GCC Board Directors Institute, The Financial Academy Sign Agreement to Promote Knowledge Exchange

February 11, 2020

Riyadh-Saudi Arabia: 11 February, 2020 – The GCC Board Directors Institute (GCC BDI), a not-for-profit organisation that helps board directors acquire the expertise and tools for effective governance, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Financial Academy, mandated with developing and growing the capabilities of human capital in the financial sector. The collaboration aims to enhance knowledge exchange in the GCC region.

GCC BDI is working with The Financial Academy to enhance director capabilities and board effectiveness across Saudi Arabia. Current collaboration includes the Director Development Programme series, which is run by GCC BDI in collaboration with The Financial Academy – the certification body for the programme.
The Director Development Programme is designed to provide a structured roadmap for directors through modules focused on knowledge, understanding, skills, mindsets, attitudes and values. It is tailored to directors in the GCC region and the first stage of the programme is The World of Directorship, a Certificate in Board Directorship course. Upon completing the four modules and passing the assessment test, The

Financial Academy and GCC BDI will award the successful participants with the Certified Director (Cert.Dir.) title.
GCC BDI and The Financial Academy are also seeking further opportunities for collaboration in future. For its part, GCC BDI now endorses The Financial Academy as a partner and provides the entity with access to its open workshops and thought leadership sessions.

Jane Valls, Executive Director of GCC BDI, said: “We are pleased to welcome The Financial Academy to our growing network of corporate partners. At GCC BDI, we aim to create a positive impact on the economies and societies in the region through promoting professional directorship and raising the level of board effectiveness. This partnership is yet another step in that direction. By joining forces with The Financial Academy, we seek not only to empower businesses in the region but also to nurture emerging talent and ensure long-term competitiveness.”

Mana Alkhamsan, Director General of The Financial Academy, said: “Building partnerships with companies that holds a strong track record, such as GCC BDI, is a key priority for us. Through this MoU, we hope to expand our role in raising awareness about effective governance in line with Saudi Vision 2030. The partnership also diversifies the suite of training programmes we offer.”
With more than 1,400 members, GCC BDI is the most influential network of senior board directors in the GCC region. In the last 12 years, the institute has delivered over 190 workshops, board evaluations and events, and trained more than 1,400 senior directors.

About the GCC Board Directors Institute

Launched in 2007, the GCC Board Directors Institute (GCC BDI) is an independent not-for-profit organisation that helps board directors of entities, from family-owned businesses to listed companies, acquire the know-how and tools to achieve and sustain effective governance.
GCC BDI was founded by eight leading regional corporations and professional services firms: Saudi Aramco, SABIC, Emirates NBD, Investcorp, McKinsey & Company, Allen & Overy, Heidrick & Struggles and PwC. The institute is supported by the regional regulatory authorities, including the Securities and Commodities Authority of the UAE, the Capital Market Authority and Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority of Saudi Arabia, the Central Bank of Kuwait and the Capital Markets Authority of Kuwait, the Central Bank of Bahrain, and the Capital Market Authority of Oman.
GCC BDI’s mission is to create a strong and influential regional network of board members, enhance their capabilities, disseminate high-quality corporate governance knowledge and lead the regional debate on emerging best governance practices. The institute aims to accomplish these goals through a combination of effective practice and experience sharing, access to global knowledge, and interaction with its regional and global counterparts.

GCC BDI has grown to become the leading organisation for board directors in the GCC region. Comprising over 1,400 members with extensive knowledge and experience of operating at the most senior levels of business, the institute has hosted over 190 programmes and forums for top-tier companies.

A globally recognised organisation, GCC BDI is the only entity from the GCC region to be admitted to the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI).

For more information, please visit www.gccbdi.org.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Mehwish Sarwar
GCC Board of Directors Institute
mehwish.sarwar@gccbdi.org
+971 55 903 3365

Susan Shoury
APCO Worldwide
sshoury@apcoworldwide.com
+ 971 55 965 3647