CEO`s of GCC Companies Attend BDI Workshop

RAS TANURA, December 26, 2009 (SPA) -- CEOs and board members of companies in
member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, recently attended a Workshop in
Ras Tanura conducted for the Council's Board of Directors Institute’s (BDI).


The workshop was hosted by Saudi Aramco under the sponsorship of Finance senior
vice president Abdullatif A. Al-Othman, a founding member of the BDI and a member
of the organization’s Board of Governors.


The GCC BDI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making a positive impact on
the economies and societies of the region by promoting professional directorship
and raising the level of board effectiveness.


“The role of the BDI is to promote governance and enhance board effectiveness by
providing current board members with the tools necessary to evaluate and affect
board performance,” Al-Othman said.


Workshop modules were facilitated by experts in board performance from leading
consulting, law and executive-search firms who comprise BDI’s faculty.


Participants were welcomed by BDI alumnus, former Saudi Aramco executive and
current chairman of Ma’aden, Abd Allah S. Al-Saif, who emphasized that board
membership is not a passive activity.


“Board members should be carefully selected and held to a high standard of
accountability with regard to their preparation for, and contributions to, board
meetings, to ensure board effectiveness,” Al-Saif said.

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