DOHA: Twenty-five leaders from various sectors participated in Navigator, a four-day leadership programme supported by Qatar Shell, and held in partnership with Silatech, Social Development Centre (SDC) and Qatar Business Incubation Centre (QBIC).
It was designed and delivered by Common Purpose, the global leadership development organisation, and brought together leaders to tackle the challenge ‘How can we make a step-change in the survival rate of Qatari start-ups?’
Participants were guided through an innovation process — involving inputs from experts and organisations from Qatar’s entrepreneurship ‘eco-system’ — and charged with developing new ideas to be prototyped to make an impact on the challenge.
Ideas included Qatar Association for SMEs — a body of entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs and for entrepreneurs to facilitate peer-to-peer support and Discovery Dome — a place for schoolchildren to visit as a mobile unit visiting schools, a park or in a mall that will provide experiences to help them understand important social issues and needs and The Platform, an online, one-stop-shop for existing and potential entrepreneurs providing simple direction to information, support and inspiration to make the most of the offer to them by organisations in the eco-system.
Rob Sherwin, Deputy Country Chairman & Chair, Navigator Advisory Group, said, “The programme will play a valuable role in engaging future leaders and entrepreneurs in some of the practical issues raised by Qatar National Vision 2030 by helping them to be more innovative, more entrepreneurial, and better leaders.”
Munther Al Dawood, Manager, Projects & Investment, and Acting CEO, SDC, said, “We aim through the programme to engage entrepreneurs and future leaders in meeting the requirements of Qatar National Vision 2030 and better equip them to address challenges accompanying the surging economy. This will help harness their leadership skills and develop entrepreneurial business ideas into innovative, sustainable and profitable businesses leading the way to economic diversification”
Participants were drawn from organisations such as Hamad Medical Corporation, Ooredoo, Teach for Qatar, Qatar Petroleum, Qatar University, Al Jazeera, Lusail Real Estate, Sidra Medical and Research Centre; new start-ups such as CloudClinik and Envirocon, and partners such as Shell, Silatech, SDC and QBIC.
“Entrepreneurship is fundamental to Qatar’s efforts to develop towards a diversified, knowledge-based economy. Silatech is proud to partner with Common Purpose to support the programme as we engage future leaders to develop fresh perspectives on challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship,” said Mohammed Al Naimi, Acting CEO, Silatech.
Aysha Al Mudahka, Chief Executive, QBIC, said, “QBIC is delighted to partner with Common Purpose for the programme, as it is aligned with our vision of creating an easily accessible, ever-growing private sector in Qatar.”
The Peninsula
