Ghada Mohamed Al Yousef was born into a highly commercial family headed by Dr Mohamed Musa Al Yousef, chairman of Al Yousef Group. Eldest daughter of four siblings and mother of two
children, Nawaf who is five years old and Reema who is three years old. She has a strong experience in communications and marketing gained through working in the banking sector.
Over the past four years, Ghada has started getting closer to the family business and was involved in the launch of Majan Telecommunications Company as the first 100% Omani owned mobile reseller ‘renna’ and Ubhar, first of its kind with an aim to take Omani hospitality
to new heights through both Omani fusion and traditional cuisines. She was also recently appointed as Deputy Chairperson of the Women in Business Forum at the Oman Chamber
of Commerce. Oman Vistas met up with her for an exclusive interview on the subject of Omani Women in Power. Excerpts:

Give us a brief introduction on yourself
.
I hold a Bachelors of Science in management studies from Royal Holloway, University of London. I come from a commercial family that has been in business since the 1970s, with investments in
insurance, financial services, logistics, manufacturing, hospitality and more recently in telecom. My brothers are fully involved with the family businesses chaired by my father in Oman and
regionally.

My career with HSBC started around five years ago when I joined as an officer
to look after the bank’s internal and external communication, media affairs, brand and crisis management following two years with NationalBank of Oman where I gained my first
experience in communication, marketing and government relations.

This year, I have moved into personal financial services at HSBC and currently heading sales and service in the flagship branch in Ruwi. With an ambition to gain a diverse experience
in various business areas, I started working part time in my family businesses four years ago and represent them in National Aluminum Products Company SAOG, Modern Hospitality
Company LLC and Majan Telecommunications Company LLC.

How do you balance your professional
life and personal life?

Time management is a mantra of how I manage both personal and official
work. This can only be achieved through a well constructed priority list. I enjoy spending time with my children and family so it is very important for me to achieve work-life balance. It is very
easy to loose sight of it in our busy lives and hence its top ranking position on my priority list!

How does it feel to be an achiever in
a man’s world?

There are many opportunities for those who are dedicated and committed. This article is a testament of that! Women in Oman are employed in all areas and both the government and private sectors support diversity in many ways. I believe men and women are different, and therefore approach business differently, however ultimately the effectiveness boils down to the individual. All leaders within an organisation, irrespective of gender, are expected to adhere to the same strategy, procedures, policies, etc. It is our unique leadership and management styles that help produce results

What are the factors you think are responsible
in helping you to reach the position you are in today?

I believe that Oman provides an excellent environment for the youth to explore and develop their leadership potential and to have a positive impact in society. The Omani government has
played an important part in developing and building up opportunities through the investments that they continue to make and through the training provided.

What is your advice to women who aspire for top positions in life?
Are there enough opportunities for women in Oman?

Patience, commitment, and managing various expectations are very important. Many potential business ideas will always be there to grasp, you just have to pick one and work towards it with
drive.

There are indeed many opportunities in Oman and the newly re-launched Women in Business Forum under the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry will support women entrepreneurs
across the Sultanate. The objective is to strengthen women’s entrepreneurship and to place women in leadership platform locally, regionally and internationally. The group of women that have teamed up in this forum bring a wealth of experience from different areas including
manufacturing, trade, finance, education and more. We can all benefit one another by taking part in this network.

Anything else you wish to add?

We are blessed in Oman with a progressive and visionary leader. The Sultan Qaboos bin Said created a wealth of opportunities for us in Oman and internationally and we have an individual
responsibility and duty towards the country’s growth in a modern and competitive global environment.