If there’s a single piece of advice Wael Omar has continued to heed throughout his career, it is to keep learning. 

This process of continuous learning began, as one might expect, when Wael was at university achieving his bachelor’s degree in commerce and business administration.

However, opting for an early career shift, he soon pivoted to the world of IT and computer science, which involved studying in his spare time and attending various training courses.

“The world of IT or computers in general was really interesting,” he explains. “Back then, in the 1990s, it was all still quite new.”

Wael subsequently landed his first job as a system administrator at a small company in Egypt, before moving to Dubai in search of better opportunities. This is where his career in IT officially began with the Rashid and Latifa School in Dubai, serving as Technical Lead assisting the IT Manager in service delivery. 

“I spent three years with Rashid and Latifa and the learning never stopped,” Wael continues. “I was continuously learning and continuously studying, which allowed me to take the next step in my career.”

Joining US firm Quest Software in 2007, Wael became a Microsoft Senior Consultant and took responsibility for migrating customers from non-Microsoft platforms to Microsoft solutions. 

Three years later he accepted a post as IT Infrastructure Services Manager at Taaleem, one of the largest education providers in the UAE, which nowadays looks after 32 schools. 

An opportunity to grow

Wael recalls being attracted to working for Taaleem because of its core objective: to be a caring organisation that communicates effectively and delivers excellent service to enable students and staff to compete on the global stage.

“The sector wasn’t new to me,” Wael says, “but I saw an opportunity to grow and an opportunity to drive significant technical advancement.”

Back in 2010, when Wael joined Taaleem, he discovered a huge opportunity to improve the company and develop a well-structured IT department. 

Wael’s response was to put forward his vision for what he wanted Taaleem’s IT organisation to look like a few years down the road. 

"Securing buy-in required effort because senior management traditionally used to see IT as a cost centre rather than a business enabler,” Wael admits. “However, we have successfully shifted this perspective by demonstrating how IT provides a competitive advantage and significantly contributes to delivering top-quality education for our students.”

Fast forward to 2014 and Wael was finally in a position to put his strategy in action. This began with the adoption of cloud technologies and continued with the consolidation of services from decentralised silos to a shared IT service delivery model. 

Using technology to innovate and transform​​​​​​​

These days, Wael is Group Head of IT with Taaleem, a role which involves aligning IT strategy and digital tools with educational and business objectives.

However, his official job title only tells half the story. On a daily basis Wael wears multiple hats, serving as an IT manager, information security manager, IT project manager and business applications manager.

This versatility presents him with all manner of challenges, not least how to cope with the rapid pace at which technology is evolving. 

“When you put this in the context of education, there is a real need to upskill staff and faculty members in IT and how to use these teaching tools,” Wael goes on. “Compare this to the students who are native to technology and can adapt to new tools in a fraction of the time.”

Ultimately, though, no matter his focus or the hurdles he must overcome, Wael remains enthused by the prospect of using technology to innovate and transform.

“It’s overwhelmingly rewarding to see how technology can improve outcomes and operational efficiencies, in addition to assisting with teaching and learning.”

Read the full story HERE.

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