Dow Recognized for Championing Leadership Exchange Between Americans and Arabs
In the Middle East, Young Arab Leaders (YAL) is a household name, an organization at the forefront of promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and civic leadership among the region's young professionals. On October 4, 2008, through an initiative sponsored by Dow in the Middle East, YAL launched The Arab American Business Fellowship (AABF) Program. Not just any exchange program, high-potential Arab and American professionals were selected for an opportunity to walk in the commercial and cultural shoes of their intercontinental counterparts.
Dow partnered with YAL in December of 2007, and pledged $2 million dollars to support various initiatives of The Global Action Program. Programs like the AABF help young Arab and American professionals and leaders shape their intertwined economies and foster mutual understanding and respect between their respective societies.
The Trip of a Lifetime
During the program, which spanned the month of October, fourteen Arab Fellows visited New York City to learn about American society, business practices and culture. In the program's second week, Fellows visited their corporate sponsors. Dow hosted a team in Midland where the Fellows attended meetings, cultural learning opportunities and visited Dow manufacturing locations. Fellows joined Midland-based Dow employees for a special dialogue on “Doing Business in the Middle East –– A Cultural Forum with Young Arab Leaders”, and they also dined with Dow executives, including CEO and Chairman Andrew Liveris.
Dow also hosted American Fellows at India, Middle East and Africa (IMEA) headquarters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), during the same month, so the Fellows could engage with IMEA executives on doing business in the region. Two of the ten young American leaders selected were Dow leaders – Curtis Johnson, production leader for Energy and Utilities, Midland, Michigan, and Teresa Atkins, production leader for the Adhesives Polymers Plant and Polyethylene IV in Freeport, Texas. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity exposed the Fellows to the inner workings of Middle Eastern business and society and equipped them with a greater understanding of Dow's role in the global marketplace.
The Building Blocks of Transformation
The program came to a ceremonious close on October 27, in Dubai, where John Dearborn, IMEA president, delivered the keynote address amidst high praise and recognition from YAL, other program sponsors and AABF participants.
Congratulating the Fellows on successful completion of the Program, Dearborn recognized it as a milestone in Dow's transformation and relationship with a leading grassroots leadership development organization.
The theme of transformation was at the heart of the Fellows' experience. Regardless of nationality, all of them identified ways in which their understanding of the visited society and culture was positively transformed. Capitalizing on this, Dearborn highlighted that Dow provides the building blocks, technologies and solutions for a rapidly growing Middle East; in essence “Dow is a fundamental agent of this region's transformation.”
Embracing Diversity and Inclusion
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The themes of diversity and inclusion were no less prevalent in Dearborn's remarks. “Diversity goes beyond statistical and material metrics,” said Dearborn. “It is about our culture of respect...Simply put, it is what makes our corporation greater than the sum of its parts...and the Arab American Leadership Exchange was designed to promote mutual understanding and respect between Arab and American societies.”
Afternoon panel discussions proved inspirational, with topics like “Breaking Stereotypes” and “Cultural Awareness, a Prerequisite to International Business Success” ranging across the socio-economic and political spectrum of Americans and Arabs.
Reminding the Fellows that future generations of intercultural understanding depends on their action; Dearborn implored them to serve as ambassadors of their respective corporations, cultures, and the Human Element. Read the entire speech on Nurturing the Human Element to Drive Leadership and Transformation.
The Human Element
Whether in Midland or Dubai the program was hugely successful in advancing intercultural understanding between the United States and the Arab world, two regions essential to Dow's health and success. Whether promoting youth leadership, diversity and inclusion, or transformation, all who participated directly or indirectly with this program and the Fellows can testify that no matter where it is mined, the Human Element remains fascinatingly diverse, and yet remarkably consistent.
For more information, visit the Young Arabic Leaders website
