HR Director and Management Committee member at Nesma & Partners (52,000+ workforce). Regional HR head across seven countries at CMA CGM. Directed the Executive MBA at RSM Erasmus University. Trilingual, Athens and Beirut based, operating across GCC, Levant, and Europe.
17yr
Senior HR & org leadership
8
Countries managed
52k+
Largest workforce
500+
Through executive education
Nesma & Partners
Saudi Arabia
CMA CGM Group
Levant region
RSM Erasmus University
Netherlands
ESA Business School
Lebanon
A senior-led advisory practice working with CEOs, CHROs, and Boards at structural inflection points, where structure, leadership, governance, rewards, talent, and execution have drifted out of alignment with where the business is going.
The problem
Most organizations underperform not because the strategy is wrong, but because the internal architecture has drifted from what the business now requires.
The drift is invisible at first, then it compounds. Decisions slow. Senior leaders compensate by absorbing too much. Accountability blurs. Talent leaves quietly. Execution becomes inconsistent across functions and geographies.
By the time it surfaces as a crisis, the cost of correction is multiples of what early intervention would have required. The advisory exists to intervene at the inflection point before the drift becomes the crisis.
The thesis is simple: senior judgment is the product, not an occasional layer over junior work. Most firms run a leverage pyramid, so you buy the partner's name but receive the associate's output, filtered through an account manager. This practice is built the other way: one senior operator, across all six dimensions in a single lens, at speed, with no junior delegation and no intermediary.
Every engagement starts the same way: a 25-minute discovery call, a senior debrief, and a real conversation about fit. Where it goes from there depends on what the organization needs.
Structure hasn't kept pace with growth.
Founder-led to professionally managed.
Strategy shifted; the organization didn't.
Post-M&A. No shared system.
Heavy system, inconsistent execution.
Multi-country operations fragmenting.
Each one stands alone. The diagnostic and core engagement work best together.
Model 01 · 2 to 3 weeks
A focused organizational effectiveness assessment. Identifies the structural, leadership, governance, and execution gaps holding the business back before they become crises. A complete engagement on its own: take it standalone for a clear read on where the organization stands, or as the scoping foundation for a core engagement.
Model 02 · 4 to 10 weeks
Targeted intervention on the highest-priority findings. Structured working sessions, phased deliverables, implementation roadmap, final leadership readout with handover. Defined scope, measurable outcomes. Best run on the back of a diagnostic, which sharpens scope; available standalone where the priority is already clear.
Model 03 · Ongoing
A senior advisor embedded in the leadership rhythm. Direct CEO and CHRO access. Monthly working sessions, on-call advisory for high-stakes decisions, quarterly leadership reviews. Stands alone. No diagnostic required to begin.
See how each model works → The diagnostic, the six themes, the weekly cadence, the model.
Engagements anonymized to sector and scale. Further detail available under mutual NDA.
Situation. Hyper-growth. HR under-equipped to scale. Operating model fragmented across two culturally divided teams. No formal HR strategy.
Intervention. Redesigned operating model. Korn Ferry job architecture and total rewards. Rebuilt performance management. First three-year HR strategy with Board reporting.
Outcome. HR established as a strategic function at enterprise level. Two divided communities unified. Governance embedded at Board level.
Situation. Time-to-fill of 140 days across blue and white collar pipelines. Recruitment process and agent governance fragmented.
Intervention. Overhauled acquisition processes. Restructured agent networks. Implemented governance and SLA frameworks. Bulk and executive hiring in parallel.
Outcome. Time-to-fill cut ~28% (140 to under 100 days). Pipeline stabilized through a critical growth phase.
Situation. Regional HR fragmented across Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, Sudan, Lebanon. Local execution inconsistent with global standards.
Intervention. Deployed enterprise HR frameworks across performance, talent, engagement, and leadership development. Aligned regional governance to global standards.
Outcome. Regional model integrated with global practices. A single governance lens across seven markets.
Directed the Executive MBA experience for 240 professionals across 30 nationalities at RSM Erasmus University. Designed and delivered leadership programs supporting 500+ senior professionals across multinational environments.
New tracks: Personal Leadership Development and Coaching curriculum.
Each country had its own legal framework, labor market, and management culture.
Saudi Arabia
Greece
Cyprus
Turkey
Egypt
Iraq
Sudan
Lebanon
Today the advisory operates across the wider GCC, Levant, and Europe. Engagements are accepted selectively based on fit, mandate clarity, and executive access.
Works in French, English, and Arabic.
Voices of peers, clients, professors, and collaborators who have worked with Karim across the years.
He stands out as one of the most commercially astute and capable HR leaders I have worked alongside. What truly differentiates Karim is his exceptional ability to seamlessly bridge strategic corporate objectives with a people-centric approach within a complex, multinational matrix organization.
Chief HR Officer · Ex Board Member, Alstom India
2026 · Managed Karim directly at CMA CGM
He is passionate about his job, out-of-the-box thinker and result-driven. If you're looking for someone that can drive an idea from planning to execution, Karim is the one to ask.
A hard-working and very committed professional. Great communication skills, great at building relationships, and extremely effective in the workplace. Very likable and someone that can be trusted.
Director of Recruitment and Admissions · RSM Erasmus University
2017 · Worked together at RSM
I have worked with Karim for a number of years, face-to-face and virtually, and have always found him to be diligent and dedicated. Creative, but above all passionate about everything he does.
Executive, Leadership & Team Coach · RSM Coaching Centre
2015 · Worked together on RSM programs
It is a privilege and pleasure to work with Karim. Hard worker, fast learner, proactive and imaginative. A real asset for ESA and an essential part of its research and development activity.
Karim is one of the very few professionals I have crossed paths with who wear the title well. Generosity with time, intellect, and sheer genuine interest have always been the cornerstones of his work. His calm, poised, and commanding demeanour inspire his teams and his peers alike and give a new meaning to grace under fire.
A real pleasure to work with Karim on a daily basis. A real asset for us in the Marketing department for brainstorming work and innovative ideas. Always willing to offer his assistance. Excellent in written and verbal communication.
A result-oriented professional who knew not only the facts and figures, but it was his innate capability that helped him motivate his fellow peers and subordinates. Worked closely with his team. Hard working, lead by example.
Senior Private Banker · CIBC Private Wealth
2013 · Karim was his program director at ESA
I have worked with Karim in our joint programmes of ESA and RSM. Karim is extremely dedicated to the job, hard working, very punctual, and a delight to work with.
A remarkable counselor and leader. Managed all academic affairs with extreme professionalism, precision and serenity. Knows how to make co-workers feel at ease and become a center of trust for them. A pillar you can rely on in any organization.
Karim is fantastic: a great pleasure to work with. Reliable, takes responsibility and gets things done. Develops own initiatives whenever needed, motivates others, and is result-oriented.
Chair of Financial Management Science · University of Curaçao
2011 · Joint RSM-ESA Master in Financial Management
Smart, creative, trustworthy, reliable and excellent team player. Karim is the kind of person you are happy to work with and proud to have as a friend.
Twenty-five minutes to understand whether there is a fit.
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