EMIR

EMIR is an exclusive boutique advisory and research firm harnessing the extraordinary network effect of Boardroom by EMIR. To find out more, visit our website: emirintelligence.com

How fast is AI moving? Faster than you think. Dr. Noah Raford, Managing Partner at EMIR and former Chief Futurist for Dubai Government, explains it clearly. Or rather, his AI-generated twin did. Exponential change is here. Is your organisation ready?

Leadership isn’t about being the smartest in the room—it’s about building the room where smart voices thrive. In this #SuccessfulPerspectives episode, Frank Mc Carthy talks with Bilal Fares (SVP & GM, Adidas) about leadership myths, growth, and why fear means you're evolving.

#CEOs, get this wrong, and your best people will leave. 👇🏼 Your top performers might be remote—but if they’re out of sight, are they also out of mind? In this #SuccessfulPerspectives episode, Ray Everett says it plainly: the office still matters.

What do @joerogan, @simonsinek's Start with Why, Kaf by Kaf, and @noon all have in common? In this #SuccessfulPerspectives Rapid Fire session, Frank Mc Carthy puts Bilal Fares, SVP & GM at Adidas (MENA, Ukraine, Central Asia & The Caucasus), to the test. 🔥

Q: How can I accelerate growth, develop leaders, and sustain success? A: Rana Nawas, Senior Advisor at EMIR, leverages 24+ years in strategy and sales leadership, helping organisations drive business growth, develop leadership, and achieve sustainable organisational success.

Over 80% of #SaudiArabia’s CEOs are confident about their industry’s future beyond 2030. The vision is clear—but how will they turn ambition into impact? At our by-invitation-only Q1 Boardroom by EMIR meeting in #Riyadh, Cassidy Lyon led top CEOs and officials in decoding #2025.

"Whatever happens on the shelf, let's have the competition there. Whatever happens outside it, we can help each other." Patrick Stillhart, CEO of @sadafco_, discusses pricing pressures, outsourcing, competitor collaboration beyond retail, and supply chain challenges.

Is your comfort zone a trap? In this #SuccessfulPerspectives conversation, Frank Mc Carthy and Bilal Fares, SVP & GM at Adidas (MENA, Ukraine, Central Asia & The Caucasus), discuss why comfort may feel safe, but true growth—and leadership—happens when you step beyond it. 🔜

Can a change of setting change the conversation? Recently, EMIR's CEO Trevor McFarlane hosted some of the region’s top CEOs at the Dubai Desert Classic for an exclusive EMIR gathering—a day of new connections and conversations that played out as well as the golf.

Is food security the next big business play? The Gulf's multibillion-dollar “food corridor” and Saudi’s global stakes suggest so. Cassidy Lyon and Ahmed Bayoumi, CEO of Berain Water, highlight how governments are investing big in agriculture, supply chains and global ties.

"Most importantly, make it a society, a city, or an area that people want to live in or want to visit." Martin Boson, GM - KSA at @ParsonsCorp, emphasises that the sector's future is about more than tech—it's about building vibrant, livable communities.

While #AI takes the spotlight, could quantum computing solve global sustainability challenges? Cassidy Lyon and Basma Al Buhairan, MD of @C4IR_KSA, discuss quantum’s potential and why SME digital transformation is key to economic growth.

Sustainability: a milestone or a mandate? Leaders in #Riyadh discuss building resilient economies through strong SMEs, secure food networks, connected communities, and a healthy balance between competition and collaboration.

How can a #CEO ensure their organisation engages with top levels of government? EMIR's CEO Trevor McFarlane and Robert Wright, Senior Advisor at EMIR, former Head of Public Affairs at Intel, and advisor to a European Commissioner, recently hosted top regional leaders to discuss.

Top #CEOs know this isn’t optional. 👇 For this special Authors’ Edition of #SuccessfulPerspectives, EMIR's CEO Trevor McFarlane sat down with Renee McGowan to discuss her book, The Friday Email—88 sharp, no-nonsense leadership lessons on purpose, people, path, and progress.

The first Boardroom briefing of 2025 set the stage for some very interesting discussions—we trust our members found it of value. The region’s most successful and influential leaders met for EMIR’s Q1 Boardroom briefing—confidential as always, but the energy was palpable.

How do you build a team that turns vision into reality? In this #SuccessfulPerspectives chat, @fmacltd speaks with @Heidrick's Mohamad Turk about how leadership starts where you think it ends, building a stronger team, aligning passions, and turning challenges into success.

What’s driving the future of luxury in the #MiddleEast? EMIR CEO Trevor McFarlane and Dr. Noah Raford recently hosted a private dinner with the most influential leaders from the region’s luxury sector to explore key trends driving the industry.

What’s the link between Heidrick & Struggles's CEO Dr. Christine Stimpel and A New Earth by @EckhartTolle? In this #SuccessfulPerspectives Rapid Fire session, @fmacltd puts @Heidrick's Mohamad Turk on the spot—can he sum up what fuels his passion and drive in just 60 seconds? 🔥

Great leaders don’t have all the answers—they ask the right questions. In this insightful #SuccessfulPerspectives chat, @fmacltd and @Heidrick's Mohamad Turk discuss leadership lessons, career-defining risks, and building company culture in a changing world. 🔜