right and our Goal Zero becomes achievable.”
Kacem remarked that the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources has a significant contribution to the economic development of Egypt, adding that “under the economic reform, we believe [that] we all have a great opportunity to play a much bigger role in the economy.”
Afterwards, Kacem affirmed that Shell believes in the importance of human resources, as much of the company’s social investments are directed towards capacity building. Considering the Leadership Program in partnership with the AUC, Kacem said that “we are really very proud of you, and I am sure you are all very proud of the great achievement you have accomplished through this program.” Concluding his speech, Kacem stressed that “Shell is very committed to Egypt, and we look forward to continuing [this] collaboration.”
The ceremony continued with a key speech by Osama Mobarez, First Undersecretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. Mobarez thanked Shell and the AUC for supporting such programs, pointing out that “this program is a key milestone. This is not the end of your career.” He added that “this program is an important step in the Middle Management Program, and it will be followed by other steps.”
Mobarez stressed on the vitality of the Modernization Project, saying “through this project, we aim to achieve a huge progress in the sector and the country as a whole, in addition to achieving sustainability.” Furthermore, Mobarez clarified that the ministry pays a great deal of attention to its human resources, as “without having motivated and well-qualified talents, we will not be able to achieve our ambitions.”
Additionally, Mobarez commented on the Middle Management Program, saying “this program began with an idea by the minister himself as we do not have a shortage in talents, yet we need to find a way to discover these talents. Accordingly, we had to initiate those programs to help them develop their careers.” Building on that, the ministry collaborated with several international oil companies (IOCs) to take part in these programs for further enhancement, Mobarez elaborated.
Hussein Behery, Professor of Executive Education at the AUC, participated in this celebration as well. Behery said that the program has been designed to establish an advanced leadership. He noted that “the program’s main goal is to optimize your organizational development through planning and managing business properly.” Furthermore, Behery noted that there are some elements that need to be considered for this program’s success, saying “you need to have committed management, highly qualified vendors, and ambitious participants.”
Behery highlighted that “at the end of the program, you could look for opportunities not only threats, and that was one of the major objectives of the program.”
Then, Benjamin Mee, Exploration Manager at Shell Egypt, showcased Shell’s success story in Egypt, stressing that the sector’s road towards digitalization is considered as a transition in the company’s vision. He added that Shell focuses on achieving its Goal Zero, with no harm to anyone or to the environment. Additionally, he clarified that “[in Shell], we ask our customers what do you want. Egypt comes first, and Shell second.”
Moreover, Mee noted that “it is absolutely crucial that we contribute to society,” adding that “we control and contribute to the labor market, invest in the future, and ensure that we support universities through increase education and academia.”
After that, the ceremony was concluded by awarding the program’s participants appreciation certificates for their efforts throughout this journey.
