Changemakers: Bader Nasser Al Kharafi

I know I am one of the most privileged people in the world,” says Bader Nasser Al Kharafi, CEO of Kuwait’s Zain Group.

“It would be such a mistake not to use my position to make a contribution. Like most people, I want to make changes that have a really positive, lasting impact – even if they are just small steps in the right direction.”

Al Kharafi EMBADS2016 has played a significant role in leading the charge on positive empowerment and sustainable change in the Middle East for more than a decade. Still only 40, he has enjoyed a career as diverse as it is distinguished, cutting his teeth in engineering roles with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation before going on to board-level positions with Gulf Bank, Bahrain Steel’s Foulath Holdings, Coutts and Coca-Cola, among others. Most recently he lead a consortium in a winning bid in the first privatisation of its kind in the region, buying 44% of the Kuwait Boursa (stock exchange).

In 2011 he joined the board of Zain Group, a leading, multinational mobile voice and data services operator. In 2017, 15 years into his career and a year after completing his Executive MBA at London Business School, he took over as Group CEO and Vice Chairman. He believes passionately that every leader should cultivate emotional intelligence: “Leadership is a team game. The leader’s role is to share the vision and empower all those working towards it. Every member of a team must be equally invested towards a common goal. They need to feel able to bring their particular strengths to that process and know those strengths are recognised and valued.”