Khalid Al-Qudsi
Regional Programme and Strategy Advisor
Sacramento,California
Summary
A passionate visionary leader who is thriving to make a difference in this world through great commitment, consistency, and hard work in the humanitarian operations and emergency response in the areas of crises and needs for assistance for the last 27 years.
Have contributed to live saving of millions of people in need in many countries / places around the world.
Actively involved in business development in diversified functional areas of supply chain optimization, programme management, strategic planning & coordination, policy formulation, emergency preparedness and response, research studies, private sector, and academia.
Led various multicultural /disciplinary teams and provided coaching and mentoring to hundreds of teams' members and others. Bilingual in both Arabic and English (fluency/ professional level), with basic knowledge in French language.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
7
7
years of post-secondary education
11
11
Certificates
3
3
Languages
Work History
Regional Programme and Strategy Advisor
UN-WFP
Cairo, Egypt
04.2019 - 06.2022
- Conducted regional and cross-regional development coordination on United Nations' Reform Issues that include Peer-Support Groups (PSG), CCA, UNSDCF, Issue-Based Coalition (IBC), States of Food Security and Nutrition (SOFI), and South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC).
- Prepared several comprehensive contextual geopolitical, geo-strategic, and socioeconomic, sociocultural contextual and sensitivity analyses.
- Coordinated programmatic and strategic support on strategic and policy programmatic matters to 16 country offices in MENA and CIS regions.
- Conducted support, oversights and emergency response missions in MENA region.
Head of Syria Amman-Based Office
UN-WFP
Amman, Jordan
06.2018 - 04.2019
- Led humanitarian field operations in South of Syria sub-office based in Amman, covering emergency response for 300k people.
- Managed Amman-based Syria office, and led multidisciplinary operational and coordination team of 20 employees, specialized in supply chain, programming, food security coordination, administration, etc.
- Achieved set objectives by efficiently using financial resources and provided technical support, strategic guidance, soft skills, and capacity building trainings to field staff.
- Coordinated food security sector activities for South of Syria region through cross-borders operations.
- Implemented best practices of project implementations in line with UN-WFP strategic objectives and signed agreements with WFP Cooperating Partners (CPs).
- Contributed to strategic and operational partnerships and communicated with partners to ensure operational and strategic success.
- Ensured compliance with UN-WFP regulations procedures.
- Coordinated with management and all functional units to ensure smooth and effective flow of programme activities.
Head of Area Office & Field Coordinator
UN-WFP
Damascus, Syria
07.2016 - 05.2018
- Led multidisciplinary humanitarian teams of 200 employees in seven field office to timely provide live-saving assistance to 4.5 million people in need.
- Established strategic direction, guidance, technical support, coaching, mentoring, capacity strengthening to ensure effective governance of UN-WFP resources and development of cohesive team.
- Participated in continuous improvement by generating suggestions, engaging in problem-solving activities to support teamwork.
- Performed best practices of project implementations in line with WFP strategic objectives and signed agreements with WFP CPs.
- Contributed to strategic and operational partnerships and communicated with partners to ensure operational and strategic success.
- Increased compliance with UN-WFP regulations procedures.
- Coordinated with management and all functional units to ensure smooth and effective flow of programme activities among and within all field offices.
Supply Chain and Deconfliction Coordination
UN-WFP
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
06.2015 - 05.2016
- Managed de-conflictions coordination of UN team in Riyadh-KSA for Yemen Emergency Response.
- Coordinated regional supply chain emergency supplies for Yemen humanitarian operations.
- Conducted capacity building and strengthening of supply chain, emergencies and strategies counterparts' teams, including King Salman Relief Center, Yemeni Government High Relief Committee, and supply chain service providers.
- Conducted regular weekly briefings to donors' communities on operational update, challenges and funding.
- Coordinated 1,500+ de-conflictions clearance requests for UN agencies and international NGOs, covering all humanitarian vessels, cargo, planes, trucks, and land missions.
Head of Area Office
UN-WFP
Sulaymaniyah , Iraq
10.2014 - 05.2015
- Led UN-WFP multidisciplinary team of 20+ emergency response employees mandated to provide live-saving support to Iraqi displaced people (IDPs) and People in Need (PIN) during 2014 emergency crises response.
- Managed and led live-saving emergency response support for over 200k Iraq IDPs through provision of in-kind food assistance and running of Cash-Based-Transfer (CBT) programme activities.
- Coordinated food security cluster activities among all encaged stakeholders.
- Built strong working environment with all stakeholders and partners (i.e. Government, UN agencies, donors, NGOs, service providers and local communities).
- Represented UN-WFP in all regional meetings and forums in Sulaymaniyah region.
Deputy Head of Supply Chain
UN-WFP
Nairobi, Kenya
09.2013 - 09.2014
- Managed regional supply chain activities covering port operations, transport, warehousing, logistics contracting, inventory management and logistics funding.
- Delivered timely effective supply chain solutions to ensure timely response of humanitarian assistant.
- Led multidisciplinary supply chain operational team of 40 UN-WFP employees.
- Steered efforts in managing Kenya supply chain hub that served WFP humanitarian operations in Kenya and seven surrounding countries including South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, DRC, and Tanzania.
- Contributed to overseeing management of over 500,000 metric tons of food delivered within Kenya and surrounding countries, which ultimately contributed to life saving of over 10 million People in Need (PiN).
- Managed supply chain contractual agreements with annual overall cost of $350million for eight aforementioned countries and achieved cost saving of $one million per month.
Head of Supply Chain
UN-WFP
Damascus, Syria
07.2008 - 06.2013
- Managed overall supply chain in various humanitarian response of various programs that include humanitarian assistance to Iraqi refugees, Syrian drought and school feeding program, and Syrian emergency crisis response.
- Led multidisciplinary supply chain team of 60 UN-WFP employees.
- Provided strategic direction, guidance, empowerment, and capacity building & strengthening for WFP supply chain team & partners.
- Acted as senior management team member, representing WFP in various UNCT, regional and donors' forums.
- Contributed to fund raising through fully coordinated donations of 40,000 metric tons of in-kind donation of rice from Oman and $9 million associated cost, in additional to various other donors.
- Acted as key emergency coordinator for UN collaborative response at beginning of Syrian crisis. Design regional supply chain network for WFP emergency response.
- Prepared multiple supply chain studies and reports on emergency preparedness and response.
Head of Logistics
UN-WFP
Nyala, Sudan
10.2006 - 06.2008
- Managed functional areas of logistics.
- Advised logistics management and structures for staffing levels to maintain adequate numbers.
- Delivered logistic support to leverage existing resources with cost-effective savings.
- Supervised logistics functions and operations, through managing logistics deliveries of 200,000 metric tons of food annually, responding to 2 million people in need for humanitarian assistance, and led multidisciplinary supply chain team of 150 UN-WFP employees.
- Managed logistics assets for timely and cost-effective delivery of cargoes
- Provided strategic and operational direction, guidance, empowerment, and capacity building & strengthening for WFP logistics & 15 NGOs partners' staff.
- Diminished security incidents by 80% by contributing to identifying root causes for corrective action and applying of GPS tracking solutions.
Head of Air Operations
UN-WFP
El Obeid, Sudan
02.2005 - 10.2006
- Created plans and communicated airdrop schedules of food deliveries to stakeholders.
- Participated in continuous improvement by generating suggestions, engaging in problem-solving activities to support teamwork.
- Worked flexible hours across night, weekend and holiday shifts.
- Developed team communications and information for meetings.
- Managed logistics operations at UN-WFP logistics airbase in El Obeid Airport through managing logistics deliveries of 400,000 metric tons of food deliveries annually, in response to live-saving of 6 million people in need for food assistance in South Sudan and Darfur region.
- Led multidisciplinary logistics team of 70 UN-WFP employees.
- Provided strategic and operational direction, guidance, empowerment, and capacity building & strengthening for WFP logistics & logistics partners' staff.
- Supervised air operations deliveries of 55,000metric tons of assorted food through 10 daily air drop rotations of 5 dedicated charted cargo airplanes.
- Initiated logistics development of WFP El Obeid Airport, fuel storage, joint logistics facilities, offices and warehousing premises to make them fully effective to accommodate huge needs raised for air operations.
Lecturer of Business Administration-part Time
Saba'a University
Sana'a, Yemen
01.1995 - 09.1997
- Prepared and delivered lectures to 250 undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as global logistics and international trade.
Logistics Manager
NATCO
Sana'a, Yemen
08.1994 - 09.1997
- Handled day-to-day shipping and receiving overseeing more than five consignments per week.
- Managed and coordinated import and logistics transactions for seven sector industries that included automobiles, computer appliances & information solutions, pharmaceutical, electrical and communication equipment, household appliances, food and beverages whole sales and retailing.
- Secured discounts from third-party logistics service providers to deliver substantial cost savings.
- Coordinated timely deliveries to final destinations.
- Maintained established levels of goods based on sales forecasts and demand to fulfill orders on time.
- Organized records of vehicles, schedules and completed orders.
- Initiated first inventory management system in Yemen, at that time, by introducing barcoding solutions to business, digitalization of forecasting and costing processes that tremendously helped in shortening lead-time used to be taken in trading and sales transactions.
Education
Master of Science - Strategic Planning
Edinburgh Business School, Heriot Watt University
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK 01.2016 - 09.2019
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
University of Mosul
Mosul, Iraq 10.1990 - 06.1994
Skills
Strategy development and execution
undefinedCertification
[Supply Chain Planning and Coordination], [Joint certification by Fritz Institute, and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport] - [1 year]
Timeline
[Google Data Analytics Professional Certification], [Joint certification by Google, and Coursera], [6 months- ongoing]
09-2020
[SPSS Statistics Essential Training], [Joint certification by National Association of State Boards of Accountancy-NASBA, and LinkedIn] - [3 weeks]
08-2020
Regional Programme and Strategy Advisor
UN-WFP
04.2019 - 06.2022
[Negotiation Fundamentals], [Joint Certification by ESSEC Business School-France, and Coursera] - [6 weeks]
02-2019
[Successful Negotiation – Essential Strategies and Skills], [Joint Certification by University of Michigan-USA, and Coursera], [8 weeks]
02-2019
[Organizational Behavior – How to Manage People], [Joint Certification by University of Navara-Spain, and Coursera] - [4 weeks]
02-2019
[International Organizations Management], [Joint Certification by University of Geneva-Switzerland, and Coursera] - [6 weeks]
02-2019
[The Art of Negotiation], [Joint Certification by University of California, Irvine-USA, and Coursera] - [4 weeks]
01-2019
Head of Syria Amman-Based Office
UN-WFP
06.2018 - 04.2019
[Social Protection and Safety Net Programmes], [World Bank Group, Washington DC-USA], [2 weeks]
03-2017
[Programming for Infant and Young Child Feeding -14 courses], [Joint certification by Cornell University, New York-USA, and UNICEF] - [3 months]
11-2016
Head of Area Office & Field Coordinator
UN-WFP
07.2016 - 05.2018
Master of Science - Strategic Planning
Edinburgh Business School, Heriot Watt University
01.2016 - 09.2019
Supply Chain and Deconfliction Coordination
UN-WFP
06.2015 - 05.2016
Head of Area Office
UN-WFP
10.2014 - 05.2015
Deputy Head of Supply Chain
UN-WFP
09.2013 - 09.2014
[Supply Chain Planning and Coordination], [Joint certification by Fritz Institute, and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport] - [1 year]
11-2011
[Humanitarian Logistics], [Joint certification by Fritz Institute, and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport]- [2 years]
04-2009
Head of Supply Chain
UN-WFP
07.2008 - 06.2013
Head of Logistics
UN-WFP
10.2006 - 06.2008
Head of Air Operations
UN-WFP
02.2005 - 10.2006
Lecturer of Business Administration-part Time
Saba'a University
01.1995 - 09.1997
Logistics Manager
NATCO
08.1994 - 09.1997
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
University of Mosul
10.1990 - 06.1994
Reading, walking, and swimming
I dedicate daily time to reading, typically one hour on weekdays and up to four hours on weekends, selecting materials based on their potential value to my knowledge. Additionally, I engage in walking every day, ensuring a minimum of 10,000 steps, and swimming for at least 45 minutes whenever swimming facilities are available.
Reading, walking, and swimming
I do normally read almost everyday for at least for one hour, except for weekends that can go to four hours. I don't have specific reading; however, whatever I believe it can be of value-added to my knowledge, I usually go for it! For walking, I walk everyday for a minimum 40 minutes with a daily average of 6000 steps. As for summing, it depends on the time and availability of swimming facilities in the places I go for. I normally for a minimum 45 minutes non-stop swimming
Reading, walking, and swimming
I do normally read almost everyday for at least for one hour, except for weekends that can go to four hours. I don't have specific reading; however, whatever I believe it can be of value-added to my knowledge, I usually go for it! For walking, I walk everyday for a minimum 40 minutes with a daily average of 6000 steps. As for summing, it depends on the time and availability of swimming facilities in the places I go for. I normally for a minimum 45 minutes non-stop swimming
Reading, walking, and swimming
I do normally read almost everyday for at least for one hour, except for weekends that can go to four hours. I don't have specific reading; however, whatever I believe it can be of value-added to my knowledge, I usually go for it! For walking, I walk everyday for a minimum 40 minutes with a daily average of 6000 steps. As for summing, it depends on the time and availability of swimming facilities in the places I go for. I normally for a minimum 45 minutes non-stop swimming
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