Gulf Downstream Association and KPMG hold webinar on future business readiness
The interactive session, which took place with participation from select GDA Member representatives, discussed the unique features of KPMG's Future Readiness Assessment Tool
The Gulf Downstream Association (GDA) today announced that it has held a webinar in cooperation with KPMG Fakhro on their innovative “Future Readiness Assessment Tool” as the 13th Episode of the “GDA Conversations Series” launched by the Association to continue to support industry development and exchange for members and related industry organisations.
The recorded webinar will be premiered on the GDA YouTube channel ( www.youtube.com/c/GulfDownstreamAssociation ) for public viewing on 4th Nov 2020 at 14:00 hrs (Bahrain), featuring discussion and presentations from senior KPMG advisors Mr. Ramesh Gajula, Director, Advisory, and Mr. Ramesh Iyer, Manager, Advisory. The session is moderated by Mr. Raj Jhajharia, GDA Technical Manager and Acting Marketing and Communications Manager.
The interactive session, which took place with participation from select GDA Member representatives, discussed the unique features of KPMG’s Future Readiness Assessment Tool, which is made available at no cost (complimentary) to all businesses. Importantly, it focused on explaining how any organisation can benefit from the tool amidst the current and ongoing health crisis. Primarily, speakers looked at how the tool can enable organisations to explore, understand and assess their business ‘Future Readiness’ across the following 12 critical areas:
- Business continuity
- Technology & Security
- Strategy & Governance
- Market & Growth
- Customers
- Financial Management
- Compliance & Legal
- Employees
- Facilities Management
- Health, Safety and Environment
- Third-party Providers, and
- Risk Management
Speakers also addressed how the tool further provides a perspective on specific issues that various organisations must consider in light of the business challenges related to COVID-19 with the aim of helping them ascertain if they are well positioned to mitigate/absorb the impact of the crisis, whilst identifying opportunities to leverage in the current environment.
KPMG speakers went on to provide a demonstration on how to use the assessment tool and fielded questions to help users understand how to use the tool effectively.
Commenting, Eng. Audah Al Ahmadi, GDA Secretary General, said, “We’re delighted to have partnered with KPMG and its senior advisory team to premier this important webinar focused on helping our members and other industry players in understanding how ready their organisations are to ensure business continuity now and in the future. The webinar allowed participants to see first-hand how this exciting and dynamic tool can be employed by decision makers to quickly find out if any critical aspects of their continuity and crisis planning have been missed or not adequately addressed, setting the grounds for better planning and the remedying of shortcomings.
Next in line of the “GDA Conversations Series” is another highly topical webinar with experts from Shell Catalysts & Technologies on “Creating Value Through a Proven Circular Solution for Refining Spent Residue-Upgrading Catalysts”, which will be held in a few weeks’ time. Interested parties may also subscribe to GDA’s YouTube channel ( www.youtube.com/c/GulfDownStreamAssociation ) by clicking the subscribe button, to benefit from more of such valuable discussions and insights from downstream and related industry leaders.
