Ramez Shehadi re-joins Kearney and becomes member of global leadership team
Kearney has made a high-profile hire in the Middle East, welcoming Ramez Shehadi to its regional ranks and global executive team.
Based in Dubai, the Lebanese-origin executive will serve as Global Chair of Kearney’s Digital, Analytics & AI platform, overseeing teams across more than 60 offices in over 40 countries worldwide. He joins the firm’s Global Leadership Team, led by former Middle East leader Bob Willen.
“We’re excited by the arrival of Ramez,” said Willen in a post on LinkedIn. “He will collaborate closely with our talented Digital, Analytics & AI team to embed the latest advances in technology and innovation into the core of how we serve clients, while also supporting our clients’ ambitions in digital, analytics, and artificial intelligence.
“Ramez brings more than three decades of experience across industries and professional services worldwide. His broad perspective and strong cross-market relationships add meaningful depth to our firm as we help organizations navigate increasingly complex environments.”
Notably, Shehadi’s appointment marks a full-circle moment for both him and Kearney. Early in his career, he spent three years with the firm in the United States and Canada, back when the consultancy still operated under the A.T. Kearney name.
His consulting career later included more than 15 years at Strategy& (then Booz & Company) where he rose to become one of the Middle East’s senior partners and served as Global Co-Managing Partner of the firm’s digital business, Booz Digital.
More recently, Shehadi served as Senior Managing Director at Accenture, where he led the firm’s Strategy & Consulting business across the Middle East and Africa, while also serving as Global Head of its Public Sector Strategy practice.
Between his consulting roles, Shehadi held senior leadership positions at REEF, a Miami-based technology platform backed by Mubadala Capital and SoftBank, where he served as President of International and Global Chief Growth Officer. He also spent time as Managing Director for Facebook – now Meta – in the MENA region, overseeing the company’s regional growth.
Shehadi additionally brings entrepreneurial and investment experience. He co-founded eBreviate, which grew into a successful e-sourcing solutions platform in the United States, and has invested in several technology-led start-ups and growth-stage businesses.
Back ‘home’ at Kearney
At Kearney, he will leverage his more than 30 years of experience to help expand the firm’s position in the fast-growing digital and AI consulting market, one of the industry’s most rapidly expanding segments. Kearney already commands a strong presence in the space.
“I’m delighted to join Kearney and become part of the firm’s journey as it enters its second century at such a consequential moment,” said Shehadi.
“Kearney has long stood apart for its ability to connect strategy with execution and tangible impact. At a time when many organizations are overwhelmed by noise, velocity, and competing visions of the future, there is a real opportunity to help leaders move with greater clarity, ambition, and conviction. The winners in this era will not simply adopt AI or adapt to change – they will redefine what their industries become in the future.”
Outside of his professional life, Shehadi is an avid sailor and is also known for his contribution to social impact. He sites on the board of Beirut Museum of Art and TAKREEM Foundation, and several years ago, he completed a 500-kilometer hiking expedition from the southern tip to the northern tip of Lebanon, raising funds to support preservation of the country’s national hiking trail.
