WHO ARE WE?
Al Massar Declan (AMD) is a boutique management consultancy firm with global experience in working with boards of directors and executive teams. We support our clients by conducting risk-based assessments and audits of their human capital, and by designing performance management processes and integrated approaches to reward. We also design solutions to mitigate human capital risks (e.g. diversity and inclusion, leadership development and off-boarding). We focus on banking and financial services.
OUR APPROACH
AMD’s approach is to bring the same rigour and discipline to the analysis of a company’s human capital that a financial auditor or Chief Finance Officer would bring to the analysis of a company’s financial capital. We speak the language of the Boardroom and provide executive decision-makers with hard data and metrics that allow them to make informed decisions.
Our services should be viewed as an investment that will pay for itself, not as a cost.
We do not create dependency.
Our solutions are sustainable.
We commit to full knowledge transfer and coaching employees designated by our clients.
HOW WE ADD VALUE
Our value is that our work provides measurable results which can be quantified, monetized and shown to impact directly on the bottom line.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
It is our ability to be respectful of and to adapt to different national and corporate cultures. We have worked in the Middle East and globally for more than 30 years. We do not believe in a “one size fits all approach”. Our experience is that implementing sustainable solutions requires a deep understanding of local conditions. Although our approach is rigorous and based on international best practice, our solutions are tailor-made for our clients’ needs. We are guided by the words of the great French writer, Marcel Proust: “The true journey is not to go to another country, but to able to see facts with different eyes”.
DECLAN BALL:
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
35 years’ experience in Human Resources, initially as a trainer (1980-88) before moving into telecoms (1988-91) and financial services (1991-2019). Declan managed all HR functions (recruitment, compensation, L&D etc.) before becoming an HR Director in 2002. Declan has been HR Director with a number of leading banks in the Middle East (e.g. ADCB, BSF and EFG-Hermes), interim HR Director with two banks (Invest AD and FINCA Impact Finance) and two “Big 4” firms (EY and PwC). Academically qualified (LL.B. and two Master’s degrees) and currently apply to complete a research degree (MSt.) at Oxford University on “succession planning in Middle East family businesses”.
In addition, Declan has in-depth experience in corporate governance (e.g. Board HR, Compensation and overnance committees) and corporate performance management (e.g. balanced scorecards). Comfortable working in both French (DELF B2) and Arabic (B2 level in both Egyptian and Levantine dialects).
French 
English 