Future of Work and People Strategy
Gulf Financial Services Community: The Future HR Operating Model: Navigating the Tensions That Matter
Organisations are entering a period in which technology, shifting skill requirements and rising expectations for personalised employee and customer experiences are putting unprecedented pressure on the HR operating model. The structures inherited from the Ulrich era were not designed for AI-enabled work, continuous organisational change or the growing need for deeper specialist expertise. In response, CRF convened a panel of CHROs to explore how HR leaders are rethinking where HR creates value, how work should be organised and which capabilities the function will need in the years ahead. This paper brings together those insights with CRF’s wider research to challenge long-held assumptions about HR’s role and provoke fresh thinking about the operating models of the future.
The research explores three core tensions confronting HR functions today: how to balance freedom and control in organisations where AI is accelerating decision cycles; how to balance efficiency and empathy in an environment where digitisation risks distancing HR from real human needs; and how to balance cost and capability as generalist-heavy structures give way to specialist-led, project-based ways of working. These tensions matter because they expose the limits of traditional governance, process-led service delivery and generalist career paths. Attendees can expect to gain a clearer view of the forces reshaping HR, the emerging models leaders are testing, and the practical questions they will need to address as they redesign their own operating models.
Speaker
Michael Whelan
Director, CRF and Strategic Dimensions
Michael Whelan is a Director at Corporate Research Forum (CRF), leading the organisation in the GCC region, based in the UAE. He supports the organisation’s global network of more than 270 organisations build the capability of their HR functions through evidence-based research, technology-enabled learning and development, expert events, and peer exchange.
Michael is also a Director at leading HR search and advisory firm Strategic Dimensions – CRF’s sister organisation – having started his career in Executive Search. His experience extends across industry and geographical sectors including the largest firms in the Gulf region.
About the Gulf Financial Services Community
CRF’s Financial Services HR Community is an exclusive network for senior HR leaders working across the UAE’s banking, insurance, asset management, investment and fintech sectors. This forum recognises the unique opportunities and challenges facing HR in one of the region’s most dynamic and heavily regulated industries.
Through a mix of CRF research insights, expert guest speakers, and peer-led discussions, the Community provides a platform to explore issues ranging from workforce transformation and leadership capability to regulatory change and talent mobility. Sessions are designed to encourage frank conversation, shared problem-solving, and the exchange of practical solutions.
For HR leaders in financial services, this is a rare chance to learn from peers navigating similar challenges, connect with trusted experts, and contribute to raising the standard of HR across the sector in the UAE.
If you are a senior HR leader working in this sector, based in the Middle East and are interested in joining this community, please contact Michael Whelan.
