Shared Services & Outsourcing Week - Middle East & Africa
Main Day Two - Wednesday, December 10, 2025
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Registration & Breakfast
9:00 am - 9:05 am
SSON Opening Remarks
9:05 am - 9:15 am
Chairperson's Opening Remarks
9:15 am - 9:45 am
Vendor Relationships: How to Define, Articulate and Navigate Service Provider Partnerships in Shared Services
Across the globe, decisions around where to partner with an external vendor sometimes take years not only to make, but to iron out the details. Those decisions are embedded within the larger discussion around whether the shared services model should be fully captive, hybrid, or fully outsourced. With the tides having turned away from fully outsourced for the last several years, the questions become what to outsource and why, and what kind of partnerships will be the most beneficial to the business? In this session we will discuss:
- When to use an outsourcer vs. Software
- What does business continuity look like when working with a BPO, especially during geopolitical or economic uncertainty?
- What change management capabilities are required to navigate the partnership?
9:45 am - 10:30 am
Build your SSO’s Brand to Become a Destination for Solid Talent
In the first few decades of shared services and GBS, organizations struggled to promote the value proposition they bring to the larger organization as SSOs were seen as only back office functions with little to do with the wider enterprise beyond reducing headcount. That is no longer the case. Nowadays, SSOs and GBSOs work very hard to promote their own identities within the wider business, fostering a positive perception amongst their customers, which in turn attracts better talent and makes the C-Suite take notice. This panel will discuss how to build an SSO brand including:
- Relying on customer experience to drive word of mouth
- Promoting the brand internally to raise awareness and build trust
- Creating a physical logo with brand guidelines for formality in change management
10:30 am - 11:00 am
Networking Break
Interactive Discussion Groups
Interactive Discussion Groups
11:00 am - 12:30 pm IDG 1 – Building a Successful Shared Services OrganizationInteractive Discussion Groups
11:00 am - 12:30 pm IDG 2 – Defining and Piloting AI Use CasesInteractive Discussion Groups
11:00 am - 12:30 pm IDG 3 – Navigating Change Management Challenges for Employee Buy-InInteractive Discussion Groups
11:00 am - 12:30 pm IDG 4 – Expanding your SSO Further in the Middle East Region – Location Strategies and Outsourcing Opportunities
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Networking Luncheon
1:30 pm - 2:15 pm
Going Global? Essential Considerations for Growing your Shared Services Footprint
Location, location, location. That is a mantra in shared services and a decision that impacts everything that comes after. What is your scope? What talent can you hire? Where does leadership sit? How will you maintain relationships with the greater business? This session will open your eyes to the key components of a successful location strategy and answer key questions such as:
- How do you determine what functions and processes a new location should cover and take on?
- What are 5 key questions to ask before choosing a new SSO location?
- What are up and coming locations many organizations are considering and why?
- Where does the Middle East factor into SSO and GBSO expansion considerations?
