MEA Q3 2018

18 MEA MARKETS / Q3 2018 , The Hissah Enrichment Center (HEC) provides theMiddle East with education, training and consulting services. In August, the center was named among the winners of the 2018MEA Excellence Awards programme as the ‘LeadingMentoring Service Provider of the Year’. Following this deserved win, we spoke to Dr. Anastasia Kamanos who, as Director of Development, offered a remarkable insight into the center’s considerable achievements and core mission. Drivers of Immense Societal Change The United Arab Emirates has, for the last decade at least, been a region of extraordinary business growth. In more recent years, it has also been a hub of immense societal change, driving development across the Middle East. In light of this, the UAE has become a popular ‘hot-spot’ for young professionals and expats to achieve the long sought after equilibrium between career development and family life. The Hissah Enrichment Center was created to provide essential services to the region that truly put the client at the center, offering training and consultation to strengthen personal and professional relationships in the workplace, home and community. By all regards, Dr. Anastasia Kamanos can be considered an expert in the fields of gender, creativity, identity and empowerment. Her practised skill set makes her an invaluable asset to the center, as she enriches her client’s interpersonal skills, and teaches them about the importance of personal power and self-esteem. To start the interview, Anastasia explains the philosophy behind HEC’s dedication to the client experience. “HEC embraces a client service philosophy that is intrinsic to our workplace culture and is anchored in a simple though crucial principle of “the needs of our clients come first”. That said, the HEC ‘culture’ doesn’t exist on paper; it exists in the way we interact with our clients and each other. The success of our business relies on having the ‘right’ people in place who embody the practices, high standards and philosophy of well- being that we promote. When the core of your business is personal development, there is no room for mediocrity as each day is an opportunity to thrive.” Anastasia continues, emphasizing the importance of the HEC in the context of the Middle East region. “The UAE is a popular hot-spot for young professionals, offering an unprecedented balance between home and work life. Abu-Dhabi in particular is a hub of cultural, educational 1808ME04 and leisure opportunities that attract both expat and local families. However, the challenge of bridging home life and work life don’t occur seamlessly. Young families face personal, professional, economic, and mental stress. Businesses that want to attract and retain top talent must be ready to adopt a growth mindset that supports the needs of this very diverse cohort of professionals. Adapting to the changing profile of potential employees is challenging, and easier said than done.” “Success requires that knowledge be broadened, beliefs reshaped, and awareness heightened. For example, traditional infrastructures and business models that have not been the domain of women, now need to respond to the needs of women who want to pursue careers while bringing up their families. Acknowledging the economic and social benefits of day-care facilities, flexible work hours and at-home work possibilities requires an evolution and shift of business mindsets.”