Kuwait: Kuwait Financial Centre “Markaz” rounded out its human development activities for the year with a seminar around the theme of career resilience, particularly focused on women empowerment in the asset and wealth management industry. Covering the topics of gender equality and self-preservation regarding career progression, the activity allowed Markaz’s staff to engage with one another and explore methods to help ensure a cohesive and healthy work climate.

The workshop was hosted by the guest speaker, Dr. Rania Azmi, a member of the Executive Education Board at the Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania. With more than two decades of experience strategically advising the International Finance Cooperation (IFC), the World Bank Group, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Kuwait, Dr. Azmi utilized her years of experience to share insights into the enduring value of gender equality within the workplace.

Throughout the day’s events, Dr. Azmi explored the importance of resilience – for men and women alike – to collectively flourish and achieve sustainable results within the investment banking and asset management industry. With her extensive international experience as a notable speaker worldwide, she poignantly raised attendees’ level of awareness of the key challenges that can disproportionately affect female professionals.

“We have always been an avid promoter of all our staff’s continual career growth and development. While there are shared traits that we encourage all our team members embody such as integrity, compassion and empathy, we understand that our team member’s identities and experiences are unique, particularly with regard to gender. By gaining a deeper understanding of the crucial value of women empowerment, we at Markaz are on the right track towards realizing the full potential of all our staff, and successfully meeting clients’ needs in an increasingly dynamic market,” stated Peter Kelly, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Markaz.

Leveraging her first-hand expertise to pinpoint solutions, Dr. Azmi outlined techniques to help persevere through career hurdles and ways active consideration can be shown to team members in an industry traditionally underrepresented by women. By encouraging male colleagues to demonstrate an understanding of women’s experiences within the workplace, Dr. Azimi affirmed that opportunities can be rebalanced to the benefit of everyone, the business and its clients included.

Markaz’s team members who attended the workshop were given the opportunity to present questions to Dr. Azimi and participate in an interactive discussion to collectively gain a better understanding of the significance of women’s empowerment within the workplace. The closing activity for the 2022 calendar year embodies Markaz’s commitment to uplifting its employees, equipping them with the right skills to overcome challenges and establishing pathways for team members to reach their fullest potential.

Markaz’s last event of 2022 wraps up a year-long series of activities for its employees, which include a strategic marketing communications masterclass, a training program for its Wealth Management team entitled ‘Know Your Client’ and a ‘Growth Mindset Energizer’ summit, amongst others. In October, Markaz held a breast cancer awareness lecture for its female employees, in collaboration with Taiba Hospital.

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About Kuwait Financial Centre “Markaz”

Established in 1974, Kuwait Financial Centre K.P.S.C “Markaz” is one of the leading asset management and investment banking institutions in the MENA region with total assets under management of over KD 1.142 billion as of 30 September 2022 (USD 3.67 billion). Markaz was listed on the Boursa Kuwait in 1997. Over the years, Markaz has pioneered innovation by developing new concepts resulting in new investment channels. These channels enjoy unique characteristics, and helped Markaz widen investors’ horizons. Examples include Mumtaz (the first domestic mutual fund), MREF (the first real estate investment fund) and Forsa Financial Fund (the first and only options market maker in the GCC since 2005), all conceptualized, established and managed by Markaz.

For further information, please contact:
Sondos S. Saad
Media & Communications Department
Kuwait Financial Centre K.P.S.C. "Markaz"
Email: ssaad@markaz.com