People Strategy & Engagement
20+ years transforming customer experience, culture, and people strategy across some of the UAE's most recognised banking institutions.
"CX isn't just about service — it's about shaping culture, empowering people, and driving strategic impact."
A belief system that has guided two decades of transformation across some of the UAE's most iconic banking brands.
Twenty years ago, I walked into a bank as a young woman balancing her first full-time role with evening degree classes at the University of Wales. I didn't have a roadmap — just drive, curiosity, and a deep belief that people and their experiences are the heartbeat of any great organisation. What followed was a two-decade journey that took me from Reconciliation Specialist to Associate Vice President, across Emirates NBD, Tanfeeth, and now DIB — shaping cultures, building people-first systems, and leading transformation at scale.
Today, as Head of People Experience & Engagement at DIB, I architect the bank's enterprise people strategy — designing programmes that integrate engagement, wellbeing, inclusion, and recognition into one coherent, human-centred experience. I govern the Employee Value Proposition, lead DEI and holistic wellbeing initiatives, and serve as the organisation's HR lead for the Social pillar of the ESG framework. My north star has never changed: build environments where every person feels genuinely seen, purposefully valued, and inspired to give their best.
Beyond the professional journey, I am a mother to Hamoodi — a healthy, bright, wonderful boy who came into the world at just 24 weeks and taught our family the true meaning of resilience and hope. That experience made me a deeper listener, a more empathetic leader, and someone who never takes an ordinary day for granted.
Every strategy, programme, and framework begins and ends with the humans it serves.
Cultures don't happen by accident. They are architected, intentionally and consistently.
Individual moments matter. But the real measure of leadership is how far the ripple travels.
Four programmes built from scratch that changed how employees show up, how organisations learn, and how cultures endure.
Transformed an internal campaign into a landmark annual event, expanding participation from 250 employees to 16,000+ across four brands and seven international markets.
250 → 16,000+ participantsLaunched a group-wide employee advocacy programme that channelled authentic frontline voices to rebuild brand trust following periods of negative customer feedback.
Group-wide employee advocacyDesigned and launched a digital learning platform that reduced onboarding from 6–7 days to 2 hours, saving the equivalent of 16 full-time employees in annual training costs.
60% reduction in training timeTranslated Emirates NBD's group vision, purpose, and values into an award-winning engagement framework adopted across all brands — recognised with the Emerald GEMS Award.
Emerald GEMS Award 2022A progression from banking operations to enterprise people leadership, built one meaningful role at a time.
University of Wales, Dubai Campus
2003 – 2007 · Evening study alongside full-time role
National Bank of Dubai
2005 – 2008
Began a banking career in operations and reconciliation, building the analytical discipline that would underpin two decades of transformation work.
Emirates NBD
2008 – 2013 · 5 years
Took on project management responsibilities within the bank, expanding scope and developing stakeholder engagement skills across operational units.
Tanfeeth (Emirates NBD Group)
2013 – 2017 · 4 years
Led the Learning & Development function, launching the Tanfeeth University digital platform and Customer Service Academy. Reduced training time by 60% and improved SLAs by 40%.
New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)
2015 – 2016
Emirates NBD — Group Customer Experience
2017 – 2020 · 3 years
Orchestrated a cultural transformation aligned with the TOP Service Model. Expanded CX Month from 4,000 to 16,000+ employees and pioneered real-time service performance dashboards.
INSEAD
November 2019
Emirates NBD — Group Customer Experience
2020 – 2026 · 6 years
Led enterprise-wide CX transformation impacting 15,000+ employees across four brands and seven markets. Built the CODE values framework, One-Stop CX Knowledge Hub, and incentive performance frameworks. Multiple International CX Awards (Forrester) and Emerald GEMS Award.
Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB)
May 2026 – Present
Architecting the people experience agenda for one of the UAE's most prominent Islamic banks. Leading the design and governance of DIB's enterprise-wide Employee Value Proposition (EVP) — building a unified framework that weaves engagement, wellbeing, inclusion, and recognition into a single, coherent employee experience. Serves as the bank's HR lead for the Social (S) pillar of the ESG framework, translating corporate commitments into meaningful people programmes. Trusted advisor to senior leadership on culture transformation, workforce engagement trends, and experience metrics — coaching leaders on empathy, communication, and the conditions that make people truly thrive.
Recognised by global and regional bodies for sustained impact in customer experience and organisational culture.
2018 · 2019 · 2021 · 2023 · 2024
Forrester · 5 consecutive wins
2022
Emirates NBD · Vision, Purpose & Values
2022
Forrester · Leading with Customer Obsession
Multiple Years
Association for Talent Development · Tanfeeth University
Designing recognition experiences that inspire, celebrate excellence, and leave a lasting impression on the people who deserve it most.
The first CX recognition event at Emirates NBD to bring together colleagues from across the Group — Emirates NBD, Emirates Islamic, Emirates NBD Services, and international markets in KSA and Egypt. A six-week CX drive culminated in a glamorous red-carpet evening celebrating the top 1% of CX champions: the people who bring enterprise values to life, every single day.
"From the red carpet to roaring applause — a celebration of the people who truly unlocked the CODE to CX Excellence."
View on LinkedInComing Soon · DIB
Coming Soon · 2026
Coming Soon · 2026
More events in the new chapter — watch this space.
Conversations about leadership, life, and the things that shape us most profoundly.
Podcast Guest
Podcast · Personal Story
One of the most personal conversations I've ever shared. Becoming a mother to an extreme premature baby — born at just 24 weeks — was a journey of fear, faith, and ultimately, profound joy. Today, Hamoodi is a healthy, bright, curious two-year-old. Our story didn't end in fear. It blossomed into hope.
Listen to EpisodePodcast
Coming Soon
Feature
Coming Soon
Panel Talk
Coming Soon
Interview
Coming Soon
Occasional writings on leadership, transformation, and the future of work.
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A commitment to growth that never stopped — from evening classes alongside a first job to leadership programmes at global institutions.
University of Wales, Dubai
Marketing Specialisation · 2003 – 2007
INSEAD
Executive Programme · November 2019
New York University Abu Dhabi
2015 – 2016
Forrester
Certified · March 2022
Forrester
Certified · January 2018
CFA Society Emirates · ATD · Various
Ongoing
Whether it's a conversation about people strategy, culture transformation, or the future of CX — I would love to connect.
Connect on LinkedInEight curated colour schemes — pick whatever feels right.