Trailblazing Women: Leading, Inspiring, Transforming
This is the first in a series of interviews by Emma Burdett, Founder of WILD: Women in Leadership Deliver, the only women’s network to connect women across the Middle East region caught up with Maryam, first asking about her corporate background and her own personal journey to the WILD side of life.
Maryam: My journey wasn’t a typical one! It has lots of shifts and twists guided by my passion. I started in the fashion industry as one of the first young Saudi designers after studying Business and Fashion Design.
My career as a designer was short but successful, and during this time I began to enjoy tutoring young designers, helping to grow talent in the Saudi Market. From there, things escalated from a lecturer to the head of the department to the Vice Dean, Dean, and then the Institute Manager. Moreover, I’ve always had the urge to start something new and challenging, so I asked my father if I could join his consulting business. He gave me one chance to prove myself since I’m a ‘fashion grad’, and that chance ended up being the start of years of experience in consulting and leading country-scale projects with global companies.
In parallel, I decided to do my EMBA with Hult International Business School, which introduced me to the path of my current specialty, sustainability. Since then I’ve been driven to introduce the proper concept and application of sustainability, and have been lucky enough to work across different sectors to transform companies in the Kingdom.
The journey was full of challenges and obstacles, but, personally, challenges drive me to put on my A game and prove myself and deliver! I’m now leading the Saudi Chapter of the UNGC, driving sustainability in the private sector through a global framework and initiating a lot of programs that help build the right eco-system for sustainability in KSA to help achieve Vision 2030 goals.
We are working in partnership with WILD to achieve SDG5 in KSA. We need female experts to speak to females with a relevant empowering voice, and we need to share stories to let them know they’re not alone and whatever they face isn’t something linked to geography
Emma: What inspired you to pursue a career in a male-dominated industry?
Maryam: I think one of the main reasons behind my success is that I never look into industries from that gender angle. For me, it’s a new challenge – a career in an industry that’s globally contributing to the pollution we all suffer from. Construction in KSA is yet to improve in sustainability areas, whether it’s social or environmental, and my aim is to change the face of construction in the Kingdom so that it becomes a pioneer in sustainability applications. This requires a lot of work, including changing the mindsets of CEOS, project directors, and labor so that they work in a way they’ve never considered! Moreover, one of the main areas I’m keen on improving is having more females present in construction, doing more than just HR work.
Emma: What has been your biggest career achievement to date?
Maryam: My biggest achievement is when people refer to me as the ‘Sustainability Guru’ –
when people reach out to me saying that I’ve inspired a shift in their careers, or drove the successful transformation of their entity. I am driven by impact; so to be able to create an actual impact on people and businesses is what keeps me motivated to do more. To be able to set the foundation for sustainable fashion in KSA was a highlight in my career. To participate and contribute to the development of startups is another triumph in my career.
Emma: What changes have you seen for women in KSA over the past five years?
Maryam: Vision 2030, under the leadership of HRH Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, has not only paved the way for women’s empowerment, but made sure targets around that topic are achieved. This has affected our personal lives as well as our careers We now enjoy the same rights as any Muslim community elsewhere; we drive, we work in different fields, we occupy government positions, we have regulations that protect our rights, and much more besides. This drastic change has enabled each and every ambitious Saudi woman to make her dreams a reality.
Emma: What notable changes have you seen in the workplace for women?
Maryam: The fact that conversations around women empowerment and how to make the workplace achieve inclusivity for all regardless of gender is a notable change. The female leadership programs and KPIs instilled for SDG5 (Gender Equality) are another notable change, as it influences tracking numbers of females in the governance body as well as other divisions. I participated in more than five talks last year in KSA in major conferences around this topic, which shows the significance of this issue in our country.
Emma: What challenges do women still face in the workplace?
Maryam: I think we have two different levels of challenge. The first is within the persona of the females, believing in their capacity and amazing potential, while the second is more relevant to how businesses accommodate that transition towards a more inclusive work environment, by building capacity and preparing adequate talent to lead as successors to male leaders.
Emma: How do you suggest companies in KSA attract and retain the best female talent?
Maryam: They have to be intentional about the gender equality topic, recruiting females with the actual intention of making them future leaders rather than ticking boxes for females per department. They also need to ensure the presence of a role model, a mentor, and an atmosphere in which women are allowed to speak and be heard.
Emma: Have you seen any benefits of cross-functional teams working together, such as men and women and different races and ethnicities? If so, do you have an example?
Maryam: Of course! Psychologically, men and women are built differently and each come with their own traits and strengths, and you have to add to that the effect of exposure to different cultures and backgrounds in terms of race and ethnicity. So, whenever a team is well-balanced with diversity the outcome is way stronger compared to a group of similar mentalities and backgrounds.
I’m witnessing that in my daily life, whether it’s a family decision or a project at work. One recent example at MBL is when I joined its site team for a mega project and my detail-oriented approach helped organize the work and put a clear plan for the team to deliver it in a timely manner. Also, HSE at the site was overlooked by expats and I took a decision to bring in local talent and hired Ms Hadeel Banjar as the Environmental Manager. The performance of the environmental team escalated with collective efforts, as locals were able to understand better the requirements of local authorities and bring in a passion to change construction in Saudi. The nurturing compassionate nature of the female made the team more open to communicating and keeping their passion
I’m now leading the Saudi Chapter of the UNGC, driving sustainability in the private sector through a global framework
Emma: Do you see differences in generations, and are older generations more resistant to change?
Maryam: I think it’s more relevant to mindsets than generations! We have male leaders from older generations that have a growth mindset that supports change. However, we can’t deny the fact that the younger generation is exposed to globalization and are having new sets of values in their DNA of thinking.
Emma: KSA has a high percentage of young people, with 65% of the population being under 35. Do you see a different mentality in this generation?
Maryam: The younger generation is living in a new culture that’s open to globalization and raised in the era of Vision 2030 so they’re developing a different mentality. The younger generation is more open and is considering career paths in music, art, and other amazing fields that were never an option before. But I just hope that our new generation doesn’t lose its core cultural values and character as it’s crucial to find the right balance and to have a unique identity.
One of the main areas I’m keen on improving is having more females present in construction, doing more than just HR work
Emma: What is your personal intention and motivation?
Maryam: To make a positive impact and, as a single mother, I am eager to be a role model for my three daughters, showing them that females can be successful at whatever they put their minds to while taking care of their families.
Emma: What has been the biggest challenge for you and how have you overcome this?
Maryam: My biggest challenge was being doubted by decision-makers early in my career. But I took that as a challenge to prove to them that I can deliver beyond their expectations, and now people say: “You want to get things done, bring in Maryam”. Another moment of challenge that I’ll never forget was when my father told me: “Maryam, your problem is that you dream big, lower your ceiling”, but now I smile every time I see how proud he is of my accomplishments.
Emma: What advice would you give to a younger Saudi female starting out in their career?
Maryam: My advice to all young people starting their careers is: You are your biggest investment, so invest in yourself and develop your capacity to the max, work with passion, have an aim to achieve, and finally never stop exploring because you’ll never know as a fresh graduate what your career path is. For young females, please remove the gender barriers from your brain and treat males as colleagues with different physiques; as you’re both human and each is blessed with abilities. It’s what you deliver that distinguishes you at work not what your gender is.
The younger generation is living in a new culture that’s open to globalization and raised in the era of Vision 2030 so they’re developing a different mentality
Emma: How important do you feel the WILD network is for women in the region and why?
Maryam: Extremely important and that’s why we’re working in partnership with WILD to achieve SDG 5! We need female experts to speak to females with a relevant empowering voice, and we need to share stories to let them know they’re not alone and whatever they face isn’t something linked to geography. Instead, it’s a global challenge that we are all working to overcome.
Emma: What single piece of advice would you give to all WILD women?
Maryam: Believe in your potential, chase your dream, speak out, and be the change you want future females to witness.
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.
Do you live and work in KSA? Would you like to be interviewed by Emma Burdett from WILD for a Talk on the WILD side? Reach out and talk to us now at SaudiProjects@tpg.media
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