Demand for Emirati CEOs on the rise

Demand for top level employees in the UAE has improved a bit this year over 2010 but unlike the growth seen during the boom years.

“There has been an increase of approximately 10 per cent in CEO recruitment [for this year],” Russell Adam, Managing Partner, CT Partners told 'Emirates24|7'.

According to Konstantina Sakellariou, Partner, Marketing & Operations Director at Stanton Chase, the increased demand cannot be tagged as significant.

“I cannot say there is a [substantial] increase in the demand for CEOs. This would mean that there are significant new businesses starting up in the UAE. There is of course a turnover of CEOs, as some leave and new need to take their place. Most importantly, there is an increased demand for Emirati CEOs based on an enhanced Emiratisation process.”

Amer Zureikat, VP Sales, Bayt.com, believes that the increase in CEO jobs will be limited to single digits.

“[According to findings by the online portal], limited C-suite jobs were going to be on offer. [The survey shows that] four per cent of the respondents said they would be seeking to appoint a new president, five per cent said they plan to appoint a CEO, and another six per cent said they would advertise vacancies for a COO, CFO or CMO.

“[Our July 2011figures] showed that there was a very slight rise in the demand to fill C-suite positions – six per cent said they would be hiring a new president,7 per cent said they plan to appoint a CEO and another seven per cent said they were on the lookout for a COO, CFO or CMO.”

The new change that has been witnessed now is that a greater number of top-level executives are seeking jobs online, which did not happen in the past.

Word-of-mouth and a very strong professional network were more reliable and preferred modes then.

“We have seen a very healthy and significant increase in the numbers of CEOs and other C-suite top executive professionals on our site.

“Online recruitment has ceased to be the exclusive domain of the young and [has] also become the preferred domain of seasoned top professionals seeking top level jobs across the region.

“However, the sharp increase [we] have seen in the number of highly qualified top-caliber professionals with top credentials looking to espouse top level CEO jobs in the UAE is against a backdrop of still subdued economic activity,” added Zureikat.

However, there are some who are upbeat about the trend we’ve seen this year.

“[We] have seen more than a 100 per cent increase in the number of CEO placements made in 2011 across the GCC, reflecting strategic changes in banks from the top down in the aftermath of changing economic conditions,” said Hasnain Qazi, Middle East Business Manager at Huxley Associates.

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