Appointments

Latest Senior HR leadership movements: Riyad Bank, GCCB, NBK & more

By Anjum Khan

The week after Eid is bringing a wave of fresh beginnings, with several senior HR leaders stepping into new roles to help shape the world of work. 

The newly appointed senior HR leaders bring a wealth of expertise in areas like top talent recruitment, talent management, culture, employer branding, and more — all essential to driving success in their new organisations. We've rounded up the senior HR leaders' appointments being announced daily. 

Avinesh Vinod

Avinesh has been elevated to Head of Culture & Talent and HR Business Partnering at Gulf Coca-Cola Beverages (GCCB). He will oversee and lead the Talent & Development Center of Excellence, which includes talent and performance management, learning and leadership development, executive talent acquisition, employer branding, early careers, and Emiratization. He will also be responsible for strategic HR business partnering for corporate functions, including Finance, HR, IT, and Legal.  

He shared the news, stating, “Super excited to share that I’m starting a new position as Head of Culture & Talent and HR Business Partnering at GCCB!”

Avinesh brings over 16 years of HR leadership experience. He first joined GCCB in 2022 as Head of Culture and has since reshaped the company’s work culture—strengthening employee relations, communication, diversity & inclusion, and the future of work across the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain. Last year, he was promoted to Head of Culture & People Services, leading the People Services team and digitisation projects for People Operations.

Prior to GCCB, Avinesh served as People Director for Coca-Cola Beverages Singapore, Malaysia & Brunei. He has also held HR roles at Maxis, Heineken Malaysia, and Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia.

Abdullah Alkhayal

Abdullah has taken on a new role as Senior Vice President and Head of Human Capital Shared Services at Riyad Bank, effective April 2025. This promotion marks another milestone in his journey as an emerging leader within the organisation. He announced, “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as SVP - Head of Human Capital Shared Services at Riyad Bank!”

This is Abdullah’s second stint at Riyad Bank. He rejoined the bank in 2020 as SVP and Head of Policy and Process Development. He previously held various roles at the bank from 2007 for nearly a decade. In addition, he spent over ten years at Bank Albilad, where he honed his expertise in policy development, process transformation, team leadership, and business analysis.

Andy Hill

Andy has joined Kuwait-based Alghanim Industries as Senior Director of Talent Management, effective April 2025. He brings nearly three decades of global HR leadership and talent management experience to his new role.

Previously, Andy worked at Philip Morris International in the UK as Head of Talent, Workforce Planning, and Career Management, where he led talent strategy for over 35,000 employees for nearly five years. His past roles include Executive VP of Talent at Sage, Head of Talent Integration at Schneider Electric, and VP of Talent Management, Resourcing, and Organisation Effectiveness at Invensys. He began his HR career at Tech Mahindra in 1997 and later held key HR positions at Bookham Technology, Caudwell Telecoms, and Vodafone.

Najlaa Hamad Al Sager

Najlaa has assumed the role of Senior Vice President and Head of Talent Management & Learning at the National Bank of Kuwait. Having joined the bank nearly 15 years ago, she has risen through several key roles, including Head of Talent Management & Learning, Organisation Design Leader, and Team Development Leader.

Najlaa is a prominent HR voice in Kuwait, known for her expertise in talent management and her advocacy for women in leadership, cultural transformation, knowledge-sharing, and HR innovation.  

Academically, she holds an MBA from Gulf University for Science and Technology and a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the American University of Beirut. She also holds certifications in high-performance leadership from Harvard Business School and in talent building from IE Business School.

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Mahitab Saleh

Egypt-based HR leader Mahitab has joined Edita Food Industries as Head of People & Culture – Trade Sector, effective April 2025. She shared, “Excited to embark on this new chapter in my career! Huge thanks to Edita for the warm welcome and lovely onboarding kit. Looking forward to achieving great things together!”

Mahitab brings nearly two decades of HR leadership experience. Most recently, she served as Head of HR at Agthia Group. Before that, she held the role of Senior Manager of HR and Organisation Development at Kuwait Food Company. Her earlier experience includes roles at Savola Group, Scimitar Production Company, and Prosoft Information Systems.

She is known for delivering transformative initiatives across the employee lifecycle and holds certifications in strategic HR, HR leadership, and crisis communication.

Mohamed Osama

Mohamed has joined Devash Control Systems as Head of HR, effective April 2025. He brings nearly 15 years of HR leadership experience across strategic HR, HR transformation, people development, performance and compensation, and employer branding.

Most recently, he served as Head of Human Capital at Al Salem Holding for over two years. He has also held HR leadership roles at LMS Construction and Orascom Construction. Mohamed is emerging as a thought leader in HR, human capital management, and labour legislation.

Additionally, some of the recently announced C-level and key HR appointments include:

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