WILD Founder & CEO Emma Burdett Talks to Amal Al Somali.
In this second interview in the series ‘A Talk on the WILD Side’, Emma Burdett talks to Amal Al Somali about empowering women in leadership by fostering inclusivity, mentorship, and equal opportunities, and in doing so, encouraging diverse perspectives and resilience to drive positive change in organizations and society at large.
Emma Burdett
Founder and CEO of WILD – Women in Leadership Deliver – keynote speaker, leadership coach, and gender equality specialist.
WILD is the first and only women’s network to launch in KSA and offers a suite of solutions for females to rise as leaders in the pursuit of gender equality. This includes leadership training programs, leadership coaching and mentorships, as well as impactful events across the region.
More recently, WILD has signed an MoU with the United Nations Global Compact Network in KSA to drive forward the SDG5 gender equality agenda in the Kingdom. This is a pivotal moment for WILD as they scale throughout Saudi Arabia.
“I feel privileged to be immersed in the female leadership landscape in KSA. I am impressed by the level of intelligence, ambition and talent of the women I have had the pleasure of engaging with. This is the beginning for WILD KSA. I am proud to be at the helm, providing a platform for women’s voices, whilst offering unique and valuable learning experiences. Our recent MoU with the UNGC will not only provide world-class leadership solutions for women in the region; we will also be utilizing Saudi talent in alignment with the vision requirements and to be relevant to local needs.”
Saudi Projects and WILD have partnered to bring you a series of interviews: A Talk on the WILD Side, with inspiring women from across the KSA.
Emma: You come from a corporate background, so tell us about your industry journey.
Amal: Yes, that’s right. I’ve been working in the corporate sector since I started my career post-graduation. I’ve worked in different industries and sectors, including oil and gas, manufacturing, and capital projects.
Emma: What inspired your drive to pursue a career in a male-dominated industry?
Amal: I was always driven by my curiosity to learn and explore. It wasn’t easy to be the only female at the table. I was very uncomfortable at the start of my career, especially coming from an all-female university. However, I realized that my interest in learning, exploring, and delivering was more important than focusing on gender.
My hard work paid off and the excitement I get once I’ve accomplished a milestone is priceless. I was blessed with mentors and inspirational leaders who helped guide me through this journey too. I focus on being a mentor and inspirational leader to those who follow through, setting up the right ecosystem to see them thrive and grow – that’s my real motivator.
Emma: What has been your biggest career achievement to date?
Amal: That’s a tough one, every period has its own set of career achievements. My biggest achievement is being ‘me’; I’ve had the most unusual career path. Being an engineer, I opted for an unusual start to work in procurement and loved it. I moved on to supply chain and operations, which led me to realize my passion for systems and processes, moving me on to procurement operations excellence. The cherry on top is the usage of all those skills and experiences to lead an information systems department now as a CIO.
“The WILD network is much needed in the region, particularly in Saudi contributing to the Vision 2030 targets. Female talent needs female guidance, especially from those who have gone through similar experiences at an earlier time.”
Emma: What changes have you seen for women in KSA over the last four to five years?
Amal: Women have taken up more political roles in government in Saudi. This includes being ministers and ambassadors. It’s also a proud moment when I see a Saudi woman in a leadership role as a CEO or Managing Director in the private sector.
Emma: What notable changes have you seen in the workplace for women?
Amal: Let’s start with having women in leadership roles across the country, women becoming more visible across all sectors and industries. It’s impressive to see that although still a minority of women have the competence and expertise to hold leadership roles, they come from diverse backgrounds with global education and experiences. I am proud to be able to have role models for future generations.
Emma: What challenges do women still face in the workplace?
Amal: Unconscious bias is real and having to face it in the workplace comes naturally from being a minority and in general having a different approach in the corporate workplace. Women and men have very different strengths and therefore can leverage them in the workplace through different ways of communication and representation.
Emma: How do you suggest companies in KSA attract and retain the best female talent?
Amal: I don’t believe female talent requires any retention models. Attracting talent is not easy in the current market which has a very high demand for good talent. In particular, the younger generation is looking for organizational purpose and value to have a sense of belonging.
Good talent, regardless of gender, requires career growth attention, having the right challenges presented in a timely manner to keep them engaged and excited while providing coaching, mentoring, and training to sharpen their skill sets and experiences as they grow with their organizations.
Emma: Have you seen any benefits of cross-functional teams working together, such as men and women from different races and ethnicities? If so, do you have an example?
Amal: Of course, I’ve always worked (and studied) in diverse groups. There is a different perspective that is brought to the table by every individual based on their background, experiences, and exposures. All differences are important so that the best possible outcome is considered through ideation, particularly gender since there are different strengths that are possessed by men and women. However, as I always say, it’s not about being diverse as much as it’s about being inclusive of all these diversities that really make a difference.
I’m proud to have a diverse team working as part of my IS organization at ABB. They have different backgrounds, ethnicities, age groups, and gender. The discussions we have, including debates on topics related to IS transformation at ABB, are of a high level, and of course, the youngest member of my team is a female, Taif Al Otaibi, who joined ABB as a fresh graduate in 2022 and proved herself as a valuable addition to the team. She is now our SAP Functional Consultant (HR) and it’s a proud moment for me to see a young female excelling in an area that is predominantly male.
“While the WILD network is for women in the workplace, a well-guided woman who has the right awareness has an impact on her children, family, society, and community, which shows how much of an impact a female empowerment network has on the nation.”
Emma: Do you see differences between generations? Are older generations, for instance, more resistant to change?
Amal: I don’t think it’s strictly an age factor, it’s more of personal experiences and expectations. The older generations were used to a very different working environment but have also witnessed all the changes. The majority want to know more and may show slight resistance in the beginning, but as soon as they see the benefits and positives of having smarter, efficient ways of working they are on board and the loudest advocators of this change. Also, a lot of these changes have been delivered by the ‘older’ generation who were focused on making an impact and challenging the status quo. (growth mindset).
Emma: KSA has a high percentage of youth with 65% of the population being under 35, do you see a different mentality with this generation?
Amal: The younger generations have had the great privilege of spending their childhood, teenage, and early adulthood with the best of technology, which is also moving at a very quick pace. They’re living in the era of globalization where they have exposure to everything without having to travel. They look for purpose and value while enjoying their time. They’re able to adapt faster due to their exposures, which makes them quite resilient and always questioning the “why”?
Emma: What is your personal intention and motivation?
Amal: As a leader, I want to be a role model and be a tool for change, touching people and organizations’ growth. As a human, I want to support young females to grow and use my strengths to make the workplace a beacon for growth for all.
Emma: What has been the biggest challenge for you and how have you overcome this?
Amal: One of the biggest challenges I face usually is being considered a lot younger than I am, which in turn affects how seriously people take me – especially those who don’t know me – by focusing on trying to figure out my age and how I made it to my position.
This used to be the biggest challenge that I felt was holding me back, but I’ve embraced it and now use it as a strength. It’s a blessing to look younger than I am and when I see it in people’s eyes, I ask them so that we can get over it by addressing their curiosity and, as soon as the agenda starts, they have by then listened to what I had to say and can contribute.
Emma: What advice would you give to a younger Saudi female starting out on their career?
Amal: The same advice I was once given, – dream big and you are your biggest cheerleader. Don’t wait for others to show you the way, test out what you think you want and make your own judgments. Work on yourself, learn, ask, and explore. Experiences are learnings, some more interesting than others. Failure is an experience to learn from so don’t let it go by without a takeaway.
Emma: How important do you feel the WILD network is for women in the region and why?
Amal: The WILD network is much needed in the region, particularly in Saudi contributing to the Vision 2030 targets. Female talent needs female guidance, especially from those who have gone through similar experiences at an earlier time. Being able to support one another and gain insights from the subject matter experts is a necessity.
While the WILD network is for women in the workplace, a well-guided woman who has the right awareness has an impact on her children, family, society, and community, which shows how much of an impact a female empowerment network has on the nation.
I’m proud to be a WILD ambassador and I’m extremely impressed with the women we have working in all industries and sectors. The level of engagement from the members and their passion for change is breathtaking.
“I’m proud to be a WILD ambassador and I’m extremely impressed with the women we have working in all industries and sectors. The level of engagement from the members and their passion for change is breathtaking.”
Emma: What single piece of advice would you give to all WILD Women?
Amal: You’re unique as you are, don’t try to be someone else. Take your dreams to the next level, go to the impossible. There are no limits to what you can achieve, and the WILD network is right there by your side.
Emma: Tell me more about MISK and your involvement.
Amal: The 2030 Leaders Program is a flagship Mohammed bin-Salman Foundation (MISK) program for senior leaders. It’s a unique program that aims to sharpen leadership skills to allow participants to become key contributors in achieving the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and beyond. It’s an elite community that aims to grow with every cohort and develop the next 1,000 leaders ready to serve the nation and its ambitions.
I had the honor to have been selected as part of the fourth cohort, being part of the 45 senior Saudi leaders across the Kingdom in different fields and sectors.
While we go through the unique program, we are also proud to address the transformation of the healthcare sector as a capstone project (key deliverable of the program) across the healthcare workforce.
Upon completion of the program by the end of 2023, I look forward to contributing to the Saudi Leadership Society and helping fulfill my intentions of being a tool for change and growth for my nation and country.
An Event You Won’t Want to Miss!
Would you like to connect with Saudi female leaders in Riyadh like Amal? Why not join the next WILD Riyadh event on 27 September by registering here?
Conversations that Matter: Reach Out and Connect
A Talk on the WILD Side has been created in partnership with Saudi Projects to help amplify women’s voices, providing meaningful insight and candid conversation with diverse women from across the Kingdom. It provides a platform for women to have a voice, deep-diving into all things pertaining to leadership, presenting untamed ideas and inspiration, and paving the way for a sustainable future for women across the region.