An era of ‘AND’: Shaping tomorrow’s Middle East chemical leaders

By Suvi Kitchloo, Partner, Industrial Practice, Heidrick & Struggles and Louis Besland, Partner, Global Head of Chemicals, Heidrick & Struggles

Today, chemical leaders in the Middle East are navigating an unprecedented perfect storm, where global trends and industry-specific shifts collide to create a challenging climate for business. For one, the rapid pace of technological advancements is reshaping business operations globally and increasing the urgency of digital transformation. The Middle East is no exception: a 2025 Deloitte study^[1] found that more than 80% of organizations in the region feel pressured to adopt artificial intelligence.

At the same time, the chemicals industry is grappling with a unique set of challenges. Rising environmental, social and governance pressures from stakeholders, persistent supply chain vulnerabilities, and fast-evolving consumer preferences^[2] are forcing companies to rethink long-standing practices.

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What it means to lead in an era of ‘AND’

This convergence of global and industry developments means that chemical leaders are now operating in an increasingly volatile environment, where more is being demanded of them than ever before. To navigate the complexities ahead, they must have the ability to harness multiple critical skills that may, at times, seem conflicting.

1. Being purpose-driven AND results-focused

First, leaders must integrate a clear sense of purpose into their operations while still delivering on desired financial outcomes. In fact, our conversations with chemical leaders in the Middle East revealed that sustainability has now become a driver of business outcomes. For instance, a leader of a major energy company we spoke to^[3] noted that: “Sustainability is cultural, and a bit like safety. We see clients evaluating our sustainability program as a differentiator. If you are not a safe contractor, some large energy companies, for example, won’t retain you as a service provider. The same applies for sustainability. Some clients are disqualifying contractors on this basis.”

The push for sustainability is also accelerated by government efforts in the region to refine sustainability practices and regulatory frameworks. A 2024 joint report by Bain and Company and the World Economic Forum^[4] highlighted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are pioneering leaders in sustainability policy across the Middle East and North African region. As a result, businesses across various sectors, including the chemicals industry, are also motivated to align with these efforts.

Being able to drive both purpose and strong financial returns requires leaders to have strong conviction that the two are not mutually exclusive. They need to define a common purpose with clear objectives and decision-making criteria, ensuring that both the leadership team and entire organization are aligned and committed to it. At the same time, leaders must also be able to execute with precision, ensuring that strategies are financially sound and that stakeholder expectations are met. This requires leaders to stay realistic and transparent, while having the courage and optimism to lead with purpose.

2. Technical expertise AND business acumen

Secondly, chemical leaders need both deep technical knowledge and a strong grasp of business strategy, in order to innovate and help their organizations succeed in today’s uncertain environment. This combination can be rare, particularly in the Middle East, where many chemical leaders are appointed to the top seat without prior C-suite experience. A Heidrick & Struggles study^[5] analyzing 129 chemical company chief executive officers (CEOs) found that Asia Pacific and Middle East chemical companies have the highest proportion of CEOs with no prior C-suite experience, compared to the other regions.

While there is no denying that first-time CEOs can offer fresh perspectives and spur innovation, they may sometimes lack the business acumen that comes from having the right experiences. This is where Middle East chemical organizations can better support their first-time CEOs. Tailored training programs that focus on enhancing and building up essential business acumen will be crucial in helping the next generation of chemical CEOs excel in their roles.

Source: Heidrick & Struggles’ analysis of the 129 CEOs of chemicals companies around the world with revenues over $2.5bn, n = 129

Source: Heidrick & Struggles’ analysis of the 129 CEOs of chemicals companies around the world with revenues over $2.5bn, n = 129

3. Inclusive AND decisive

Building a strong organizational purpose often starts from an inclusive culture where all employees feel they can share their perspectives, but it is also critical for leaders to understand how they can best make use of these diverse perspectives.

Indeed, inclusive leadership from the top will pave the way for more diverse workforces, unlocking perspectives and collaboration that will ultimately pave the way for innovation and business performance. This is a key area of growth for the chemicals industry, as the same Heidrick & Struggles study^[6] found that chemical CEOs have less cross-border and cross-sector experience than other industrial CEOs.

However, there must also be a robust decision-making process at play. Leaders must be able to internalize varied viewpoints, digest and eventually make the tough calls to ensure that every decision aligns with the company’s purpose and long-term strategy – rather than just for consensus building. Being both inclusive and decisive, therefore, is a delicate balancing act that requires leaders to demonstrate humility, stewardship and high emotional intelligence.

4. Agile AND Consistent

Finally, chemical leaders must maintain consistent strategy execution, while permanently adapting to an ever-changing environment. In this context, agility is arguably the most important skill chemical leaders must hone for tomorrow’s success. In fact, agility has become a critical marker of leadership success in the post-pandemic era, according to Heidrick & Struggles’ META framework^[7]. Agility is a measure of 4 different competencies, that is:

Having foresight: Ability to solve complex problems and multitask across multiple emerging focus areas
Learning: Being curious and willing to learn and experiment with new ideas
Adaptability: Anticipating change and being prepared to pivot
Resilience: Perseverance and remaining composed in the face of challenges or setbacks

That said, agility is most effective when rooted in a strong and consistent foundation. Leaders must first build significant trust within their organizations, achieved through consistent and reliable strategies that demonstrate success. This trust enables teams to confidently execute in line with the leader’s vision. Without such a foundation, even the most agile leaders may find it challenging to inspire the quick action necessary for success.

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Succession planning for the future

Despite the challenges ahead, the specialty chemicals market in the Middle East remains primed for growth, with the Gulf Cooperation Council market alone projected to grow at a CAGR of 4% from 2025 to 2030^[8]. This underscores an urgency for chemical organizations in the region to strengthen their leadership pipelines.

Here are three key succession planning strategies to keep in mind:

Maintain a strong diverse talent bench that goes deep into the organization: This requires boards and leadership teams to have a good understanding of where the high-potential talent is at least three levels below CEO.
Leverage external hires to gain multi-sector, cross-border, and multi-functional experience: Like many other specialized industries, the chemicals sector shows a clear preference for appointing CEOs internally based on our research^[9]. Casting a wider net will not only bolster the leadership pipeline, but bring in C-suite talent who have fresh perspectives.
Don’t copy and paste the incumbent profile and selection criteria: In the context of today’s rapid changes and the need for a fundamentally different strategic approach, organizations cannot hire for the skills and capabilities a chemical leader needs today, but for the future.

Having a robust and comprehensive succession planning strategy in place will help Middle East chemical organizations identify, develop and shape leaders who are ready for the era of ‘AND’.