I’ve always had a passion for technology. I use it every day in my work at Booz Allen, where I support our clients in solving their most complex challenges and building cybersecurity and technology capabilities.
I work with clients across the Middle East and North Africa region to design, set up, and implement national- and enterprise-level cybersecurity programs and strategies. By helping clients build their cybersecurity defensive capabilities, my work contributes to creating a safer world.
Ziad Nasrallah is a leader in Booz Allen’s cybersecurity and technology business. Based out of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), he also serves as the firm’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) cybersecurity and technology lead. Ziad’s central areas of expertise are developing national- and enterprise-level cybersecurity strategies, designing cybersecurity programs, and setting up operational capabilities throughout the MENA region.
Ziad has more than 20 years of experience in management consulting, technology, and engineering across North America and the MENA region. He moved from the United States to the MENA region in 2007 to develop and implement tech solutions across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, and Qatar. Before moving into cybersecurity roles, he supported clients during the “golden age of telecom” by helping them acquire licenses and supporting the launch of new telecom operators.
Before joining Booz Allen, Ziad focused on telecommunications network design and optimization for major U.S. telecom providers, including supporting the launch of telecommunications networks in St. Louis, Missouri, and Cleveland, Ohio, for T-Mobile USA. He also worked across multiple telecommunications networks in cities including Detroit, Michigan, and Boston, Massachusetts.
Ziad holds a bachelor’s in electrical engineering with a minor in economics and a master’s in engineering management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
What’s a lesson you learned from your childhood, and how is it still relevant to you today? Growing up in a war-torn country taught me to be resilient and adapt to continuously changing situations. This has helped me get through some incredibly challenging situations by not giving up, even when things get tough.
What’s one of your proudest accomplishments in cybersecurity? For my work at Booz Allen specifically, it has been supporting a G20 country in setting up a national cybersecurity program to protect its critical national infrastructure.
How do you inspire your teams to do excellent work? How do your teams inspire you? I inspire my team by continuously pushing their thinking and supporting them to produce work that makes them proud. My team inspires me with their enthusiasm and drive.
