NBAD hosts 'Awareness Sharing Knowledge' lecture

The quarterly lecture series titled "Awareness Sharing Knowledge" (A.S.K.) began in 2005 with the objective of encouraging organizational learning and information sharing with its stakeholders.

The A.S.K. lectures provide an interactive forum for customers' employees, partners, and members of the community to share and communicate up to date information, market news and future opportunities and expectations with the UAE community.

This year NBAD began its first quarter lecture addressing "Driving Excellence through CSR and Sustainability Management" on March 27th at its head office in Abu Dhabi.

"The A.S.K lectures, aim at offering continued learning opportunities for our stakeholders as well as to build awareness and knowledge on important global regional and national topics. Historically, in addition to their commercial role, banks have been viewed to be the trustees of public funds. With an inherent "social responsibility" to enhance this trust, there is an even greater obligation on banks to be more accountable.

'Given the increasing exposure to environmental, social and ethical risks, NBAD see's an opportunity to address these new market realities that are transforming the business environment and the need to enhance sustainability through sustainable initiatives," says NBAD General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Abdulla M. S .AbdulRaheem.

"As the first bank in the UAE to formulate a CSR policy, hosting this lecture comes as a natural result to our pro-active involvement in CSR initiatives."

The presenter, Darin Rovere, is a Corporate Sustainability Management Expert who delivered the lecture building on CSR principles and focusing on the continuous process of improvement in sustainability management in order to create value. Rovere is an international expert and innovator in corporate sustainability, and supports organizations operating in both developed and emerging markets to enhance their business performance and competitiveness through 'sustainability management.

Mr. Rovere shed light on the progress and developments in the Middle East and his experience and success with the various business sectors in other economically dynamic countries in successfully adopting practices to enhance business performance and competitiveness through 'sustainability management'.

Rovere also covered the leadership opportunity in the Middle East and Gulf, how can UAE companies - individually and collectively - can establish UAE as a leader in sustainability management in the region.