Building a place where no one has to figure out their growth alone

Learning and Development was already part of Midis. What needed to change?

There were good initiatives in place, but they lacked a common thread. Development conversations happened, but they didn’t always lead somewhere concrete. And learning was still seen, too often, as a one-time event, a single course or workshop, rather than something ongoing. The shift we wanted to make was about embedding growth into how people actually experience working here every day, linking it directly to performance, to individual goals, and to where each person wants to go next. No one should have to figure out their growth alone here. It’s about making learning a natural part of the job, not something separate from it.

What were the first concrete steps?

A few pieces moved at the same time. We rolled out a learning platform across the Group, focusing on active engagement rather than just handing out login access. We also reactivated Individual Development Plans within the performance cycle, turning development conversations into real actions rather than just good intentions. Alongside that, we introduced assessment and development centers. These are structured programs where leadership capabilities are evaluated through real-world simulations, and it’s the kind of experience where you leave knowing exactly what your next step looks like. Each piece was deliberate, and together, they pointed toward something much bigger: the launch of Midis Academy.

What is Midis Academy?

It’s our answer to a question every growing organization eventually faces: how do you develop people consistently, at scale, in a way that actually connects back to the business? The Academy is the platform we’ve built to make sure that support is there for everyone. It brings together four pillars, Onboarding, the Fresh Graduate Program, the Management Development Program, and Ongoing Training & Development, forming one coherent experience. The goal isn’t just better training classes. It’s about building a stronger talent pipeline, ensuring faster readiness for critical roles, and fostering a culture where personal growth is simply part of everyday work.

Tell us about the Fresh Graduate Program.

It started in Qatar two years ago, led by the local HR and business team, and has since become one of the Academy’s foundational pillars. The program places high-potential graduates into structured tracks aligned with their roles, combining hands-on experience with defined learning pathways and continuous mentoring. Progress is closely tracked throughout, and high performers are considered for full-time roles at the end of the cycle. It’s a pipeline designed to produce real professional outcomes, not just a nice first job experience.

And the Management Development Program, what makes it different?

It’s a six-month journey, not a two-day course. The MDP runs across two tracks, one for emerging leaders, and one for those already in a leadership role, because development should meet people where they are, not treat everyone the same. Monthly learning blocks alternate between the practical and the strategic, focusing on immediate application: translating what’s learned into real business impact. It’s the kind of program that changes how people lead, not just how they talk about leadership.

You’ve also introduced Cornerstone as a new learning platform. What does that bring? 

Cornerstone is a meaningful step forward in how we deliver growth opportunities across the Group, and we’re extending access to all employees progressively over next year. The biggest difference is coherence. Everything lives in one place, learning history, development plans, progress, and connects directly with myMidis on SuccessFactors. Development and performance become part of the very same conversation, not two separate tracks. The content covers technical, professional, and behavioral skills across all levels, designed to be completely flexible and built around the individual’s schedule, not the calendar.

What does success look like to you? “One connected ecosystem where learning, performance, and career progression aren’t separate, isolated conversations, but part of the exact same journey. Success is when development is completely embedded, visible, measurable, and consistently enabling our people to grow and perform at their best. We’re not entirely there yet, but we’re moving with real intention.”