Business Partnering
CRF Learning: HR Business Partnering Accelerator Programme 2026
The cost of the programme is 10,000 AED for CRF Members, 14,000 AED for Non Members and 12,500 per participant for Non Members sending 2+ attendees.
Across the GCC, nations are striving to accelerate the development of nationals in order to support their economic and social development. HR is both an enabler of these objectives and is part of the process. The function must play its part in delivering the national strategies and must accelerate the development of its own local talent to enhance the capability for the future.
Building on the success of previous sessions, CRF’s HR Business Partnering Accelerator Programme supports the development of emerging HR professionals by offering the skills and career boost they need to fast-track into senior HR roles. Based on CRF’s extensive research in HR and people management, led by seasoned HR professionals with international and local experience, the two-day programme will build key skills through:
- Understanding of the purpose and contribution HR makes in the context of the Gulf region
- Knowledge of the key business and commercial principles underpinning all HR work
- Building capability in the critical HR deliverables of Talent, Performance and Change
Management - Enhancing important delivery skills including stakeholder engagement, influence and project leadership
- Creating an effective People Plan for the organisation
- Developing personal impact and effectiveness.
Who should participate?
The programme is aimed at emerging HR professionals, who are looking to accelerate their careers into HR leadership positions in the next 1-3 years. Participants will typically hold a business or HR related qualification.
Date and Format
The two-day programme will run from Tuesday 17th – Wednesday 18th November in Abu Dhabi closing with a certificate presentation.
Day 1: 09.00 – 17.00 GST
Day 2: 09.00 – 16.00 GST
Delivered in-person, the learning style will be experiential, practitioner-based, and mutually supportive through coaching pairs with a focus on applicable and practical outcomes for the organisation.
Commencing with a personal learning needs analysis and blending structured input with peer networking and time with senior HR practitioners at lunches and dinners, participants will benefit from a stimulating course designed around the principles of adult learning.
Costs
CRF Members Rate: 10,000 AED per participant
Non-Member Rate: 14,000 AED per participant
Non-Member Group Rate (2+ attendees): 12,500 AED per participant
Certification
On completion all participations will receive a certificate from CRF and partner, Hult EF Corporate Education.
Location
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
Khor Al Maqta, PO Box 114304
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Faculty
Shaikha Al Hajri
Senior Consultant, Conscious Consulting
Previously Executive Director, Human Capital, Mubadala Investment Company.
Shaikha is Senior Consultant in Conscious Consulting with significant experience as a C-suite HR and Operations leader. Shaikha has worked in multiple high profile interim and turnaround assignments and is able to adapt to different client contexts. Her diverse sector experience, coupled with breadth of capability across HR, Finance, and Operations enables Shaikha to understand the business and its priorities, and connect with the people.
Shaikha was previously an Executive Director in Mubadala and was the first CHRO for Mubadala Healthcare, the first CHRO for Solutions plus, where she built the HR function, lead diverse teams of professionals and trained successors. Previously she headed Talent Acquisition for Mubadala and created the People Services Centre as well as working as an HR Business Partner for the Finance and Legal teams in Mubadala.
Shaikha’s qualifications include a BSc in Mathematics (Al Ain University), an MBA from Majan College Oman / Bedford University UK. She completed the Talent Acquisition Executives program in Brussels, Belgium in 2015, and CEB Reimagine HR in London in 2016.
Rory Hendrikz
Global Head of High-Performance Business and Sport, Hult EF Corporate Education
Rory is an accomplished Managing Director with over 30 years’ international experience with sector leading organisations in Healthcare, Technology, FMCG, Executive Education and Organisation Consulting sectors. His career has evolved from a corporate background, having been on the regional board of Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) and has held several leadership positions in the United Kingdom and South Africa. Over the past 20 years, Rory’s focus and expertise has been working with senior executives and organisations on leadership, strategy and change, where his work received a Silver Class Award at the highly acclaimed Management Consulting Awards (UK).
As the Associate Dean and Head of Sport and High-Performance Business at Hult Ashridge Executive Education (UK), a Premier Executive Leadership Coach with the J&J Human Performance Institute (USA) and an Advanced Neuroscientific High-Performance Coach. Rory works extensively with Boards and Executive team leaders, focusing on achieving peak performance in challenging and complex environments.
His work in this area is informed by his research into the high-performance parallels between executive business and elite sports teams, highlighted in his TEDxTalk ‘The Reality of Winning’.
Rory earned an MBA from City University, London, during which time he led a project team for the globalisation of GlaxoSmithKline’s nutritional healthcare division, and holds an MSc in Organization Consulting and Change, where he researched into accelerated development processes for senior leaders. He is also the External Examiner for the MSc in Sports Leadership at Cardiff Metropolitan Universities, School of Sport.
John Whelan MBE
Director, CRF
John Whelan is a Director at Corporate Research Forum. Formerly UK HR Director of BAE Systems, the FTSE 100 defence, security, and aerospace company, John’s experience and strengths lie in business and HR Transformation, Organisation Development and Employee Relations. Prior to joining BAE, he held a variety of HR roles in engineering, technology and manufacturing businesses across the telecommunications and semi-conductor industries including Matra-Marconi Space where he was HR Director for the UK and, latterly, Group HRD.
