'You can't create a lasting impact without investing in local talent.' – Nidal Abou-Ltaif, TeKnowledge

Tahawul Tech

15-04-2025

CNME Editor Mark Forker spoke to Nidal Abou-Ltaif, Chief Revenue and Transformation Officer at TeKnowledge, to find out more about how their AI-First Expert Services model can unify the entire lifecycle of business transformation.
Nidal Abou-Ltaif is one of the most respected and revered business and technology leaders in the Middle East.
Abou-Ltaif is perhaps best known for his long association with global CX company Avaya, but he is now forging a new path, and hoping to help US tech company TeKnowledge scale new heights across the region.
As organizations race to operationalize AI at scale, many are hitting familiar roadblocks: vendor fragmentation, siloed service models, and costly integration gaps.
According to IDC, 70% of CIOs cite vendor sprawl as a barrier to progress, while Gartner reports that 77% struggle to deliver AI value due to disconnected systems.
TeKnowledge believe the answer lies in a new kind of partnership—one that unifies the entire lifecycle of transformation through an AI-First Expert Technology Services model.
Today, the company unveiled a refreshed brand identity and a service framework designed to close these gaps by embedding AI from strategy through delivery and continuous improvement.
At the core is a continuum of integrated solutions and services spanning AI, Customer Experience (CX), Cybersecurity, Digital Skilling, Professional and Managed Services.
This connected model is built to make transformation more accessible and impactful—through long-term thinking, deep partnerships, and expert-led execution.
CNME sat down with Abou-Ltaif for a deep dive on all things TeKnowledge.
You joined TeKnowledge in October 2024. Almost six months in, how would you reflect on your experience so far? What does your strategy look like for the remainder of 2025?
It's been an energizing and deeply meaningful six months. I joined at a time of momentum and change, and what stood out immediately was the strength of connection—between our people, our customers, and our purpose.
Across our global hubs, I've seen real depth in both technical capability and local insight, which is increasingly important as we support clients in more complex, fast-moving environments.
This month marked an important milestone for us, with the launch of our AI-First model and new brand identity. But more importantly, it reinforced our focus—making transformation both accessible and sustainable.
We're moving away from episodic change and toward continuous innovation. That shift calls for clarity, discipline, and focus—and that's where our efforts are concentrated. The path forward is about scaling what works, building on strong foundations, and forming partnerships that deliver long-term value.
Tell us more about the AI-First Expert Technology Services model you introduced. Why is it relevant now?
There's been no shortage of excitement around AI—but what many organizations need is a way to move from idea to impact. That's what this model is designed to support.
Our AI-First Expert Technology Services model brings together five essential elements: AI, Customer Experience (CX), Cybersecurity, Professional Services, and Managed Services. These aren't siloed offerings—they're intentionally integrated to support the transformation continuum of enterprises, enabling continuous progress from strategy through delivery, adoption, and ongoing optimization.
We built the model in response to three persistent challenges we kept seeing in the market.
First, the pace of AI advancement is outpacing most organizations' ability to integrate it. There's pressure to adopt quickly, but the complexity beneath the surface—data readiness, operating models, governance—is often underestimated.
Second, many enterprises are working with too many vendors, especially in areas like customer engagement and operations. That fragmentation creates disjointed experiences and slows down innovation.
Third, even when the technology is in place, adoption and internal capability-building often lag behind. And that's where momentum gets lost.
This model addresses all of that. It embeds AI from the ground up and provides continuity across the transformation journey—helping clients move faster, scale smarter, and unlock measurable outcomes across AI, CX, and Cybersecurity.
What brings it to life is the capability behind it—the people who deliver with clarity, consistency, and care. Over 70% of our workforce is trained on Microsoft technologies, with deep certifications across Azure, Dynamics, and Copilot.
AI is no longer a standalone solution—it's becoming a horizontal capability that sits across the enterprise. And that shift calls for more than a new toolset. It calls for a new kind of service partner—one that's technically grounded, operationally ready, and aligned to outcomes from day one. It also requires continuous investment in learning and internal skilling—because the ability to lead in AI starts with the ability to learn, adapt, and evolve from within.
How important is hiring local talent to your growth strategy, particularly in regions with strong nationalization agendas?
It's a core principle. You can't deliver relevant solutions without local context—and you can't create lasting impact without investing in local talent.
Across markets, we're seeing growing emphasis on national workforce development. That aligns with how we operate. We approach it with intent—because building local capability is both a strategic advantage and a long-term commitment to the communities we serve.
It's also a differentiator. People who understand the regulatory, cultural, and operational nuances of a market are often the ones who unlock the most value. By focusing on local skilling and long-term employability, we're able to serve clients in ways that are both technically excellent and contextually aware.
In January 2025, you made several leadership appointments. How do these help advance your strategy?
Leadership is one of the most powerful accelerators of change. The right people bring alignment, clarity, and momentum—and that's exactly what we've aimed to strengthen.
The new leadership team reflects diverse global experience across transformation, delivery, and customer engagement. But beyond expertise, they bring a shared mindset: that impact is earned through trust, operational excellence, and consistent execution.
We've also worked hard to create an environment where talent can thrive. A strong culture, supported by clarity and high standards, allows people to lead with confidence—and deliver with purpose.
You recently announced a partnership with Genesys. What makes this collaboration significant?
It's a great example of alignment between platform strength and delivery readiness.
Genesys brings a powerful set of capabilities in customer experience. Our role is to help operationalize those capabilities in large-scale, real-world environments—through process expertise, managed services, and integration that's designed for complexity.
We've seen growing demand for solutions that not only modernize engagement but also build long-term capability—from automation to analytics to skilling. This collaboration enables us to bring modern customer engagement solutions to market faster—with the delivery scale, security, and integration our clients require.
It also complements our long-standing work with Microsoft, particularly in areas like AI, security, and productivity. Together, these partnerships allow us to deliver more connected, scalable outcomes—and meet clients where they are in their transformation journey.
What lessons guide your approach to sustainable growth?
Sustainable growth starts with clarity. You need to know what differentiates you—and stay focused on delivering it, consistently and intentionally.
For us, that means simplifying complexity. Many clients are navigating disjointed systems and competing priorities. What they value most is coherence: partners who can connect insight to execution, and strategy to measurable outcomes.
It also means investing in culture. Scale only works when people grow with it. That's why we've prioritized leadership development, skilling, and environments where trust drives performance.
Technology should enable progress, not overwhelm it. Growth becomes sustainable when it's built on capability, not just ambition.
AI is moving fast—especially in CX. What trends do you see, and how is TeKnowledge positioned to lead?
The conversation around AI is evolving—from curiosity to capability, from potential to performance. We've entered a moment where the real challenge isn't the technology itself, but how to harness it with intention and clarity.
In customer experience, we often talk about personalization, speed, and scale. But behind every great customer interaction is an empowered employee. CX and EX are deeply connected, and organizations that invest in both are creating the most meaningful change.
What's emerging is a new definition of progress. Innovation is no longer defined by breakthroughs alone—it's a continuum. A consistent rhythm of improvement, learning, and adaptation. And that requires more than platforms—it calls for expertise, precision, and a commitment to long-term value.
That's the foundation of our AI-First Expert Technology Services model. We bring intelligence into every layer of the enterprise—how services are delivered, how decisions are made, and how outcomes are achieved. This approach enables clients to scale confidently, with built-in clarity and control.
What excites me most is seeing how AI is reshaping how businesses think about value—how they design experiences, empower people, and make decisions. Intelligence is no longer confined to a system or a function; it's becoming part of how organizations operate at every level. That shift opens the door to entirely new possibilities—ones we're actively exploring alongside our clients.