Deloitte Middle East adds 30 new partners and directors in 2018

Deloitte has held its annual Middle East partners meeting for 2018, with the Big Four professional services firm highlighting the 30 new leaders admitted to its regional practice over the past year.

With a number of senior partners from Deloitte’s global network joining more than 175 local partners for Deloitte’s Middle East annual partners meeting for 2018, held recently in Dubai, discussions varied across a range of topics including diversity, inclusion, and strategies for increasing the number of women in leadership positions along with trends affecting the local business landscape.

In addition, the Big Four firm – which recently posted record global revenues of $43.2 billion, in part thanks to 15.9 percent growth in its Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) operations – highlighted the 30 new partners, directors and principals admitted regionally in 2018, along with the 700 new faces who now form a part of Deloitte’s network of more than 286,000 professionals worldwide.

“Deloitte hired over 700 Arab and expatriate graduates and experienced professionals in the Middle East in the last year to lead the workforce of tomorrow,” said Deloitte Middle East Chairman Herve Ballantyne, who has been with the firm in the region for more than 20 years. “We reiterate Deloitte’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Agile working, nationalisation and gender targets continue to be priority items on our agenda.”“Our firm has served Middle East and multinational clients in the region since 1926 and we continue to invest in people and in centers of expertise to provide the best professional services to support our clients in navigating complex market and regulatory environments, added Deloitte Middle East CEO Omar Fahoum. “We are delighted to admit over 30 internal and newly hired partners, directors and principals in 2018.”

Among recent senior appointments are new partner Mazen Pharaon, who has been brought in to head up the Deloitte’s new Digital Delivery Centre in Saudi Arabia, and Jason Riche, a long-time partner with the firm’s Canadian arm who now leads Deloitte’s local Tax Technology function as a partner based out of Dubai. In September, the firm announced four new partners to its local risk advisory practice.

The theme of this year’s partner’s meeting was ‘Forward Bound’, and in addition to inclusiveness and driving gender diversity in leadership, for which the firm is already considered a regional leader, talks focused on the business impact from local and global developments in areas such Industry 4.0, and cyber security, financial and regulatory risks, and the ongoing tax reform rolling out across the GCC.

“Deloitte works in many global markets on projects ranging from public service and reform, to talent, technology and the future of work. By sharing our skills, knowledge and experience, we believe we can make a positive contribution in these markets, including the Middle East,” David Sproul, the CEO of Deloitte UK and Northwest Europe who was in attendance said. “This is an exciting time for this market.”