HEC Paris in Qatar: Meet Noora Ali Al-Derhim, passionate about Innovation

Noora Ali Al-Derhim, a 2023 graduate from HEC Paris in Qatar, has received the best thesis award for her work on digital transformation in the energy sector.

Noora Ali Al-Derhim is passionate about fitness and exercising. This applies not just to her body. “It was important to grow my mind,” she says of her studies at HEC Paris in Qatar, where she followed a specialized BU in management.

Previously, as project manager at Kahramaa, Qatar's leading utility company, Noora Ali Al-Derhim (who has a background in electrical engineering), sometimes found it difficult to negotiate or lead a team. Hence her choice of HEC, for its emphasis on executive education. She particularly enjoyed the courses about leadership, strategy and innovation, which she says were not mere tools for her career, but truly “transformed” her.

Meeting professionals from sectors other than her own, like lawyers or bankers also helped her develop a new mindset and ideas. “Even a technical comment from someone from a different field can open a door in your mind”, says Noora Ali Al-Derhim.

In fact, an idea from a guest speaker totally changed the result for her thesis about digital leadership skills in the energy sector - and she went on to receive an award for her thesis. Back at Kahramaa, where she is now a senior engineer, she was asked to provide an inspirational talk about her paper and “How to become an Innovator?” during 2024 KAHRAMAA's Innovation Week in April.