My name is Yahia Adel AlSharif, Commercial Manager for Milk Based Beverages at Arla, responsible for the UAE, Oman, and Qatar. I am originally from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia – however, I have lived a significant part of my life in Cairo, Egypt where I went to school till graduation. After finishing school in Cairo, I moved to the UAE, where I completed my Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the American University of Sharjah. Having had the opportunity to live in three different countries from the MENA region, I’ve become a culturally aware individual with a global mindset.

When and how did you join Arla and what is your position now?
I come from a Marketing background, where I graduated from the American University of Sharjah. I first read about the Arla Graduate Program on LinkedIn, and the thought of working for a multinational with the goal of Creating the Future of Dairy encouraged me to apply. At that time, I was also not clear of the day-to-day operations in the corporate world, thus, having the opportunity to rotate across departments to get a holistic understanding of the organisation was key to me.

How has the MENA Graduate Programme helped you to grow your career?
Through the programme I got to build a strong foundation in Marketing, Sales, and Business Development – which eased my transition for my first permanent role in Category Management in Saudi Arabia. From there, I worked on various brands, countries, and categories until I reached my current position almost three years after.

What’s your next step?
I believe that the skills you acquire through the programme and the exposure you get through the on-hands project you work on, prepare you well to excel in your career and accelerate your development at Arla Foods. Above all, the work-life balance you’ll get and the healthy working environment you’ll be a part of, are Arla’s true qualities.