Kuwait City, Jan 13: Under the patronage of the Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait and Chairman of the Board of the Kuwait Institute of Banking Studies (KIBS), KIBS today launched the executive education program to support the development of senior leaders in the banking and finance sector in the GCC, in collaboration with Harvard Business School (HBS). under the title “Navigating the Future: Leading Financial Institutions in an Era of Innovation and Transformation” on January 13 - 18, 2024. This program is the latest in a series that has been presented for the last 14 years in different GCC countries. This year, the program’s 15th session will be held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. This program is a part of the Kafa’a initiative undertaken by the Central Bank of Kuwait in collaboration with Kuwaiti banks and managed by the Kuwait Institute of Banking Studies (KIBS).

From the deployment of generative AI to the green transition, the competitive landscape in financial services is rapidly changing. Leaders need new tools and a broad perspective to take advantage of emerging opportunities, manage emerging risks and effectively manage high-performing, diverse teams. With that challenge in mind, the Kuwait Institute of Banking Studies and Harvard Business School and are offering a one-week executive education program designed specifically to support the development of senior leaders in the banking and finance sector in the GCC countries. Each day includes a Discussion Group meeting and four highly interactive plenary sessions led by Harvard Business School faculty. The program focuses on two primary themes: Financial markets strategy and leadership.

The Harvard Business School Program was conducted for the first time in 2010. The program continued to run on an annual basis since then, alternating in various locations across the GCC every year. In 2023, the program was conducted in Kuwait.

The outstanding success of the program was an incentive to continue presenting and improving it to suit the rapid changes in the business field. The organizations that participated in the program included several regional financial organizations and banks, in addition to the Central Bank of Kuwait and local Kuwaiti banks.

The program adheres to the Harvard Business School’s high standards to ensure that the participants and their banks and organizations will be provided with quality learning experience for which the school is known for. The new case studies have been selected by the School’s faculty to be related to the banking and financial sectors in addition to other sectors. The participants will carry out several interactive activities in groups throughout the duration of the program that will enhance their analytic skills. At the end of the program, participants will receive a Harvard Business School certificate, verifying that they have completed the program.

The development of qualified talents in Kuwait and the region’s banking and finance sector will remain a top strategic priority for KIBS. KIBS is also keen on the collaboration amongst GCC countries in areas of common interest such as training and development. KIBS extends its gratitude all participants who partook in the program from Kuwait and the GCC.