Zain Group introduces graduate program dubbed Zainers 2.0

- Five outstanding Kuwaiti nationals selected to spend a year working for Zain Group

- Company views the injection of young talent vital to its future prosperity in delivering digital lifestyle services

Kuwait City – 28 September, 2015

Zain Group, a leading mobile telecom innovator in eight markets in the Middle East and Africa, announces the commencement of its elite graduate program called Zainers 2.0, which is aimed at infusing fresh new talent into the organization at an early stage.

Under the Zainers 2.0 initiative, five Kuwaiti recent graduates from leading universities have been selected to spend a year working within Zain Group for a year. 133 applicants applied for the positions, with only 19 candidates selected for interviews, and five ultimately succeeding, all of them having achieved scores above a 3.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) for their university degrees. The graduates will be exposed to different tasks in different departments and country operations within Zain Group, and based on their performance, will be offered an opportunity to assume a full-time role within the organization at the end of the program.

Commenting on the launch of graduate recruitment initiative, Zain Group CEO, Scott Gegenheimer said,

“Zain Group is widely viewed as a blue chip company within Kuwait and across the wider Middle East region. This reputation is built on the manner in which we conduct ourselves and the caliber of the people we employ, and I believe Zainers 2.0 will go a long way in securing our reputation for being one of the best companies to be employed for generations to come.”

Gegenheimer continued, “ The injection of fresh new talent will generate positive momentum and new ideas as Zain Group transitions into a digital lifestyle organization. We envisage these high caliber graduates will play a significant role in many facets of the future prosperity of the company.”

Omar Al Omar, Zain Kuwait CEO, a 14 year stalwart of the company who also rose through the ranks **** commented, “This initiative by Zain Group is a prime opportunity for career advancement for these talented young Kuwaiti nationals. It remains our duty to provide employment to the nationals of the country in which we are based, and which offers us so much support, and we will work close with the Group to make Zainers 2.0 a successful program.”

The graduates commenced their program with Zain in the middle of September and will be under assessment throughout the whole year, being closely supervised by senior Zain Group and Zain Kuwait personnel from various departments.

Zain has high hopes for the five graduates enjoying a long and successful career in the frame of Eaman Al Roudan, Zain Group’s Chief Regulatory Officer, and Mohammad Abdal, Zain Group’s Chief Communications Officer, both of who launched their careers at Zain and many other Kuwait nationals who have risen successfully through the ranks of Zain Group and Zain Kuwait. Ends