10
People
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Transforming business education to ensure that leaders and organisations benefit society and the environment.
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Profile
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El Moumen
Head of Human Resources for the Middle East Campus
When I moved to Abu Dhabi in 2008, I was soon approached about an HR management role at the “INSEAD Centre for Executive Education”. Honestly, I didn’t know much about INSEAD at the time, but after doing some research and talking to friends, I realised that I had the chance to be part of something unique and special.
Fourteen years later, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I was part of the pioneering small team that transformed a small centre into INSEAD’s third campus, by building (and rebuilding) the organisational structure, and supporting the move to larger facilities (twice) and the launch (and growth) of the GEMBA programme in the Middle East. I have also developed a close friendship with colleagues throughout the world. And the innovative, academic environment has provided endless opportunities for learning. As a member of the global HR team, I am especially proud of playing a role in our major departmental transformation in support of the strategic goal, “Becoming a Great Place to Work”.
At INSEAD and in life, I have learned to expect the unexpected. When I moved to the UAE to work for an international group based in Dubai, my plan was to return home to Morocco to build my career, but I met my Jordanian husband and moved to Abu Dhabi with him instead. Then we had four children… including triplets! That’s why you might hear some people at INSEAD refer to me as “Super Mama”!
Meow Kim
Ong
Director, Open Programme Recruitment, Executive Education
INSEAD was my first taste of working in higher education – and it’s been amazing! It was an old colleague from my days in IT who suggested I apply. She had joined the school a few years earlier and spoke about the vibrant and supportive working environment. I was intrigued.
I started as the only Open Programmes Advisor in Asia and a few years later, stepped up to onboard, then manage, a whole team of advisors in Singapore – and from there, to lead the global team. This year, I’ve stepped up again into a more strategic role. During my INSEAD career, I’ve also got married, had two little girls and pursued all kinds of sports from long-distance running to swimming and, most recently, cycling.
After almost 14 years here, I can confirm that it’s an open environment, where people learn, grow, challenge the status quo, contribute, collaborate, support each other, express opposing views, find common ground… all to deliver great learning with a positive impact.
The obvious dedication of the people I work with is infectious and there’s never a dull moment. It’s the teamwork that’s made INSEAD a market leader in Open Programmes – and truly one school spanning the four corners of the world!
Iasbelle
Lanougère
Risk, Control and Audit Manager
In the final year of my degree at a French business school, I moved to India for an internship with a French car manufacturer. I came home to graduate, then left immediately for Luxembourg to work for PwC on the audits of investment funds. When family reasons brought me to Fontainebleau a few years later, I knew I wanted a job at INSEAD because of its reputation for excellence and because I wanted to join a multicultural organisation with scope for professional development. After six years, I know I am part of something even better – a community that is contributing to a better world tomorrow.
My team’s role is to improve INSEAD’s resilience to adverse events through the development of a strong risk-awareness culture. My own job is to work closely with all INSEAD stakeholders across departments to identify the key risks, assess the controls in place to mitigate them, and report on my findings to the Executive Committee and to the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee (AFRC) through the Chief Risk Officer. I also conduct internal audits, initially approved by the AFRC, in specific areas and suggest improvements.
Outside of my very satisfying work at INSEAD, I have very little free time, as I have two little boys and am also renovating my house. When I do get a spare moment, I like to play the piano.
Safisah
Rahim
Assistant Director, Asia, Degree Programmes
My 12 years in the IT industry gave me the opportunity to travel to the Americas and throughout the Asia Pacific region and, before that, I went to university in Australia. Joining INSEAD as a Degree Programme Coordinator in 2012 has given me the opportunity to travel to Europe and the Middle East, which kinda completes the world region!
Most of all, I value the opportunity to get to know people from different backgrounds – not just cultural diversity, but people from operations, housekeeping, maintenance, security, catering, faculty, participants… I treasure the friendships I’ve built with everyone since I joined.
Over that time, I’ve had two more children (making three in total) and been promoted to Programme Manager and, in 2022, to Assistant Director. The most satisfying experience has been playing a part in the evolution of the GEMBA programme and getting to know all the amazing participants from ten different cohorts. The highlight is possibly organising the recent GEMBA Commencement Ceremony at the Ritz Carlton here in Singapore with a fairly new team. I’m so proud of them all and the way we worked together to create such a successful and memorable occasion – it felt even better than pre-Covid times!
