Professional Profile
• Layla started her professional career at an early age. Upon the completion of her high school in 1990, she joined the Center of Gulf Studies - a professional non-profit research organization associated with the New York Institute of Technology and the Gulf Institute of Management.
• In 1991 she was accepted in the Banking Diploma at the Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies. A year later, she graduated to join the Arab Bank in Dubai in the personal banking department. For five years 1992-1997, she gained an excellent first hand experience in banking and customer service which presented her with an opportunity to be recruited by a leading international bank (HSBC).
• At HSBC she started at the Commercial Banking: Guarantee Department where she sharpened her interpersonal communication skills and customer service in addition to enhancing her technical banking knowledge. While working, she continued her higher education to receive her Bachelor degree in business administration in 2001.
• Layla was hand picked in the year 2000 to join the Credit and Risk Management team for Middle East as a Credit Risk Analyst in HSBC. During this period, she started her graduate studies at the Dubai campus of Wollongong University of Australia. She completed her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2003 and was the recipient of the Top UAE National Graduate Award.
• Continuing to seek new challenges, Layla was promoted to be the Regional Team Leader in the regional collection department in recognition of her contribution in the regionalization project of collection departments for Oman and Qatar.
• In July 2004, she was sent to the HSBC Management College in London to complete the seven week executive development program. She successfully completed the program with high standard of achievement. The Program provided her with a comprehensive wide range of knowledge and skills development in key business areas and competencies.
• Layla has proved that she is not the stereotype UAE National as she has always surprised her superiors with the hard work and high level of commitment, discipline and dedication. Her major strengths include excellent interpersonal communication skills, diagnostic and analytical mind, creative, self-motivated and fast learning.
• She moved from banking products to human resource management/development (training and education). Being part of the regional training center of HSBC, Layla managed the training team of personal financial services covering the region. In this role, she was involved in designing and delivering training courses in the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman etc. In addition, she was in charge of managing the HSBC University program for the entry-level staff.
• In 2006, Layla was appointed as the Deputy Director General for HR and Finance at the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) which is a government vocational education school with six campuses in the country.
• In 2008, Layla was fully accepted as a PhD candidate at the International School of Management in Paris. In January 2009, she decided to resign from her highly time demanding position to focus more on her doctoral studies and other professional activities.
• Layla is first UAE National female in the field of training and coaching. She is a certified Cross Culture trainer.
• Her first book "What's After High School?" was well received with more than 40,000 copies distributed for Government schools in the UAE (the second edition of the book is published in 2013). She is also the co-author of the Cultural Detective Arab Gulf.
• Layla has served as an adjunct faculty at a number of academic institutions including the University of Dubai and the Canadian University of Dubai.
• She has conducted training programs in many countries including the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, France, Austria, Finland, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and USA.
• Currently she is filling the post of president at Al Gharbeya for Consulting and Training
~~ Working Experience
1990 - 1991 Center for Gulf Studies & Gulf Institute of Management, Sharjah, UAE, Administrative Assistant
1992 - 1998 Arab Bank PLC, Dubai Main Office, Personal Banking Department
1998 - 2003 HSBC, CRM Credit Risk Management Department, Dubai, Collection Risk Analyst
2003- June 2004 HSBC, RCPC, Regional Team Leader Collection Department
2004 – 2006 HSBC, Regional Training Division
2006 – Jan.2009 Institute of Applied Technology, Deputy Managing Director, HR and Finance
2009 – Oct.2012 Freelance management consultant and trainer
Oct.2012 to present President of Al Gharbeya Consulting and Training
Membership, Accreditation and Awards
• President of the Society of Intercultural Education, Training and Research, SIETAR Arabia
• Member of Global SIETAR
• Member of International Leadership Association
• Certified Trainer, Cultural Detective
• Certified Trainer, Culture in the Workplace, ITAP International
• Certified Trainer, DISG (DISC), MTI, Germany
• Certified Coach for AMG (Mercedes Benz)
• Award of excellence for Top graduate UAE National in the Master degree. February 2004
• Shaikh Rashed Award 2005
• Various recognition and appreciation awards for voluntary social work and contribution
• Layla has done work for leading organizations in the region and globally such as EADS, Borealis, Standard Chartered Bank, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council, Tusk Academy Germany, Mercedes Benz, MAN Trucks, French Chamber of Commerce and Industry Nancy, Abu Dhabi Police Department, ADNOC, Borouge, Royal Bank of Scotland etc.
Training Programs conducted
• Communication Skills
• Customer Service
• Marketing and Marketing Strategy
• Balance Score Card
• Selling Skills and Techniques
• Presentation Skills and Public Speaking
• Business Strategic and Decision Making
• Cross Cultural Training
• Interviewing Skills
• Leadership and Coaching
• NLP
• Life Coaching
• Body Language
• Work Conduct and Business Ethics
• International Etiquette and Protocol
• Creative and Critical Thinking
• Mind Mapping
• Women Empowerment
• Women Leadership
• DISC
• Train The Trainer (TTT)
• SMART Goals
