Recognised as the first UAE company for improving employee health and wellbeing
Chairman of Dubai Holding Wellness Committee awarded the President's Award
Dubai, May 27, 2015: Dubai Holding, the global investment holding company, was judged a winner of Institute for Health and Productivity Management's (IHPM) International Corporate Health and Productivity Management Award at the 15th Annual Global Health & Productivity Conference held yesterday at the Dubai World Trade Center. The award, presented by the US-based non-profit global enterprise, recognises Dubai Holding as the first UAE and the second regional company for its outstanding contributions to health and wellness at the workplace and at community level.
The IHPM works with companies across the globe to help them establish the full value of employee health as a business asset and an investment in workplace productivity and corporate performance. The Institute has selected Dubai Holding's Corporate Wellness Programme as their evidence-based business case of the year.
Chairman of Dubai Holding Wellness Committee, Cedric Betis, won the President's Award for demonstrating leadership in building and implementing a successful Health and Productivity Management model at Dubai Holding. The award positions him as an example for others in companies in the Gulf region to emulate. Cedric joins an impressive fraternity of corporate wellness champions - these include Dr Catherine Baas, Global Director of Health Services for the Dow Chemical Company; Dr William Bunn, Vice President of Health, Safety & Productivity for Navistar International; Dr Michael Drupp, Director of the AOP Institute in Hannover, Germany and Samantha Horseman, Wellcare Administrator for Saudi Aramco.
He took the opportunity to present Dubai Holding's eight-year journey to building a culture of wellness across all its companies through the success of the Corporate Wellness Programme. The genesis of the Programme, he explained, dates back to 2007 at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He discussed how he, with Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Bin Byat's support, developed a measurable action plan in light of chronic diseases prevalent in the region.
Cedric Betis, Chairman of Dubai Holding Wellness Committee of Dubai Holding, said: "I am delighted to be honoured for my efforts in growing Dubai Holding's Corporate Wellness Programme from just an idea to a full blown-out campaign that now also resonates with the wider public. It is my pleasure to be spearheading this programme which has without doubt become a key pillar of Dubai Holding. Wellness to us is much more than a clinical view of health risks - it is a lifestyle and a personal choice that requires intrinsic motivation. We reach down to each of our 22,000 employees and try to influence a sustainable change in behaviour. And to that effect, I would like to thank Ahmad Bin Byat for truly leading by example and being an inspiring role model for my colleagues and myself."
It was learned that a cohesive Wellness structure was achieved in two phases; in 2007, Wellness was placed under direct oversight of the Chief Operating Officer Fadel Al Ali as a supporting arm of the business along with Finance, HR and other divisions. Since 2013, a Wellness Committee has been designated to align the Programme across the Group. As part of the Wellness strategy, Dubai Holding sponsors some of UAE's best sporting events such as Dubai Marathon, Vertical Marathon and Women's Run in addition to blood donation drives, GX classes, Weight Loss Challenge and team building activities for employees.
Dubai Holding's events and activities garner increasing levels of participation amongst employees and the wider public each year - Dubai Marathon 2015 alone saw an unprecedented participation from 2,436 employees. Funds raised through Dubai Holding's Corporate Wellness programme's events and activities go towards their official charity Al Jalila Foundation's Obesity Research Fund. Cedric emphasised the importance of assessing the outcomes of such wellness interventions and the effects of having a supportive environment in the offices, and shared with the audience the metrics in place.
Sean Sullivan, President and CEO of IHPM, commented: "Dubai Holding joins an illustrious group of corporate leaders from around the world who have received IHPM's Corporate Health & Productivity Management (CHPM) Award over the past 15 years -- companies like Unilever, Dow Chemical, Intel and Saudi Aramco. The CHPM Award represents world-class achievement in making work force health a strategic investment in business performance, demonstrating leadership commitment to people as valuable "human capital" and to establishing a "culture of health" throughout the organization that sets it in the top rank globally of the best companies to work and produce for in the future."
The IHPM serves as a global resource on health and productivity management in the U.S., Latin America, UK, Europe, Middle East, South Africa and Asia. HMP-MENA, a new regional chapter of the Institute, runs in Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai/United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Morocco.
It is the first time the conference comes to the region - IHPM's annual conferences have been held in multiple international locations since 2000.
-Ends-
About Dubai Holding:
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2014, Dubai Holding is a major investment conglomerate with operations in 24 countries employing over 22,000 people. Dubai Holding manages a AED 130 bn portfolio of assets, which supports the strong development of Dubai's non-oil economy across sectors including; tourism, hospitality, media, real estate, ICT, education and financial services. Its portfolio includes Jumeirah Group, the hospitality arm which owns and operates 22 hotel developments in 11 destinations in 10 countries; Dubai Properties Group, a major contributor to the development of Dubai's skyline with 54 skyscrapers; TECOM Investments, which manages 11 of Dubai's most successful business parks and Emirates International Telecommunications which holds a major stake in 'du', the fast growing mobile operator.
Dubai Holding has seen a strong growth across all its commercial operations in 2014. In 2014, Dubai Holding announced that it will develop Mall of the World; the largest temperature-controlled pedestrian city, offering exciting retail concepts, state-of-the-art wellness facilities, cultural attractions as well as leading hotels and leisure destinations.
Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/dubaiholding
For updates on Dubai Holding Wellness Programme, follow:
Instagram: @DH_Wellness
Twitter: @DH_Wellness
www.youtube.com/DubaiHoldingWellness
For media enquiries, please contact:
Zein Bushnaq / Charlotte Connerton
dubaiholding@brunswickgroup.com
+971 (4) 446 6270
© Press Release 2015
