Doha, Qatar: As HEC Paris, Doha marks its 15th anniversary, its alumni stories stand as testaments to the transformative power of executive education.

Among them is Assistant Undersecretary for Infrastructure and Operations Affairs at Qatar's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Sami Al Shammari a leader whose career trajectory reflects the growing influence of HEC Paris' Executive MBA (EMBA) program in shaping Qatar's leadership landscape.

A member of the very first EMBA cohort in Doha, Al Shammari joined the program in 2012, a pivotal year that saw HEC Paris, in partnership with Qatar Foundation, launch its Doha campus with the goal of developing leaders equipped to drive Qatar's national vision.

With over 25 years in the ICT sector, Al Shammari's career has been one of steady advancement and purpose. Before his current role overseeing government IT infrastructure and shared services, from cloud computing and the government network to critical national platforms, he played a key role in the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, where he helped deliver the groundbreaking FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

His earlier professional milestones included senior ICT roles at organizations such as RasGas, ORYX GTL, and the Doha Securities Market. In 2015, he was named a CIO 100 Awards winner at the CPI CIO Symposium, recognizing his leadership in technology and innovation.

Al Shammari credits much of his evolution from a technical specialist to a strategic leader to his HEC Paris EMBA experience.

“When I joined the EMBA, I was a technical ICT professional in the oil and gas sector, mainly focused on technical certifications,” he recalls.“But HEC Paris helped me see my organization through a broader business lens, I realised I could contribute far more value.”

The program, he explains, gave him the strategic insight to understand how different functions within an organization interconnect, empowering him to envision new operational models across both public and private sectors.“That broader perspective enhanced my recognition within organizations and accelerated my progression into multiple senior leadership roles,” he said.

Looking back, one lesson from the EMBA continues to shape his leadership: the importance of marketing.“As a technical expert, I hadn't fully grasped its strategic role,” he admits.“That module completely changed my understanding of how marketing aligns with production and technical teams, it was transformative.”

Equally valuable, Al Shammari emphasises, was the diversity of the cohort.“We learned immensely from each other, each participant brought different industry insights and global perspectives,” he says.

“Those relationships still matter today. Many of my fellow alumni continue to be a source of collaboration and support.”

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