News: Rising to the Top

Hard work pays off at Booz Allen, and success should be celebrated.  Ziad Moukarzel’s recent promotion to Vice President is an achievement of which we are all proud, but Ziad is quick to stress the importance of Booz Allen’s supportive working environment in his success, as well as a team of “exceptionally smart consultants”. To the new VP, these factors combined, create a recipe for success.

For Ziad, another key factor behind his career progression has been Booz Allen’s dedication to an unwavering set of core values, and prime amongst them is passionate service - a trait that he regards as intrinsic to all employees at the firm. “It follows you everywhere,” he says, “When you help a stranger find his way in the city, when you cook for your friends at home…or when you initiate the 48^th iteration of a client deliverable because you believe it will further strengthen their position.”

What’s more, Ziad points out that when others around you experience passionate service, they echo it back. The firm places great emphasis on empowering its people, and Ziad considers that to be his number one mission. Helping his colleagues to reach their full potential is a top priority and his approach is one of an enabler, not an autocrat. His advice? Rather than tell people what would work best for them, throw them a challenge and empower them with the tools and support they need to figure it out for themselves. “Mutual feedback is invaluable to the empowerment process too; if you enable that”, says Ziad, “you end-up learning as much as your team does from these enriching experiences.”

Ziad’s enthusiasm is infectious and it is a virtue that has accompanied him on every step of his journey so far. After a number of years spent with General Electric in France, he made the move back to the Middle East and into the folds of Booz Allen MENA, where he seized the opportunity to prove himself in a whole new arena. Five years on, his skill, professionalism and potential are beyond doubt and, with his colleagues by his side, the young vice-president is hungry for the next challenge.