Ziyad M. Al-Shiha began his career at Saudi Aramco as an electrical engineer, working his way up through the ranks of the multinational enterprise in various capacities, from manager of oil and gas field operations to public relations manager to vice president for planning. A global energy leader, he has been headquartered in different regions across Saudi Arabia as well as in the US and the Philippines, where he took on the role of vice president for corporate planning of Petron Company, the second largest corporation in the Philippines. Al-Shiha has served on the boards of Saudi Electricity Company, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, and Petron Company.
Real vs. legend"In the upper spheres of management, you often hear people talking about the MIT Sloan Fellows program, but until you are immersed in it, you can't know what it's really like. This program is an experience like no other. Yes, you learn the full spectrum of fundamentals-finance, accounting, marketing, leadership, innovation, systems thinking, leadership-but what sets this program apart are the intangibles. Learning how to relate to people from other cultures and disciplines. Testing bold ideas in a safe environment to determine what will work, what won't, and why. Pragmatic approaches to real life challenges. You eat, drink, and breathe the answers to all the questions you've been wondering about in your career up to this point."
A mini United Nations"I found the most educational aspect of the program to be listening to and learning from my peers in the program-leaders in their own right from five continents and dozens of industries. They did not shy away from discussing their handicaps nor did they hesitate to share their success stories. I soon came to realize that this program brings the great talent of the world to you. After spending one year imbedded in a mini United Nations, your perspective definitely grows."
The benefit of interconnectivity"This program is about interconnectivity. Interconnectivity to everything that MIT, Boston, and Cambridge have to offer-support services, laboratories, advanced research institutions. Influential leaders from all over the world come to MIT and to the universities nearby for candid talks. I found I could meet with a whole 'who's who' of innovators in my field. And New England itself is very rich in history, culture, museums, scenery, and people. My family fell in love with the area during my year as a fellow, and we come back whenever we came to visit our friends and our favorite places in New England."
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