Page 10 - CSA Speaker Bulletin September 2016 | CSA Celebrity Speakers
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW:
Florence
Eid-Oakden
Florence Eid is the Founder and Q.What do you think are Q.What opportunities are
CEO of Arabia Monitor, a research the most important there in the Middle East
and advisory firm focused on attributes a CEO needs for corporations today?
the Middle East & North Africa to have to be effective in their
(MENA) region. Florence appears leadership? As the region accelerates diversification
periodically on CNBC Europe, and restructures, both because of
CNBC Arabia, CNN and the BBC. I believe that first and foremost a CEO the shift in energy markets and the
needs to demonstrate excellence, and fallout from the Arab uprisings, given
Q.What is your key to push for that as a target. Those who continuously high unemployment
working successfully in love and thrive on excellence tend to rates, new opportunities are emerging
a still male-dominated self-select, and flock together. A CEO in new sectors. Amongst these are
industry? also needs to inspire, by establishing new downstream and alternative and
the big picture, and reminding teams unconventional energy opportunities,
I don’t spend much time thinking about of it. Being happy and positive are also new service sectors that are
this at all. I grew up in Saudi Arabia, important attributes, neither of which demography backed (like health
and had I seen this as an obstacle, I is always easy nor straightforward. A services and consumer goods), and
probably would never have embarked CEO is also human, and fallible. But I of course the entire online business
on doing what I do. The biases are try, every day, to do my best! And I think space, which is benefiting from the
sometimes clearly there, in all walks of that most of the time I succeed. I like youth demographic profile of region.
life, if one stops to look for them. But to smile, no matter what is happening, The Public Private Partnership (PPP)
I have never spent much energy on and I find that that helps me, and helps model is likely to grow in significance
this. I focus instead on what I enjoy others who are responsive to a happy, as governments seek outside financing
doing, and work with much passion and upbeat mood. for their infrastructure pipelines, and
pleasure. we see this as a good trend, not least
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