Winner Name: Honourable Lujaina Mohsin Darwish
Winner Title: Women Visionary Leader- Innovative Achievement in Human Resources
Winning Organization: Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC – Infrastructure, Technology, Industrial & Consumer Solutions (ITICS)
Brief Biography about the Winner:
Honorable Lujaina Mohsin Haider Darwish is the Chairperson of Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC– Infrastructure, Technology, Industrial & Consumer Solutions (ITICS) one of the oldest and highly regarded business houses in Oman, she presides with poise and elan over a highly complex and hugely varied group of businesses. With the strength of the legacy inherited from her late father, Mohsin Haider Darwish, and guided by his philosophy of “people first”, she brings a humane dimension to the nitty-gritty of managing a large business.
She is the first woman in the Gulf and the second in the Arab World to head a football club – ‘The Sidab Club’, which then opened a new vista for – women in Oman.
In 2018, she spoke at the WTO public forum-Geneva, on “Leadership beyond the veil” on the significance of Omani women leaders. She also addressed the Opening plenary of the IRU World Congress 2018 in Muscat.
A committed contributor to the social, cultural, and business landscape of Oman, she currently holds various important positions such as Honorary President of Oman-China Friendship Association; Omani-Indian Friendship Association; Head of the Governance Team of Oman Business Forum-MOCI&IP, Member of the GCC Women’s Forum; Member of the Board of Trustees of Al-Zahra College for Women, Oman. She is the ex- Chairperson and an ex-Board Member of Dar Al Atta’a – a leading Charitable Association in Oman, formed in 2002. Additionally, she was on the Board of the Advisory Committee for The National Program for Leadership & Competitiveness and has been a member of the Working Team of Partnership between the Public and Private Sectors at the Diwan of Royal Court.
Stevie Award Winning Case Study:
Honorable Lujaina Mohsin Haider Darwish has been an inspiration to the women in the country. Her father’s constant guidance and vigil over her career, has given her the strength and direction in all her endeavors and has helped her to broaden her horizon of understanding the world better and acting on it. Being an entrepreneur, she has always taken decisions and not lost focus on what she intended to achieve. As she always says “we all make mistakes, but what actually helps you move towards your accomplishments is the fact that you learn from these mistakes and then work on it to achieve your goal”.
Her leadership style is democratic but also a mix of being laissez fair and a pace-setter. She joined the family business at a young age and learned the ropes. Honorable Lujaina has been a part of setting up several new ventures and activities. Besides, the Group is admirably served by very well-qualified Directors and technical team who guide the business extremely well.
As an entrepreneur, she has set an example for the younger generation and help trigger more responsive and innovative ideas. Being open to new ideas and new ways of doing things helped her to connect to the new generation. She has been the Ex-Member of the Young President’s Organization and also chosen as the first woman in the Gulf and the second in the Arab World to chair the Al Shidad football club that is supported and recognized by FIFA which eventually opened new doors for the women in Oman.
Final Quote
In recognition of her contributions to business and society, she has been a recipient of various awards and nominations including:
- Ranked “40th amongst the top 50 most powerful businesswomen” by Forbes Middle East in Feb 2021
- Businesswoman of the Year under Global Business Awards 2021 by The European
- The Diamond Executive’s Award and Leadership Medal from the Harvard Business Council 2020 International Awards.
- A Citation Medal, on the celebratory occasion of the Oman China Friendship Association’s 10th Anniversary, from the Government of People’s Republic of China in recognition of her efforts towards developing trade, cultural, sports and economic relations – between the two friendly countries.
- “Women of the year 2020” by International Business Stevie Awards.
- “Businesswoman of the year 2020” by Middle East Stevie Awards
- The Most Outstanding Corporate Leader of the Year 2020 by Alam Al- Iktisaad Awards
- Woman of the Year 2020 by Al Mar’a Excellence Award
- Placed in the “Hall of Fame” – Oman Best Employer Brand Awards 2020
- “Businesswoman of the year” under Global Business Awards 2020 MENA by The European
- Special recognition award as Inspirational Women of the year 2020 by Lefonti, Italy
- Ranked “34th amongst 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen in the Middle East” by Forbes Middle East 2020.
Hon. Lujaina considers the workforce as the backbone and driving force for any organization. The staff has been the biggest strength of Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC since its inception. Their dedication and commitment have been a key contributor to the Group’s success and she values it immensely. Her saying is ‘Reward and success are a direct function of your determination and hard work. So, keep striding and smiling and even the sky will not be the limit’. She is confident that working together as a team, will continue to take MHD LLC to newer heights.