Serco has promoted its Chief People and Culture Officer Hana Abu Kharmeh to be the Chief Operations Officer in its Middle East wing. The promotion means that  Hana will now be overseeing the company’s technology and transition teams, in addition to continuing to oversee the Middle East’s human resources (HR) and workforce management (WFM) functions.

The promotion comes after a period of growth to strengthen its technology capabilities as a key enabler for its people led service offering. In 2019, Hana began working for Serco in the Middle East as a regional business partner for human resources. A year later, she was promoted to regional director of human resources. With a focus on network engineering and programming, Hana began her career in IT. She represented markets throughout the area in leadership capacities at Kuehne + Nagel and Maersk prior to joining Serco.

Phil Malem, CEO of Serco Middle East said, “I congratulate Hana on her promotion to Chief Operations Officer. Hana has been a pivotal part of our success story, expertly leading our people function with dedication and foresight. Her proven leadership skills are true assets to the business, and in her new role I’m looking forward to Hana further embedding her innovative mindset and strive for continuous improvement into our culture. At Serco we are committed to establishing a workplace where diversity thrives and career advancement, regardless of gender, is supported through internal policies and strategy. Hana’s journey is a prime example and I hope her promotion is an inspiration to other women, both inside and outside Serco.”

Hana Abu Kharmeh, Chief Operations Officer at Serco Middle East said, “I’m privileged to be taking on this new position, working closely with Phil and the team to deliver exceptional service to our customers. As we continue to invest in our end-to-end capabilities and services, we are strengthening our offering in the region, cementing our role as a trusted partner to governmental organisations. Technology and innovation is at the heart of what we do – bringing together the right people, the right technology and the right partners to create innovative solutions that make positive impact and address some of the most urgent and complex challenges facing the modern world.”