1:24

This class leads you through the Playbook of Elham Hassan. Elham is a leading Arab businesswoman. As the first Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the GCC region, she has tapped into a wide range of advisory engagements and became the first female partner for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in the Middle East. She was named by Forbes as one of the Most Influential Women in the Middle East.Prior to her current role as Chairwoman of Taaheal Healthcare, and advisor on business and corporate strategy, Elham was the Country Senior Partner at PwC providing quality assurance and advisory services for a wide range of local and international clients.

27:27

Delve deep into the story of one of the most acclaimed business women in the Middle East. Board member and advisor, Elham Hassan has paved the way for many businesswomen and women in leadership positions in the MENA. Starting her educational journey at the young age of 3 and university at 15, she later became an experienced board member providing advisory services to local and international clients. She is also the first female partner for PricewaterhouseCooper.

13:36

In this lesson, Elham walks you through the basics and important elements of board governing and advisory. What it means to be a board member, the different roles and the responsibilities of one.

24:50

To become a board member, you need to get noticed. Elham talks about the different ways you can make yourself stand out and build your portfolio so they can reach out to you to become a board member or advisor.

30:45

Elham shares tips and advises on what it means to be a good board member. The mindset you can have to know how to navigate a board, the qualities and skills you need to focus on and are expected from a board member.

33:38

5. Women in Boards: Overcoming Challenges 33:38 It’s no secret that there are a lot of psychological barriers and biases that women have to overcome in business. The glass ceiling is the term used to describe this invisible barrier that keeps women from climbing to higher positions and their success. These challenges can be overcome and/or eliminated. Elham is an example of one of the women that has broken multiple barriers and achieved success with her hard work. She takes you through her experiences of being a woman in business and how she has faced and overcome the challenges.

5:15

Elham has always been aware of her personal branding as a young kid, from the way she dresses to the way she communicates. She has taken that habit with her as an adult and professional life. She explains how being a good communicator is an important skill to possess if you are a board member or advisor. Constructive communication is key to being efficient on the board. Being exposed to different kinds of people in the board requires also being able to communicate and work towards achieving organizations’ goals.

22:23

One of the most important factors in becoming a board member or advisor is to understand the organisation you’re in. Only when you understand the organisation will you be able to have an impact. Elham shares her tips on how to understand your organisation and become an expert.

19:43

A key element of becoming a successful board member and advisor is networking. Networking can help elevate your success significantly by connecting you to the right people and places. Elham gives guidance on how to navigate your way around a networking space.

10:54

Research shows that women hold less than 30% of board positions globally. Diversifying your board is an integral element for success of any business. Women on boards add a unique value to business and bring different perspectives. Elham discusses bringing more diversity into your organisation.

13:05

Being successful also means that there will be a lot of people along the way that will criticise you and doubt your judgements. Being confident in yourself is an important factor to success. Many people may find themselves shying away from their success and having a difficult time owning it. Elham emphasises on the importance of owning your success and being proud of your hard work and staying confident in everything you do.

4:17

Ethical consideration in the boardroom is extremely important whether it is for making decisions or interacting with other board members. Elham emphasises on the importance of being ethical and explains how she maintains it.)General Note: Confidentiality and being fairTake out personal feelings when making decisions.

11:04

The dynamics in the boardroom can be quite complex, as someone that has been in numerous boards and excelled. Elham shares how you can be able to find your voice in the boardroom and mark your presence.

9:31

Many become board members as a side job, however for Elham being in numerous boards has become her full-time job. In this class, she talks about the benefits and disadvantages of turning this into your full-time job and she shares the most important things you need to know before taking that step.