Ranked as the world’s largest modern smelter with a captive power station and the largest producer of primary aluminium in the Gulf region, Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (“DUBAL”) is widely regarded as the UAE’s industrial flagship. Acknowledging this status, the company was honoured to be included in the itinerary of a study trip to Dubai undertaken this April by participants in the Accelerated Program for Executive Development (“AEDP”) of IMD Lausanne (one of the leading management schools in Europe and the world).
DUBAL’s involvement entailed hosting the 26 AEDP participants — comprising executives from 17 different companies and nationalities — at the company’s Jebel Ali site on Tuesday 13 April. The morning’s agenda comprising a tour of DUBAL’s smelter complex; discussions with senior management; a formal presentation by Abdulla Kalban (President & CEO: DUBAL), followed by a question and answer session; and lunch. In his presentation, Kalban shared the story behind DUBAL’s success over the 30 years since the company’s inception in 1979 – specifically the corporate vision and strategies that continue to deliver solid results; and DUBAL’s strong performance despite the recent global economic crisis. “DUBAL is the product of visionary leadership and strong management; operational excellence and a proven business model; motivated and skilled people; very good relationships with all our stakeholders; tried-and-tested home-grown technology; a strong global customer base; a well-established brand name; and a positive track record in terms of growth and profitability,” said Kalban. “This is complemented by an important set of market differentiators, namely our premium quality, high purity products; service excellence; ongoing focus on succession planning; and our commitment to continuous improvement. The combination, we believe, will ensure DUBAL’s sustainability for future generations.”
Described by IMD as ‘a blended action learning programme for strongly motivated, mid-career executives who aim to stretch beyond their past experience and skills to build a foundation for life-long learning’, the AEDP is designed to boost the management and leadership skills of participants, improve their understanding of key business functions, and gain a deeper understanding of change and strategy implementation, especially in emerging markets. Intending to gain first hand understanding of the success of Dubai, and the challenges the current economic crisis pose, the participants prepared an analysis of the aluminium industry prior to the visit; then presented their findings and insights to DUBAL’s management — who, in turn, provided invaluable feedback.
The impression gained by the IMD AEDP participants of DUBAL was unanimously positive. The strength of the company and its management team shone through, giving the visitors valuable perspectives on the roles played by clear strategic vision, fully aligned leadership and a motivated workforce in achieving sustainable profitability.
