ShareKUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) hosted a panel discussion for Mohammed Al-Othman, CEO-Consumer and Digital Banking with Tamakan program trainees, in which he shared his extensive experience gained through a long career in the banking industry. Tamakan is an immersive and innovative training initiative designed for young Kuwaiti graduates organized by Creative Confidence with a strategic partnership with NBK for the fifth year in a row. This program offers a unique opportunity for Kuwaiti fresh graduates to benefit from the expertise of the members of bank’s executive management.
The session saw remarkable interaction, as Al-Othman shared the milestones of his career in Kuwait’s leading banking institution, and the challenges he faced throughout this journey. He also answered a number of questions posed by the participants, as well as exchanged ideas and visions, and raised issues preoccupying the youth during their early career.
Joining NBK
Al-Othman talked about his early career when he worked as a teller at NBK branches and his progression in the branches, saying: “I joined NBK in 2006, where I started in branches. I enjoyed working in the branches because of direct contact with customers, as I always had a passion for serving people and meeting their needs. Working in branches gave me great experience in identifying customer problems and the ways to solve them.”
“From day one, I had a great passion for continuous development and learning, and working in the branches was a two-shift system. I used to stay at work between the shifts to continue working on developing my skills. So, the key advice I can give to young people at the beginning of their career is to be committed to learning, development and enhancing their skills, especially at a young age, as learning at this stage is better and easier,” he added.
“After moving from the branches to the head office, I sought to serve people and meet customer needs in a broader way, especially after the experiences I gained from working in branches and understanding the needs of customers from different segments and ages,” he continued.
“I participated in many training courses at Harvard and Columbia Business Schools, which represented a major turning point in my career, as it helped to upskill me in different area, which was reflected in my performance and had a significant impact on my career development, and made me more passionate and determined to succeed,” he noted.
Mistakes are the key to learning
Al-Othman talked about the fear of making mistakes at early career saying, “There is no work without mistakes. The employee will not learn without making mistakes, but what is most important is the effort made and the added value that the employee gives to the work team and the organization he works for.”
“Be brave and let go of the fear of making mistakes in your work. Work to acquire new skills every day, and try to benefit from the experienced and professional colleagues at the workplace, whether they are juniors or seniors,” he advised the youth. “Learning and development create self-confidence and upskilling yourself makes you stand on solid ground. Therefore, the easiest way to progress to leadership positions is to acquire the necessary experience and skills and be prepared to seize the available opportunities,” he remarked.
“At NBK, career progress is based only on employee’s competence, commitment, dedication, productivity, added value provided to the organization, and his role in improving the quality of the bank’s products and services,” he emphasized.
Work environment
Listing the key factors that enabled him to reach this position, Al-Othman said: “The work environment at NBK is ideal for those who have passion and ambition for advancement by accommodating creativity and innovation. The bank also helps employees to achieve their ambitions, thanks to the unique opportunities for continuous professional development, through the high-quality training programs provided both to employees and fresh graduates, in partnership with globally reputable educational institutions.”
“Working at NBK has instilled in me the culture of continuous development, creativity, innovation, and always looking for solutions to develop work and provide high-quality products and services. I always strive to make my mark in every position, and to add value to the organization, customers, and my team members,” he added.
“NBK has a set of principles defining work culture and all the details related to the work environment and communication between team members, which represents a melting pot for all ideas and different management approaches on all levels, with open-door policy and one-team spirit representing key characteristics of NBK’s work environment.
Finding passion in NBK
Answering a question from one of the participants about whether he was offered positions in the public sector, Al-Othman said: “Working in the private sector gives me more room for creativity, innovation and continuous development, especially in an institution like NBK. Conversely, the public sector is still characterized by rigidity and routine, so I always follow my passion and choose the place where I feel able to develop work and provide added value.”
Al-Othman advised the youth not to focus on job grade or financial returns only, but most importantly the passion and love of their job. Success is not limited to finding a specific job in a large organization, but you must from day one set your goals and work to achieve these goals by doubling effort and continuing education and training so that you can add value to your team and organization.
Al-Othman mentioned that the ambitious Kuwaiti youth are highly interested to join the private sector, and from our side, we are seeking to attract national talent to join NBK, the largest banking institution in the private sector. “Supporting the youth is instrumental in NBK’s strategy, as we are always keen to attract national talent and provide a series of professional training courses and academic programs to develop upskill and qualify them to take on leadership roles in the future,” he added.
Advancement of payment systems
On a question about the future of payment systems, Al-Othman said: “The payment landscape will see significant advancement during the coming period, as we always strive to develop the services provided to the public, using cutting-edge technology.” Al-Othman mentioned that Kuwait is a regional leader in digital banking and payment solutions, as the young nature of Kuwaiti society enabled faster spread of technology and wider adoption of digitization among all segments.
Speaking on Weyay, Kuwait’s first digital bank, Al-Othman said, “The launch of Weyay Bank echoes NBK’s digital transformation culture and strategy, as well as our endeavors to stay relevant to the needs of the youth by providing them with all innovative banking services. The idea of establishing Weyay was primarily to attract a segment of young people whose preferences we have studied very carefully according to specialized research and data analysis using advanced scientific methods.”
“The huge digital advancement and boom in banking services over the past years was the fruit of years of work by all departments in the bank, as we developed plans and strategies and set goals to provide customers with the best innovative and advanced products that serve their needs and expectations,” he added. “Today, we are reaping the fruits of long years of hard work and successful strategies that fostered our excellence in the area of cutting-edge digital services and payment solutions. These results also prove our prudent management and forward-looking vision for the changes now taking place in the banking industry,” he noted. “The ideal work environment at NBK propels everyone to do their best to maintain the bank’s leadership among local banks, and ensure its superiority in providing the most advanced digital banking services,” he concluded.
It is worth mentioning that “Tamakan” is part of NBK’s CSR contributions and strategy to achieve sustainable development, which depends on building an innovative, hardworking and responsible generation. The bank also always places the youth as a top priority being the cornerstone for creating a prosperous future for Kuwait.
