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  • Why Saudi Arabia Is Winning the Global Fintech Race | George Harrak, CEO of Jeel

    Before George Harrak was helping shape the future of fintech in Saudi Arabia, he was serving customers in his family's corner shop in Australia and watching his parents work from before dawn until late at night.

    The lessons they passed on weren't about banking or technology, but about hard work, resilience, humility, and treating people well.

    Today, George leads Jeel, the digital accelerator of Riyadh Bank, helping drive innovation in one of the world's fastest-growing fintech ecosystems.

    The question is: what does it take to build great teams, stay ahead of change, and lead through a period of extraordinary growth?

    Joining host Mohammad Osama on #AboveCLevel, George shares the experiences that shaped his approach to leadership, from his upbringing in Melbourne to building digital banks and leading teams across Australia, Singapore, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

    George opens up about:
    ↳ Why Saudi Arabia is becoming one of the world's most exciting fintech markets
    ↳ The lessons he learned from watching his parents build a life through hard work
    ↳ Why great leaders expect their best people to outgrow them
    ↳ How to build teams that people want to follow from company to company
    ↳ His perspective on Gen Z, ambition, and career growth

    From leading digital transformation to navigating the rapid rise of AI and fintech, George shares a grounded perspective on leadership, talent, and what it really takes to build a meaningful career.

    Because success rarely comes from one defining moment, but instead is built over time through the people who influence us, the lessons we learn, and the choices we make when nobody is watching.

    Catch the deeply insightful conversation now.


    Chapters
    • 00:00:00 Opening: Saudi's Bold Fintech Vision - 525 by 2030
    • 00:01:32 The GCC Fintech Leap: From Competitor to Enabler
    • 00:03:42 Jeel's Banking-as-a-Service Platform: The Sandbox Explained
    • 00:06:04 Local Saudi Talent: Youth Pushing Boundaries in Payments and Lifestyle
    • 00:08:07 The Family Business Foundation: Lessons From 4am to 11pm Workdays
    • 00:11:36 Sports, Competitiveness, and Building Teams That Follow You
    • 00:12:54 The Bold Promise: Half of You Will Leave in 12 Months
    • 00:14:07 Hiring Introverted Wizards: Making Candidates Comfortable Before the Interview
    • 00:17:30 Gen Z Reality: Ambitious, Efficient, and Smarter Than We Were
    • 00:21:48 AI in Financial Services: 40-50% Faster Development Despite Regulatory Caution


    Listen on:

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    Connect with George: 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-harrak/

    Follow Our Host:

    Mohammad Osama: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-osama-8395b88/

    24 min
  • How to Become Financially Free (Even If You’re Starting From Zero) | Jason Graystone, "Always Free"

    Jason Graystone grew up on a South London estate, hiding behind the sofa while bailiffs knocked at the door for unpaid electricity bills.

    Years later, he became financially free by 29.

    But this conversation isn’t just about money, but about the fear that drove him there in the first place. 

    Joining host Robyn Abou Chedid on #TheBrandofYOU, Jason gets deeply honest about financial freedom, identity, fulfilment, and the emotional reality behind building wealth.

    From becoming a young dad before he felt financially ready, to obsessively chasing security after growing up without it, Jason shares the mindset shifts that completely changed the trajectory of his life.

    But what makes this conversation different is what came after the success. 

    Because once he finally had the freedom he thought he wanted… he realised money alone was never the answer. It was time. 

    Jason opens up about:
    ↳ Growing up without security and the childhood experiences that shaped his relationship with money
    ↳ Becoming financially free at 29 and why it still didn’t fulfil him
    ↳ The simple “maths” behind financial freedom that most people overcomplicate
    ↳ Why so many high earners still feel trapped, stressed, and unhappy
    ↳ The dangerous side of chasing success just to escape your current life
    ↳ Building leveraged income, buying back time, and redefining what freedom actually means

    This episode goes far beyond “get rich quick” advice.

    It’s about understanding what you’re actually chasing… and whether it was ever really yours to begin with.

    Chapters
    • 00:00:00 Opening: From Necker Island to Zero Goals - The Always Free Philosophy
    • 00:02:13 The Richard Branson Connection: How Energy and Giving Unlocked Opportunities
    • 00:05:22 What Financial Freedom Actually Means: The Maths Behind the Movement
    • 00:06:58 Mental Freedom Over Money: Why Most People Chase the Wrong Thing
    • 00:10:23 The Dubai Vacuum City Reality: Why Investing Beats Saving
    • 00:12:04 Leveraged Income Explained: Time, Space, and the Restaurant Example
    • 00:13:46 It's Just Maths: The Formula That Guarantees Financial Freedom
    • 00:14:25 From YouTube Struggles to Fulfillment: The Four-Hour Video That Started Everything
    • 00:18:17 South London Estate to Swing Trading: The Childhood That Shaped a Money Mindset
    • 00:19:39 The BMX Bike Lesson: Learning Leverage at Seven Years Old
    • 00:20:41 The Baby That Changed Everything: From Engineer to Financially Independent at 29
    • 00:21:39 The Parenting Paradox: When Security Creates Chaos
    • 00:23:35 Why Dubai Won't Be Home: Nature, Deer, and Not Chasing Money Anymore
    • 00:24:16 Zero Goals and Living for Today: The Necker Island Revelation
    • 00:24:55 The Contentment Epidemic: Working Out What Your Dream Life Actually Costs
    • 00:26:44 The Train Metaphor: Why People Miss Their Stop Chasing Someone Else's Dream
    • 00:27:54 Finding What's Important to You: The Photo Roll Exercise
    • 00:31:19 Always Free: The Name, The Newsletter, and The Movement
    • 00:36:39 Congruency and the 24/7 Camera Test: Would You Live Stream Your Life?
    • 00:38:47 Closing: The Millionaire and The Paper Boy - A Story About Real Freedom

    Listen on:

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    Connect with Jason: 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_graystone/ 

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jasongraystone 

    Website: https://jasongraystone.com/ 

    Book - Always Free: https://shorturl.at/y7SWo 

    Follow Our Host - Robyn Abou Chedid: 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynabouchedid/ 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlnamedrobyn/ 

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@girlnamedrobyn 

    42 min
  • Why I’d Leave a Role Empty Instead of Hiring You | Chris Radoszewski, Ex-COO & VP of HungerStation

    Some of the best leaders don't start their careers looking like future leaders.

    Chris Radoszewski certainly didn't.

    A failed business venture. A stint as a bartender. No clear roadmap.

    Fast forward a few years and he's helping scale Uber, leading hypergrowth businesses, and hiring hundreds of people across multiple markets.

    The question is: what changed?

    Joining Mohammad Osama on #AboveCLevel, Chris Radoszewski shares the lessons he's learned from building businesses in some of the world's fastest-growing companies, including Uber, CloudKitchens, and HungerStation.

    But this isn't a conversation about titles or career milestones, but one about resilience, ownership, and the difficult decisions that determine whether a company grows or stalls.

    Chris opens up about:
    ↳ Why he'd rather leave a role vacant than hire the wrong person
    ↳ The hiring mistake fast-growing companies make over and over again
    ↳ What scaling Uber taught him about leadership and accountability
    ↳ Why many leaders focus on authority instead of ownership
    ↳ How to build a culture that survives rapid expansion
    ↳ The leadership trait he struggles most to find in senior hires

    From navigating failure early in his career to helping build businesses at scale, Chris details the experiences that shaped how he leads, hires, and makes decisions today.

    Because building a successful career isn't usually a straight line.

    And sometimes the experiences that feel like setbacks at the time end up becoming the reason you're ready when the opportunity finally arrives.

    Catch the must-watch episode now.

    Chapters
    • 00:00:00 Opening: The Hiring Struggle - Why Senior People Don't Get Things Done
    • 00:00:45 The GCC On-Demand Market: Is There Room for Everyone?
    • 00:05:42 The Amazon Playbook: Scaling at a Loss Before Profit
    • 00:07:41 Hiring at Hyperspeed: The 20-Hour Interview Week Reality
    • 00:12:08 The False Positive Problem: Why Hiring Under Pressure Backfires
    • 00:15:36 Decision Paralysis: When Companies Hire 6 People Instead of 60
    • 00:19:48 It's Okay to Change Your Mind: The Recruitment Reset Conversation
    • 00:22:08 The Uber Breakthrough: From Bartender to Launch Team Leader
    • 00:25:19 The Creative Exercise: How Uber Hired for Attitude Over Experience
    • 00:29:21 Living in Saudi: The Stigma That Should Have Been Gone Years Ago
    • 00:32:54 Generalists vs Specialists: What You Need at Each Stage of Growth
    • 00:34:00 The Radical Candor Gap: Why Senior People Don't Challenge Leaders Here
    • 00:36:02 Extreme Ownership: Roll Up Your Sleeves and Do It Yourself
    • 00:40:06 Closing: Define What You Need or You'll Never Hire It

    Listen on:

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    Connect with Chris: 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisrado/ 

    Follow Our Host:

    Mohammad Osama: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-osama-8395b88/

    41 min
  • Why Most Leaders Fail at Execution (Not Strategy) | Adil Paracha, Head of Foods at Almarai

    Most people think leadership is about having the right strategy.
    Adil Paracha sees it differently.

    For him, it’s much simpler and much harder than that. If nothing gets delivered, nothing else matters.

    In this episode of Above C-Level, Adil Paracha sits down with host Mohammad Osama to share what leadership means beyond the job title.
    This isn’t their first conversation.


    Over 20 years ago, Osama started his career as Adil’s intern. Today, that story has come full circle, with Adil’s son now interning at GRG. It’s a dynamic that adds a different layer to the conversation, one built on years of growth, perspective, and shared experience.

    From being the youngest in a family of high achievers to navigating global roles across FMCG, aesthetics, and now food, Adil opens up about the pressure to prove yourself and the standards that never switch off.

    He talks about:
    ↳ Growing up in a family where titles meant nothing without real achievement
    ↳ The sense of urgency that shaped his leadership style early on
    ↳ The playbook he uses in every role to turn businesses around
    ↳ Why most leaders focus on the wrong KPIs and pay for it later
    ↳ Hiring for hunger, not experience, and the risks that come with it
    ↳ The difference between leaders who look good on paper and those who deliver

    There’s a difference between building something that looks successful, and something that actually works.

    And most people don’t realise which one they’re part of until it’s too late.

    Catch the must-listen episode now!

    Chapters
    • 00:00:00 Opening: The Sandals Incident - Learning Corporate Rules the Hard Way
    • 00:02:59 The Sense of Urgency: Where Drive and Impatience Come From
    • 00:09:09 The Success Playbook: Structure, People, Strategy, and Processes
    • 00:15:17 Why Most Leaders Fail: The Lead KPI vs Lag KPI Problem
    • 00:19:34 Strategy vs People: Which Matters More for Business Success
    • 00:20:46 Hiring for Hunger Over Experience: The Energy and Attitude Test
    • 00:24:23 Red Flags in Interviews: What Gets You Rejected
    • 00:27:17 The Gen Z Reality: Purpose, Flexibility, and Higher Order Needs
    • 00:28:55 Work From Home vs Office: Finding the Balance That Works
    • 00:31:16 Succession Planning: How to Identify and Develop Future Leaders

    Listen on:

    Spotify:

    Apple: 

    Connect with Adil: 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adilparacha/ 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adilparacha/ 

    Follow Our Host:

    Mohammad Osama: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-osama-8395b88/

    34 min
  • Taleen Marie on Real Housewives, Signing to Jamie Foxx, and Building Her Career in Dubai

    Taleen Marie was “big” in LA. Signed to Jamie Foxx’s label, performing, and living the life most people dream about. A professional singer who opened for Christina Aguilera and even performed for Pope John Paul II, her career was already on a global stage.

    Then she moved to Dubai… and everything changed. No industry, familiarity, or even version of herself that fit anymore.

    Little did she know, this was only the beginning.

    Behind the Real Housewives of Dubai spotlight, there’s a very different story.

    In this episode of The Brand of YOU, Taleen sits down with host and good friend Robyn Abou Chedid for a deeply personal conversation about identity, reinvention, and what it really takes to start again.

    From leaving behind her life in LA, to building something new in Dubai, all while navigating motherhood and career, Taleen shares what it truly looks like to evolve in real time, both on and off camera.

    Taleen opens up about:
    ↳ Moving from LA to Dubai and the identity shift that came with it
    ↳ The reality of miscarriage, fertility struggles, and silent pressure
    ↳ Motherhood, postpartum depression, and discovering a new version of herself
    ↳ Why she chose authenticity over “playing a role” on Real Housewives
    ↳ The pressure to build something after fame and why she resisted it
    ↳ Finding purpose again through fitness, wellness, and building her brand

    This chat is more than about reality TV. It’s about what happens when you step outside of your comfort zone, and who you become because of it.

    Chapters
    • 00:00:00 Opening: From LA Singer to Dubai Housewife - The Identity Shift
    • 00:02:54 The LA Years: Signed with Jamie Foxx and Living the Entertainment Dream
    • 00:03:52 Moving to Dubai for Love: The Culture Shock and Career Pivot
    • 00:05:12 The Mindset Shift: From Touring Artist to Fitness Entrepreneur
    • 00:08:05 The Fertility Struggle: Three Miscarriages and Finding Strength
    • 00:11:19 Postpartum Depression and Meeting Yourself as a Mother
    • 00:14:10 Becoming a Real Housewife: The Decision That Changed Everything
    • 00:16:44 The Art of Being Real on Camera: Performance vs Authenticity
    • 00:28:09 Building Confidence: From Childhood Anxiety to Fake Bathroom Interviews
    • 00:34:59 Entreprenuership: Building a Wellness Brand with Her Sister
    • 00:36:27 Closing: Who Is Taleen Without the Labels?

    Listen on:

    Spotify: 

    Apple: 

    Connect with Taleen: 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taleen_marie_/ 

    Follow Our Host - Robyn Abou Chedid: 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynabouchedid/ 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlnamedrobyn/ 

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@girlnamedrobyn 

    40 min
  • Forbes 30 Under 30… My First Game Made $2.47 | Houcem Maiza, CEO of T7D Gaming

    His first game made $2.47.
    Not $2,470. Not $247. Just $2.47.

    Before Forbes 30 Under 30, before scaling across 40+ telecom operators, and before building a gaming company that actually worked, Houcem Maiza was just a 19-year-old with an idea… sitting alone in his parents’ garage after his co-founders didn’t show up.

    On paper, none of it made sense.
    No experience. No roadmap. No idea how to even build a game.

    Yet, in this episode of Above C-Level, Houcem Maiza, CEO of T7D Gaming, joins Mohammad Osama to share the reality of building in an industry no one teaches you how to succeed in.

    He speaks openly about failure, luck, timing, and the moments he almost walked away. From launching a game nobody downloaded, to one last trip to Dubai that changed his life.

    Houcem talks about:
    ↳ Building his first game with no experience and watching it fail.
    ↳ Making just $2.47 after months of work… and what that did to him.
    ↳ The dark reality of entrepreneurship that no one talks about.
    ↳ How one conversation in Dubai changed the direction of his company.
    ↳ Why luck and timing play a bigger role than most founders admit.
    ↳ The shift from building games to building a scalable gaming business.
    ↳ What the future of the gaming industry really looks like.

    If you’ve ever thought success was just about hard work, this episode might just change your perspective. Listen now to find out!

    Listen on:

    Spotify:

    Apple: 

    Connect with Houcem: 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/houcemmaiza/ 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houcem.maiza/ 

    Website: https://t7dgaming.com/ 

    Follow Our Host:

    Mohammad Osama: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-osama-8395b88/

    1 hr 1 min
  • The Secret to Success Isn’t Money. It’s Helping People | Spencer Lodge, Founder of Beneple

    The first time Spencer Lodge went live on social media, there was only one person watching. His mum… asking him why he wasn’t wearing a tie.

    No audience. No traction. No personal brand. Just consistency and a willingness to show up anyway.

    Years later, he has the businesses, the podcast, and the visibility most people chase. From the outside, it looks like success.

    But what stayed with him most wasn’t the numbers. It was the people.

    In this episode of The Brand of YOU, Spencer Lodge, Founder of Beneple and Host of Made in Dubai, sits down with Robyn Abou Chedid for one of the most honest and unexpected conversations about what success really means, and what actually matters along the way.

    From showing up week after week with no audience, to investing heavily into content, Spencer reflects on the journey with a very different perspective. One that has less to do with money, and far more to do with impact, connection, and how you show up for others.

    Spencer opens up about:
    ↳ Building a personal brand “by accident” and why he still questions the idea of one.
    ↳ Spending $30K a month on content and what it really gave him beyond ROI.
    ↳ Why the most powerful people he’s met are those who have overcome the hardest lives.
    ↳ Creating content that truly connects, through pain, truth, and real human stories.
    ↳ Why chasing virality, money, or followers will never give you what you think it will.
    ↳ The daily habit he believes could change everything

    This conversation isn’t about how to chase success, it’s about redefining this through kindness and the way you make others feel. A real must watch!

    Chapters
    • 00:00:00 Opening: Building a Personal Brand by Accident - The Spencer Lodge Story
    • 00:02:51 Why Would You Put Yourself Out There? The Fear Behind Content Creation
    • 00:04:49 The 400-Video Training Course That Changed Everything
    • 00:08:27 Living in the Moment: Why Spencer Loves True Stories Over Business Talk
    • 00:12:36 The Podcast Pivot: From True Crime to Made in Dubai
    • 00:19:36 I Feel Like a Failure: The Success Paradox
    • 00:23:18 What Is Your Purpose? Finding Meaning Beyond Money and Status
    • 00:26:58 The Two Laws That Should Exist: Volunteering and Kindness
    • 00:33:15 Success Isn't Money: The Maria Conceição Story and What Really Matters
    • 00:37:16 Closing: Be Kind, Hold Hands, and Make Each Other Laugh

    Listen on:

    Spotify: 

    Apple: 


    Connect with Spencer: 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpencerLodgeTV

    Made In Dubai Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@SpencerLodgeTV 


    Follow Our Host - Robyn Abou Chedid: 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynabouchedid/ 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlnamedrobyn/ 

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@girlnamedrobyn 

    40 min
  • Employees Don’t Hate Change. They Hate How You Lead It | Kat Kearsey - Marriott International

    Change doesn’t fail because of strategy decks.
    It fails because of people. And more specifically, how leaders handle them.

    In this week’s episode of Out of Office, Kat Kearsey, Senior Director of Change Management at Marriott International, lets us in on what really happens inside large organisations when transformation is announced. The town halls. The strategy rollouts. The polished messaging. And then the resistance that follows.

    From change fatigue and leadership blind spots to why employees resist the way change is delivered, this is a real conversation about the human side of organisational transformation.

    Mark and Kat talk about:
    ↳ Why employees are not the problem in failed change programmes
    ↳ What leaders misunderstand about resistance
    ↳ How change fatigue builds and damages culture
    ↳ Why leadership behaviour determines whether transformation succeeds
    ↳ What organisations in fast moving markets must rethink right now

    If you are leading a team, navigating transformation, or wondering why your change initiatives are not landing, this episode will challenge you to look in the mirror. 

    Catch the must listen episode now.

    Chapters
    • 00:00:00 Opening: The People Side of Transformation - What Change Management Really Means
    • 00:01:40 The Middle East Change Paradox: Fast-Paced Growth Without Proper People Management
    • 00:03:13 The Internal PR Problem: Why Companies Don't Invest in Change Management
    • 00:07:57 Gen Z vs The Old Guard: Managing Change Across Generations
    • 00:09:12 The Attraction Crisis: Why Dubai Is Hiring Like Crazy But No One's Getting Hired
    • 00:11:09 The Retiree Solution: When Young People Won't Work in Hotels Anymore
    • 00:12:08 AI Will Delete Your Job: The Five-Year Skills Revolution
    • 00:16:10 The Dubai Job Market Reality: Flooded, Competitive, and Brutal
    • 00:17:53 Red Flags and Networking: How to Actually Get Hired in the Middle East
    • 00:19:18 Europe vs Middle East: Why This Region Embraces Change and Europe Resists It
    • 00:22:42 Mass Redundancies and Survivor Guilt: The Right Way to Let People Go
    • 00:24:49 The Eggshell Culture: When Fear of Change Destroys Organizations

    Listen on:

    Spotify:

    Apple: 

    Connect with Kat: 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katkearsey/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katkearsey/ 

    Follow Our Host:

    Mark Timms: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktimmsgrg/

    27 min
  • Your 9-5 Won’t Make You Rich. Only Entrepreneurship Will | Omar Gull, Founder of CLÉDOR

    He pitched his idea to 200 people. Most said no, some didn’t even reply, and only a few entertained the meeting and walked away. Despite this, he kept going.

    Before CLÉDOR, the $120M in funding, and the $250M returns, Omar Gull was climbing fast inside some of Dubai’s biggest real estate names. Promotions came quickly. The titles grew. On paper, his career looked perfect.

    But he knew something wasn’t right.

    He didn’t want to spend the next 30 years building someone else’s vision.

    In this episode of Above C-Level, Omar Gull, Founder of CLÉDOR, and Mohammad Osama have an honest conversation about ambition, rejection, risk, and why he hates the 9-5 mindset that kills careers more than people realise.

    He shares what it really felt like to hear “no” again and again, how he raised $120M in under two months, and how one handshake changed everything. He explains why hard work is not optional, why credibility matters more than charisma, and why he believes knowledge today is fully democratised.

    Omar speaks about:
    ↳ Leaving a high-growth corporate career to bet on himself.
    ↳ Pitching to investors and refusing to take rejection personally.
    ↳ Building a development-as-a-service model in a saturated Dubai market.
    ↳ His controversial stance on 9–5 culture and work-life balance.
    ↳ What he looks for when hiring sales leaders and the red flags he spots instantly.
    ↳ Whether Dubai’s real estate boom can really continue.

    If you have ever thought about creating and leading something of your own, this episode is one you don’t want to miss!

    Chapters
    • 00:00:00 Opening: Dubai's Dream Career That Wasn't Enough
    • 00:00:32 The Dubai Real Estate Phenomenon: 120 Billion in Off-Plan Sales
    • 00:04:21 Why Hard Work Corrupted Me: The Job That Kept Promoting
    • 00:06:10 The 9-to-5 Mindset I Hate: Why Work-Life Balance Won't Make You Rich
    • 00:07:30 Building CLÉDOR: The First Development-as-a-Service Company in Dubai
    • 00:09:19 Pitching to 200 People: The Six-Month Fundraising Journey
    • 00:08:47 From 425 Million Project to Billion-Dollar Vision in Five Years
    • 00:20:56 What I Look for in Salespeople: Credibility, Hard Work, and the God-Given Face
    • 00:06:39 The 70-Day Office Marathon and Why 14-Hour Days Are Normal
    • 00:28:43 AI Won't Take Your Job: It'll Just Make You Better at It
    • 00:30:15 The Future of Dubai Real Estate: Housing Shortage Now, Surplus in 2027
    • 00:32:49 Why Most People Succeed in Dubai: Willingness to Work Hard Beats Everything

    Listen on:

    Spotify:

    Apple: 

    Connect with Omar: 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omargull/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omar.gull/ 

    Website: https://cledor.com/ 

    Follow Our Host:

    Mohammad Osama: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-osama-8395b88/

    37 min
  • Gen Z Will Outgrow Your Company Fast | Preeti Bahuguna - Senior HR Director at The First Group

    Gen Z aren’t “difficult”. They’re just done accepting what previous generations tolerated.

    In this week’s episode of Out of Office, Preeti Bahuguna, Senior HR Director at The First Group, challenges the way organisations are thinking about the next generation of talent. From mental health and setting boundaries to employer branding and why culture is now a deal breaker, this is a conversation both leaders and candidates needs to hear.

    Preeti shares what she’s seeing first hand in the Middle East job market and why Gen Z won’t wait years to feel respected or valued, but demand it from day one. And if your workplace doesn’t align with their values, they will not hesitate to leave.

    Mark and Preeti chat about:
    ↳ Why mental health at work is not a buzzword
    ↳ What Gen Z actually expects from employers
    ↳ Why culture fit now outweighs pure technical experience
    ↳ How employer branding on LinkedIn directly impacts hiring
    ↳ The role of AI and ATS in modern day recruitment
    ↳ Why companies must meet Gen Z halfway, not dismiss them

    This isn’t a conversation about “kids these days”. It’s about a workforce shift that is already happening. Catch the must listen episode now!

    Chapters
    • 00:00:00 Opening: The Middle East Hiring Paradox - Vibrant Yet Competitive
    • 00:01:33 The Diversity Revolution: From Tick-Box to Real Value
    • 00:02:27 AI in Recruitment: Augmented Intelligence Over Automation
    • 00:04:51 Emiratisation and Cultural Constraints: Talking to Parents About Hotel Jobs
    • 00:08:03 The Biggest Recruitment Challenges: Competition, Culture, and Gen Z
    • 00:10:02 What Makes Good Talent Today: Easy to Work With Over Perfect Skills
    • 00:11:22 Employer Branding That Works: The Karaoke Night That Got a Hire
    • 00:13:18 I Was Gen Z Before Gen Z Existed: Mental Health, Tech, and No Power Distance
    • 00:14:28 The Gen Z Reality: Purpose, Boundaries, and Holding Hands
    • 00:16:27 Meeting in the Middle: Educating Stakeholders and Setting Realistic Expectations
    • 00:18:12 ATS Systems and Candidate Experience: Rejections, Timelines, and Human Review
    • 00:19:51 Closing: Hire for What's Missing, Not What's Been Done Before

    Listen on:

    Spotify:

    Apple: 

    Connect with Preeti: 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/preeti-bahuguna-23350914/

    Follow Our Host:

    Mark Timms: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktimmsgrg/

    23 min

About chatGRG

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chatGRG explores how careers are built, shaped, and evolved in an AI-driven world.