UAE-based Deloitter Jazala Hamad has hit a very special career – and company – milestone. Having been promoted to partner this month, she becomes the first female Emirati partner in the 96-year history of Deloitte in the Middle East.
“When I was young I was always good with numbers, so I decided at university (Zayed University) to major in accounting and finance.” It was this basis which saw Jazala Hamad accepted by Deloitte into its internship program.
At the time, back in 2009, Hamad already was a pioneering move for the firm – becoming the first UAE national to be hired by the professional services giant in the UAE. “It wasn’t customary for women to become auditors in the UAE at the time,” Hamad reflects.
Now, thirteen years on, Hamad has hit a an even more special career landmark.
Per June the 1st, Hamad joined a cohort of 50+ other new partners that have formally been admitted into Deloitte’s partnership. With around 5,000 partners and staff, Deloitte is one of the leading professional services firms in the region, supporting clients across sectors with audit, assurance, financial advisory, consulting and technology services.
Hamad works in the Audit and Assurance division. “I became an auditor because I was ambitious and wanted to challenge myself,” she said in an earlier interview on her career progression.
Now as a partner, Hamad will step up to probably her largest challenge to date. She becomes an equity owner of Deloitte, and gains full end responsibility for clients and sales, while overseeing teams of auditors and accountants, practice development, and innovation (such as adopting technology to enhance client offerings).
Commenting on the appointment, Mutasem Dajani, CEO, Deloitte Middle East, said: “This is a huge career milestone for Jazala, our first Emirati woman partner, and I am very pleased to welcome her into the partner group. We continue to enhance diversity and drive inclusion across our business to bring the best mix of talent, skills, and backgrounds to our clients.”
Beyond her demanding job, Hamad enjoys horse-riding, jogging, and kayaking (she dedicates several hours each week to sports), and enjoys travelling and reading.
Deloitte’s roots in the Middle East trace back to 1926. Globally, the firm has around 300,000 staff.
Sourced from Consultancy.me