As part of the Bank’s ongoing efforts towards digitization, and in keeping with its strategy to upskill and empower its workforce

 

Kuwait, 17 October 2021: Gulf Bank has announced the launch of its Data Ambassadors program as part of the Bank’s ongoing efforts to provide a digitally superior banking experience for its clients. The new program will train 140 employees across various departments in key data quality and analytics, upskilling and empowering employees to use advanced data science in order to enhance the Bank’s offerings and services.

 

The new program is part of Gulf Bank’s announced strategy for the year 2025, which aims to provide customers with an unprecedented banking experience based on digital transformation. The launch of the new program marks a remarkable undertaking by the Bank to train employees both quickly and efficiently in key concepts including data quality, data concepts and Tableau training. As part of the new program, 1 out of 10 employees in each team will be trained on how to use data and analytics tools.

 

It is worth noting that the Data Ambassadors curriculum was developed completely in-house by Gulf Bank’s Data and Analytics office, and is the first stand-alone Data & Analytics program in the country. The new curriculum, which was developed primarily by Kuwaiti talent, has also been endorsed by world-renowned data expert, Dr. Thomas Redman, whose books and articles have been featured in respected periodicals including MIT Sloan and Harvard Business Review.

 

In a series of firsts for the country, Gulf Bank’s Chief Data Officer (CDO), Mai Al-Owaish, is notably also the first female CDO in Kuwait, and a board member of the world-renowned Digital Analytics Association. Commenting on the Data Ambassadors program, Al-Owaish said: “At Gulf Bank, we firmly believe that our people are the cornerstone of our success, and the secret behind our excellence in the banking industry. That is why we are constantly investing into our employees, ensuring that our employees are always learning new skills in order to keep up with the demands of the current marketplace. The launch of our Data Ambassadors program marks not only a series of firsts for the country, but also for the Bank, as we are working to invest in integrated technological solutions to facilitate a digital transformation both internally with our employees, and externally for our clients. With the banking sector heading toward a new era of digitization, Gulf Bank is proud to demonstrate a dynamism in responding swiftly to today’s digital demands. We are proud to be developing our internal talent in digitally critical disciplines such as data science and cybersecurity, and are excited to reap the multitude of benefits that will follow as a result of empowering our employees to think critically and be data-minded.”

 

Gulf Bank plans to hold its Data Ambassadors program annually as part of its commitment to upskill new employees and enhance existing talent. The Bank also plans to launch a bank-wide Data Literacy program to upskill Gulf Bank employees on an ongoing basis, and enable departments to create automated data flows and use state-of-the-art tools and technologies to advance projects.

 

Gulf Bank's vision is to be the leading Kuwaiti Bank of the Future. The Bank is constantly engaging and empowering its employees as part of an inclusive and diversified workplace in recognition of every employee’s role in delivering customer excellence and serving the community at large. With its extensive network of branches and innovative digital services, Gulf Bank is able to give its customers the choice of how and where to conduct their banking transactions, all while ensuring a simple and seamless banking experience.

 

Gulf Bank is committed to maintaining a robust sustainability program at the community, economic, and environmental levels through sustainability initiatives that are strategically selected to benefit both the country and the Bank.

 

Gulf Bank supports Kuwait Vision 2035 “New Kuwait” and works with the different relevant parties to achieve it.