Name: Areej Faisal Al Emam
Job title: Enterprise Risk Management Senior Head
Organisation: Saudi Tadawul Group
1. Brief description of nominee’s role and job.
As Head of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) for Saudi Tadawul Group, I am accountable for the strategic design and oversight of the Group’s integrated risk and resilience framework. My role ensures risk management is a proactive, value-preserving discipline embedded across the Group and its subsidiaries. I drive continuous enhancement of risk methodologies so they evolve alongside the Group’s growth and the dynamic financial landscape.
I report directly to the Boards of Directors of Tadawul Group and its subsidiaries, providing detailed risk updates, articulating risk appetite and enabling informed decision-making at the highest level. I also serve on the Risk Management Committee at DirectFN, a key subsidiary, ensuring risk principles are consistently applied across the organisational ecosystem.
My mandate is inherently integrative. I partner with leaders across Compliance, Information Security and Strategy to align defensive postures with corporate objectives, positioning risk management as a strategic enabler.
In 2024, I was appointed Acting Head of Data Protection, leading the enterprise-wide programme to assess compliance with Saudi Arabia’s NDMO framework and PDPL. In this role, I am building a new pillar of digital governance, ensuring the ethical and secure use of data. My mission is to architect a resilient foundation that protects the Group’s legacy while enabling its future.
2. Short bio (career highlights, education, interests/hobbies).
I am a senior executive with a 17-year career transforming complexity into strategic advantage within Saudi Arabia’s financial sector. My academic foundation combines technical and strategic disciplines: a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from King Saud University and a Master’s in Information System Management from De Montfort University.
My career has evolved deliberately through the core functions of a modern enterprise. I began in Riyad Bank’s Corporate Banking Division, focusing on business intelligence and product strategy. Recognising the growing importance of digital resilience, I established the Bank’s first Technology Risk Management team, building it from inception.
This progression led to my current role as Head of Enterprise Risk Management at Saudi Tadawul Group. I also advise subsidiary Boards on risk matters and serve on the Risk Management Committee at DirectFN, ensuring alignment across the Group.
My leadership has been further strengthened through executive programmes at IESE Business School, the University of Michigan, the Centre for Creative Leadership and Stanford University.
Beyond my professional role, I am committed to mentoring young people to become principled leaders who lead with competence and integrity.
3. What were your professional highlights and challenges of 2025?
2025 was pivotal in advancing our risk governance framework to meet evolving global and regulatory expectations.
We began integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks across the Group. This was not treated as a compliance exercise, but as a strategic integration into our core risk framework. In parallel, we conducted a comprehensive review of data management practices to align with NDMO and PDPL requirements, positioning data as a secure and trusted asset that enables innovation.
Another highlight was supporting the risk governance of major strategic initiatives, including our new data centre and critical IT systems. My responsibility was to ensure resilience and business continuity were embedded from the outset, aligning technological development with long-term strategic objectives.
The most significant challenge was aligning Group-wide strategic priorities with subsidiary-level execution. This required translating high-level vision into actionable frameworks tailored to different teams while maintaining consistency and pace. We achieved this through adaptability, anchoring all efforts to shared strategic objectives.
4. Tell us about a few of your key achievements throughout your career?
My career has allowed me to operate across diverse functions, strengthening both my leadership perspective and value-creation mindset.
I began in corporate banking, progressing from analysing business data to shaping strategy and product direction. One achievement I am particularly proud of was designing data-driven strategies that enhanced client accounts and products while improving profitability. This strengthened my commercial acumen and understanding of how strategic decisions translate into financial outcomes.
Recognising the growing importance of digital risk, I established Riyad Bank’s first Technology Risk Management department. I defined its mandate, developed its framework and integrated technology risk into the enterprise risk register, repositioning digital infrastructure as a strategic risk consideration.
At Tadawul Group, I transformed Enterprise Risk Management from a compliance-focused function into a strategic enabler. I embedded structured risk oversight into Board-level discussions and ensured risk-informed decision-making became integral to governance and long-term value preservation.
When Saudi Arabia introduced its new data protection law, I assumed the role of Acting Head of Data Protection, leading a complex Group-wide compliance programme. This dual mandate – safeguarding existing assets while building a foundational data governance framework – demonstrated my ability to navigate regulatory ambiguity and lead cross-functional transformation.
5. What and who inspires, and has inspired, you to achieve your professional success?
Saudi leaders such as Sara AlSuhaimi and Lubna Al-Olayan have demonstrated that leadership at the highest level is achieved through excellence, strategic clarity and perseverance. They have expanded what is possible through mastery and conviction.
My career has also been shaped by the trust placed in me by senior leaders. Being entrusted to build functions, present to Boards or lead enterprise-wide initiatives creates responsibility and purpose. That trust inspires me to extend the same belief to others.
Today, my greatest inspiration lies in empowering others. Through mentoring, governance guidance and visible leadership, I am motivated by the opportunity to model leadership that is strategic, resilient and inclusive.
6. How have you overcome setbacks, and what advice would you give to others dealing with setbacks?
A defining experience occurred when business partners and I disagreed on the value of risk management. They perceived it as an obstacle; I viewed it as an enabler.
I addressed this by reframing my approach, shifting from technical argument to strategic partnership. Through open dialogue, I linked risk management directly to revenue protection and sustainable growth.
My advice:
Always connect your position to the broader business mission.
Recognise that setbacks often reveal communication gaps.
Reframe challenges as opportunities to strengthen shared outcomes.
Approach obstacles with curiosity about what can be built.
This mindset transforms setbacks into demonstrations of leadership and strategic value.
7. What advice do you have for other women who aspire to be in leadership positions? What is the biggest takeaway you want to leave with the reader?
The most valuable leaders synthesise different domains. Understand how risk influences finance, how technology enables strategy and how data drives decisions. The ability to connect these dimensions makes you indispensable.
Cultivate a coalition of sponsors, mentors, peers and mentees. This ecosystem provides advocacy, challenge and shared purpose.
Ensure your leadership style is an authentic extension of your strengths. Authenticity builds trust, and trust is the foundation of influence.
The biggest takeaway:
Leadership success is measured not only by what you build, but by what you unlock in others. A lasting legacy is defined by empowered individuals and a clear path forward.