Alba chief executive Ahmed Al Noaimi hinted at the future direction of the firm following a presentation entitled The Role of the CEO at an event organised by the Bahrain Management Society.
Alba unveils plan to enter power generation business
Asked to elaborate on his statement that Alba is in an "expansion phase", Mr Al Noaimi said the firm was engaged in a search to increase its gas resources in order to add a sixth line to its huge smelter and then revealed the firm was looking at going even further.
"We are thinking outside the box and in addition to looking for gas resources we are thinking of maybe exporting power so there are a few ideas," he said.
Alba currently has its own power plant, with a maximum capacity of 2,220mw, to meet its energy needs.
Asked where he saw Alba in 20 years, Mr Al Noaimi made it clear he expected the company to have expanded beyond Bahrain.
"We have something to add to anybody who enters into a joint venture with us. In 20 years I can see us doing business out of Bahrain," he said.
Earlier, Mr Al Noaimi had used a presentation to outline the changing nature of challenges facing company chief executives.
"The requirements of today's CEO is completely different than what they were ten years or even five years ago," he told an audience which included many high-profile business figures.
"Ask about a CEO and you will likely be told he plans, organises, co-ordinates and controls - in fact these four words date back to 1916 when Henry Fayol (an influential figure in early management circles) first described his job. These four words no-longer describe the CEO," he explained.
"Today's CEO spends a great deal of time dealing with people outside of the company - a considerable amount of time developing a network of contacts in which information is traded for mutual benefits.
"I want to emphasise how the role of the CEO in Bahrain has changed dramatically in just a few years. Your and my predecessors very rarely considered environmental elements or corporate governance, parliament, or unions in their scope of work," he added.
He went on to explain the 'seven surprises' facing a new chief executive, advising his audience not to think they can run a company by themselves, explaining the importance of finding out the truth about any firm's performance and warning them to be aware that as chief executives their every action is "always sending a message".
"You must recognise that your position does not confer the right to lead, nor does it guarantee the loyalty of the organisation," he said.
Gulf Daily News
By MARK SUMMERS
power generation business
Bahrain
Henry Fayol
Middle east
