CFA Society Bahrain, in collaboration with Ahli United Bank, has launched a transformational mentorship programme entitled Qodwa. Initiated and chaired by Noorhan AlZann, CFA, FCII, board member of CFAB, Qodwa is run by an all-woman leadership team.
Since inception, CFAB has brought a number of successful and highly popular events to the local community, supported by its alliance with the region’s most prominent financial institutions. Qodwa is backed and sponsored by Ahli United Bank, whose collaboration has been invaluable for the success of the programme.
Qodwa has gained an international foothold with its concurrent launches by the CFA Societies of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine.
The programme is designed to pair members with suitable candidates to help them realise their full potential, all while ensuring the success of each individual in the pursuit of their academic and professional goals. Qodwa has also launched a podcast, the first episode of which has been released and made accessible to the wider public. It features one-on-one sessions with high-calibre speakers discussing mentorship, finance, leadership, and investments. It is currently available on Spotify and Deezer, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Anghami, with two episodes released each month.
Noorhan AlZann, Chairperson of Qodwa, stated: “We are proud to be able to create a dynamic community of professionals who are our partners in growth. We are also grateful for the support of Ahli United Bank in making this vision a reality. Our philosophy is that you need to take your time to grow and then invest in helping others grow. We hope to fulfil this through all the verticals that we establish within this mentorship programme.”
David O’Loan, Deputy Group CEO of Treasury and Investments at Ahli United Bank, said: “We are united by the mutual respect, ambitions, and values held by the community we serve. It is an honour for us to be able to invest in the growth of the community and grant them access to learning tools and career advancement opportunities through CFAB’s Mentorship Programme.”
Qodwa works on two principles. First, we give CFAB members and candidates exceptional value through knowledge transfer between mentors and mentees, thus helping develop stronger leadership skills and networking opportunities. Second, Qodwa champions the concept of ‘Paying It Forward’, enabling collective development. The programme trains its mentors, who in turn train the mentees, and the cycle continues.
This mentorship programme typically lasts for six to eight months, with a minimum of four meetings between mentors and mentees. Mentors undergo certified training sessions to ensure they are capable of developing the mentees to their full potential. Thanks to its feedback sessions, this programme is set to be a transformational mentorship programme in the Kingdom, with a global outreach that paves the way for an extremely rewarding learning experience. Applications are currently closed, and are expected to reopen by October 2021. For further details, interested candidates can visit the Qodwa Instagram