CIO50 Middle East 2022: Introducing the top 50 tech leaders in the Middle East

CIO Middle East is proud to unveil the expanded CIO50 Middle East Awards in 2022, recognizing the top 50 senior technology executives driving innovation, strengthening resiliency, and influencing rapid change across the Middle East.

The CIO50 Middle East Awards are aligned to Foundry’s global awards program and viewed as a mark of excellence within the enterprise. Last year, CIO Middle East launched the first edition of the CIO50 Awards in the region, judging four core pillars of Innovation, Diversity & Culture, Workplace, and Data Intelligence, honoring transformational, inspirational, and enduring CIOs at both in-country and regional levels across the Middle East.

Technology leadership in numbers and words

Leaders of the CIO50 Middle East award winners collectively hold responsibility for more than 40,000 IT employees across the Middle East, averaging more than 500 staff members per organization. The list covers a range of technology positions, spanning CIO, CISO, CTO, and CDO, in addition to transformation, business, and executive roles across five countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain

More than 15 industry sectors were represented as well, including financial services, healthcare, insurance, banking, real estate, telecommunications, aviation, government, transport, utilities, and trade unions.

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, technology leaders remained resilient and pressed ahead with change-agent activities, evident through a transition away from being merely custodians of the IT department to entrepreneurs driving new ideas and strategies.

The CIO50 Middle East awardee list highlights technology executives focused on creation and development, building first-to-market projects capable of overcoming the pandemic and setting the business up for future growth.

Such work also cements CIO50 Middle East as the leading awards program for technology leaders in the region, forming part of a broader worldwide initiative alongside the CIO50 Australia, CIO50 New Zealand, CIO75 ASEAN and CIO100 India Awards. These are in addition to CIO100 Awards in the US and UK.

Ali & Sons’s Shumon Zaman takes top honors

The top-ranked technology leader in 2022 is Shumon Zaman, CIO and CDO at Ali & Sons. Zaman and his team are leading a digital-first agenda, enabling Ali&Sons’ digital transformation journey while supporting the efficient and profitable operation of the company

Over the last year, Ali & Sons has started its digital transformation journey called Quantum, which is revolutionizing how the group operates and is a key enabler of its long-term double-digit growth. Quantum is set to help the company innovate, transform, and lead the industry with its multiple phases. In the initial phase, for instance, they’ve developed several different data harvesting platforms (collecting structured and unstructured data) that have already unlocked operational efficiencies to exceed over AED 14 million this year and is now providing new insights to help predict the future for our employees using embedded AI and ML tools.

The top 10 CIO50 Middle East awardees:

1. Shumon A. Zaman, Chief Information and Chief Digital Officer at Ali & Sons (UAE)

2. Jason E. Roos, CIO, KAUST University (KSA)

3. Mario Foster, CIO, Al Naboodah Group (UAE)

4. Veneet Purushotaman, Group CIO, Aster DM Healthcare LLC (UAE)

5. Anthony Lynsdale, VP Information Technology, Atlantis Dubai (UAE)

6. Abeer Khedr, Head of Cybersecurity, National Bank of Egypt (Egypt)

7. Heide Young, Manager Cyberstrategy and Engagement NEOM (KSA)

8. Murat Özkan, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Anadolu Efes (Turkey)

9. Sirin Aktas, CIO, Edenred Turkey (Turkey)

10. Mohamed Al Doseri, CISO, Tasheel Finance (KSA)

The complete list of CIO50 Awards winners listed alphabetically:

• Ahmad Yahya, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Information Officer, American Hospital Dubai (AHD).
•  Ali Juma Alajme, Digital Health Department Director, Ministry of Health and Prevention UAE.
• Aliasgar Bohari, Senior Director – IT, Zulekha Hospital.
• Arul Jose Vigin, Head of IT, DIFC Courts.
• Atul Aggarwal, Area Director of IT, Caesars Palace.
• Aysegul, CIO, Index Group.
• Damian O Gara, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Kent.
• Dr. Reem Faraj Alshammari, CISO, Kuwait Oil Company.
• Erol Ozguner, CIO, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
• Fusun Borluq, Director of IT agile management, robotic process automation and quality, IGESA.
• George Eapen, Group CIO, Petrofac Limited.
• Germin Abouel, CIO, The British University in Egypt.
• Gigi Matthew Thomas, Group Head – IT & Digital Transformation, Ittihad International Investment LLC.
• Hajar Al Maazmi, SVP – Head of Information Technology, Ajman Bank.
• Hana Fareed Alsaleh, Head of IT, Al Jabr Finance.
• Hayriye Karadeniz, CIO and CDO, Ford Otosan Turkey.
• Hesham Daabes, CIO, Banque du Caire.
• Hisham Mohamed Aly, CISO, Emirates NBD Egypt.
• Hoda Alkhzaimi, Director, Center of Cyber Security in New York University Abu Dhabi.
• Jacob Matthew, Head of IT, Government of Abu Dhabi.
• Jijish Gopi, CSO, Department of Finance Dubai.
• Krishnan Gopi, Group Chief Disruption Officer, GEMS Education.
• Lars Gerhmann, Group Chief Digital Officer, Qatar Insurance Group.
• Mai Bader Alowaish, Chief Data and Innovation Officer, Gulf Bank of Kuwait.
• Manal Allam, IT Head and Business Partner, Merck
• Muath Alhomoud, CISO, Smart Digital Payments Holding.
• Mubarik Hussain, IT Director, Bloom Holding.
• Nani Mohammed Butti, Director Information System, Ministry of Youth and Sport Affairs Bahrain.
• Nicole Webb, Manager Information Technology, Atlantis Dubai.
• Pankaj Bajaj, Head of Technology, Capital Health Abu Dhabi.
• Ph.D. Mohamed Hamed, CIO, Platino Group.
• Shahrin Oli Mohamed, Head of Information & Digital Technology, Shell LNG Trading.
• Sreedhar Suragouni, CIO, Oman Insurance Company.
• Sunil Nair, Group Chief Information Officer, GMG.
• Umesh Moolchandani, CIO, Bin Dasmal Group.
• Venkatesh Mahadevan, CIO, Dubai Investments PJSC.
• WILFREDO PÉREZ RIVERO, CIO, Infinity des Lumieres.
• Wissam Al Adany, Group CIO, ADES Arabia Holding.
• Yahyah Pandor, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Fine Hygienic Holding.

CIO of the Year

•  Shumon Zaman, CIO and CDO at Ali & Sons

Leadership in Innovation

• Veneeth Purushotaman Group CIO at Aster DM Healthcare LLC

Leadership in Culture and Diversity

• Shahrin Oli Mohamed, Head of Information & Digital Technology at Shell LNG Trading

Leadership in the Workplace

• Umesh MoolchandanI, CIO at Bin Dasmal Group

Leadership in Data Intelligence

• Ahmad Yahya, COO and CIO at American Hospital Dubai

Leadership in Cybersecurity

• Abeer Khedr, Head of Cybersecurity at National Bank of Egypt

IT Team of the Year

• Atlantis The Palm

The CIO50 Middle East Awards criteria

CIO50 Middle East was judged on the core pillars of innovation, culture and diversity, workplace, data intelligence and cybersecurity, honoring transformational, inspiring, and enduring CIOs at both in-country and regional levels within the Middle East.

All entries were reviewed by a select and independent CIO50 Middle East judging panel, John Barton, ex-CIO at Abu Dhabi Airports, Shafique R Ibrahim, ex Chief Information Digital Officer, Debbie Botha, Women in AI Global Chief Partnership, Carmen Marsh, President and CEO at United Cybersecurity Alliance, Mario Moreno del Toro, Editorial Coordinator Computerworld and CSO Foundry Spain and Victoria Mendes, Research Manager at IDC MEA, who rated each section of the questionnaire to determine the final list. The most powerful nominations provided real-world examples of where technology and digital chiefs are successfully providing value to organizations, driving innovation and leading teams.

Foundry congratulates all CIO50 Middle East winners and finalists in 2022.