Asma Bajawa is the Founder and Managing Director of PeopleFirst HR Consultancy which is one of the leading HR consultancies across the GCC and wider Middle East region. Born and bred in the UK, Asma is a seasoned HR professional with 37 years of international experience gained in the UK, the Middle East, and South Asia region.
Asma has extensive experience across all aspects of HR and has successfully led several large-scale transformation projects for high profile organizations within the government, semi-government, and the private sector. Asma started her career with British Airways PLC where she spent 22 years working in different aspects of the business including several front-line roles and key management positions. In 2005, Asma moved to the UAE, where she held several HR Directorship roles before setting up PeopleFirst HR Consultancy which is now an international award-winning consultancy.
Prior to setting up PeopleFirst, Asma played a pivotal role in leading the HR transformation of Abu Dhabi Airport Management Company as it transitioned from a government entity to a joint stock semi-private company. She was also instrumental in the launch of ‘du’ Telecommunications company (UAE) where she was responsible for all aspects of attracting talent and building the HR framework ready for entry to the market.
Her business acumen, enthusiasm, and ability to understand and work successfully with different cultures has helped her to build a strong reputation across the region and has gained the respect of many senior executives and board members across a wide range of industry sectors. Asma is respected as an HR professional who is able to challenge and influence strategic decisions at a leadership level Her ability to raise HR’s profile in numerous organizations is testimony to her understanding of how HR really adds value to a business.
Asma is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development UK (FCIPD) and has an MBA from Kingston University UK.