Case Study: Head of AI
Category: AI Leadership Client: Global Software Organisation Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Head of AI | Dubai
Leadership search for a newly established AI function within a global software organisation.
The context
A global software organisation was establishing a dedicated AI function to accelerate product development, strengthen internal capability and create a clearer enterprise-wide AI strategy.
The company had access to technical resources, customer data and potential AI use cases, but responsibility was distributed across several teams.
Senior leadership required one individual capable of creating direction, establishing the operating model and moving the organisation from fragmented experimentation toward measurable business and product outcomes.
The search was particularly important because the Head of AI would influence both technical delivery and wider organisational adoption.
The mandate
The company required an AI leader capable of:
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defining the organisation’s AI strategy,
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prioritising product and operational use cases,
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building and leading a specialist team,
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partnering with Engineering, Product and commercial leadership,
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establishing governance and delivery standards,
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and communicating AI strategy to senior internal and external stakeholders.
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The mandate required a combination of technical credibility, organisational leadership and commercial judgment. It was not purely a research role and it was not simply a conventional Engineering leadership appointment.
The search challenge
“Head of AI” can describe several fundamentally different profiles.
The market includes:
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research leaders,
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machine learning engineering executives,
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applied AI product leaders,
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enterprise transformation specialists,
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and customer-facing AI strategists.
The company needed an individual who could work across these boundaries without becoming too broad or insufficiently accountable. The search therefore depended on defining which capabilities were essential and which could be provided by adjacent leaders. Location created an additional requirement. The candidate needed to operate effectively in Dubai while maintaining access to international technology and AI markets.
Our approach
We worked with the leadership team to define what should be materially different during the first year of the appointment.
The agreed priorities included:
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establishing a clear AI roadmap,
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selecting commercially relevant use cases,
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defining team requirements,
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improving collaboration between AI, Product and Engineering,
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and creating executive-level visibility into progress and investment.
We mapped candidates across global software companies, AI-native businesses, cloud and data organisations, enterprise transformation functions and advanced engineering teams. The search included relevant individuals across the Middle East, Europe and North America, with assessment of relocation, regional availability and international operating experience.
Candidate assessment
Candidates were evaluated across five main areas:
Technical credibility
Understanding of modern AI systems, applied machine learning, data requirements and production delivery.
Organisational leadership
Ability to build teams, define ownership and establish a repeatable operating model.
Product and commercial judgment
Ability to distinguish technically interesting initiatives from commercially useful ones.
Executive influence
Credibility with C-level stakeholders and ability to communicate opportunity, cost, risk and trade-offs clearly.
Market relevance
Experience operating within software organisations facing similar product, data and transformation requirements.
Each shortlisted candidate was presented with a detailed assessment, including relevant experience, motivation, compensation expectations, leadership observations, potential concerns and our recommendation.
The outcome
The organisation appointed a Head of AI capable of providing central leadership to the newly established function. The appointment created clearer ownership of AI strategy and strengthened alignment between technical investment, product development and business priorities.
Search highlights
Role
Sector
Location
Search focus
Outcome
Head of AI
Global Software
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
AI strategy · Applied AI · Engineering leadership · Organisational transformation
Successful leadership appointment
What made the search effective
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Clear separation between research, engineering and transformation profiles
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International market mapping beyond the immediate local candidate pool
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Direct engagement with passive AI leaders
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Assessment against specific first-year business outcomes
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Detailed evaluation of technical, organisational and commercial capability