Kuwait Finance House (KFH) successfully concluded the 4th edition of its Leadership Academy in a special ceremony held in Madrid. The Academy was run in cooperation with Headspring, the joint venture between IE Business School and Financial Times. The event was attended by KFH Group Chief Corporate Banking Officer, Yousef Almutawa, who honored the participants and commended their commitment and dedication to advancing their capabilities.

Over 50 distinguished participants

Almutawa, speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony, expressed his great pleasure at the graduation of over 50 distinguished participants from the Leadership Academy Program. Selected from across the KFH Group, including staff from Turkey, Bahrain, and Egypt, these participants are now qualified to drive the bank toward greater success and strengthen its leading position in the local and regional banking sector.

Highlighting the significance of collaboration, Almutawa noted that this promotes integration and knowledge sharing across the Group which positively impacts performance development.

Meanwhile, Acting Group Chief Human Resources and Transformation Officer at KFH, Ahmad Alhammad, noted that holding the Leadership Academy for the fourth consecutive year reflects KFH's strong belief in investing in its people and developing future leaders capable of driving excellence and innovation in the banking industry.

He mentioned that KFH's vision to invest in human capital represents a key driver of performance excellence and value creation for both customers and shareholders. He added, "From this perspective, KFH remains dedicated to providing promising leadership talents and employees with cutting-edge training programs and plans to hone their skills."

Various experiences in leadership

Alhammad further noted that through this year's edition, KFH Leadership Academy succeeded in enriching diversity among participants in terms of managerial levels. The program also equipped them with the essential knowledge and insights necessary to successfully navigate the current business environment. This, in turn, enhances their opportunities to benefit from diverse leadership experiences and approaches.

Leading the future

He explained: "KFH is recognized for its strong commitment to supporting its human capital and investing in outstanding national talents, empowering them to lead the future of the banking sector. This is achieved by providing top-tier programs aligned with the latest management practices, in collaboration with leading global training institutions. These efforts ultimately contribute to the ongoing development and advancement across KFH’s various sectors."

Alhammad affirmed that this program, which includes the Enterprise Leadership Program (ELP) for executive managers and the Building Leadership Excellence (BLE) for senior managers, will be a turning point in the participants’ career paths, wishing them continued growth and success within KFH.

Strategic cooperation

It is worth noting that KFH’s Leadership Academy is a fruitful result of a strategic collaboration with Headspring, the joint venture between IE Business School and Financial Times. Antonio Montes Headspring CEO “Our collaboration with Kuwait Finance House reflects a shared vision to empower leaders who can shape the future of financial services. At Headspring, we are deeply committed to supporting KFH’s transformation journey by bringing world-class learning experiences that connect strategy, leadership, and purpose. Together, we are helping build the leadership capabilities that will sustain KFH’s growth and innovation in the years ahead.”

Headspring's methodology features a seamless blend of in-person sessions, conducted in Kuwait and Madrid, and virtual sessions led by renowned academics from IE University.

The robust and enduring partnership between KFH and Headspring, which began in 2019, is founded on aligned objectives and a shared belief in the significance of leadership. Consequently, the program's design transcends individual development. Its core goal is to empower strong teams of leaders capable of navigating complexities and driving purposeful change.

Additionally, the partnership involved close engagement with KFH's Talent Development Department to deeply understand their challenges, objectives, and values. This understanding has enabled the co-design of exclusive executive programs specifically crafted to support KFH's leadership in shaping the future of the bank and its strategy to lead the Islamic finance industry. Bassém Banna, Headspring Vice President, Corporate Partnership MEA “The KFH Leadership Academy has become a true benchmark in executive development in MEA. A flagship programme built on a deeply customized approach that delivers world-class learning and measurable impact. Its global recognition by Brandon Hall Group stands as a testament to the strength of our partnership with KFH group and the excellence we continue to achieve together.”

Brandon Hall award

It serves to note that the Leadership Academy program earned a prestigious award from the renowned Brandon Hall Group, a global monitor of institutional performance. This recognition contributed significantly to KFH receiving nine global human resources awards for 2025, marking the fourth consecutive year it has achieved the highest total both locally and regionally.