Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), one of the leading employers of Bahraini nationals, has announced the appointment of Khalid Abdul Latif as acting chief marketing officer, effective immediately.  

In his position, Latif will lead the company’s global marketing strategies to drive innovation across Alba’s business divisions.

Latif will take over from Jean Baptiste Lucas who has been Alba’s chief marketing officer since 2011. Lucas will continue with Alba to help with this transition as well as support the company’s strategy for downstream development.

Latif, a Bahraini national, joined Alba as an apprentice in 1989 and worked in various operational areas including power, potlines and carbon. Swiftly moving up the ranks, he first became supervisor, then superintendent and in 2012, was promoted to manager of engineering. In his most recent role, he was Alba’s marketing manager for customer service and market operations.

Latif holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from Gulf University in Bahrain as well as a Diploma in Mechatronics from Abertay University, Dundee, UK.  He recently completed his Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the French Arabian Business School/Essec located in Bahrain.  He has also completed an Executive Education Programme in Strategic Sales Management from the University of Chicago, US.

Chief executive officer Tim Murray stated: “Khalid is a great example of Alba’s commitment to develop Bahraini nationals from within the Company into high level management positions.  I am very proud of Khalid that he has been able to successfully make the transformation from an Operational role to a Commercial role. He has a long track record of high performance and I look forward to his continued development in this new role.

"I would also like to thank Jean Baptiste Lucas for his leadership as chief marketing officer where he played a key role in the development of the organisation as well as the establishment of Alba’s Europe and Asia Marketing offices.”               

With a total workforce of approximately 3,000 people, Alba boasts a Bahrainisation rate of almost 87 per cent. - TradeArabia News Service