Do you have it in you to be a CEO in the UAE? Only if you can show that you have the credentials will you be considered for the same role in another company.
This is the case with 95% of CEO appointments in the UAE, according to new findings from Heidrick & Struggles, the executive search advisory firm.
This is ‘significantly higher than the global average of 77%’, the agency finds.
Which means only 5% were appointed to the top seat without first holding a CEO’s role. These individuals went up through the ranks via positions like vice-president, country manager, and other senior leadership roles.
Based on the findings, 64% of CEOs in the UAE have had prior CEO experience before joining their current companies compared to the global average of 42%. “These figures underscore a strong preference for seasoned leaders with the relevant experience,” the study finds.
Cross-border track-record
Half of CEOs in the UAE have had cross-border experience – again well above the global average of 37%.
The UAE ranked fourth globally for the share of CEOs who are non-nationals (43%), far surpassing the global average of 26%.
Hong Kong had highest number of non-nationals with 69%, followed by Switzerland (62%) and the UK (46%).
Hiring from outside
More UAE companies now look beyond their ‘internal leadership pipelines to identify and secure top talent’, with 41% of CEO appointments being external hires, higher than the 31% global average.
But ‘gender diversity remains an area of focus for the region’, the new findings suggest. The share of women in a CEO role is at 7% in the UAE compared to the global average of 8%.
