Husain Al Sabea
CIO
Mumtalakat
Husain Al Sabea is the Chief Information Officer at Mumtalakat, the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Before joining Mumtalakat in 2020, Husain worked at Koch Industries, where he led digital transformation initiatives across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Prior to Koch, Husain gained experience in the investment banking sector, mostly in IT governance roles. Husain holds an MSc in Networking & Web Technology from Edinburgh Napier University and is CISSP certified.
Husain's interests include astrology, aviation, and anything that moves in the sky. Husain is also an avid Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner.
Learn more about the Middle East CIO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
A pivotal moment in my career occurred when I joined Koch Industries, where my reporting line transitioned to the CEO. This shift was an uncomfortable stretch at first. With time, it enabled me to grow my business acumen significantly, leading to my recognition as a trusted leader across the whole company.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
Intellectual honesty. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
What is the greatest challenge technology leaders face today, and how are you addressing it?
There are more tech-savvy employees around us than ever before. Letting them experiment and innovate without burning the house down can be challenging. We are trying to manage these risks by providing them with guard rails and staying closely in sync.
What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CIO?
Establish rapport and communicate laterally with your fellow peers.
How do you measure success as a leader?
When employees understand the value of their work and how their contributions link to the company's business objectives.
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