Ahmed Darkawi is a visionary business leader shaping the future of people-centric growth across the Middle East and North Africa. As Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Talent 360, he has built a reputation for aligning business performance with human potential, helping organizations scale sustainably through strategy, structure, and people empowerment.
With more than 15 years of experience in HR transformation, organizational design, and startup enablement, Ahmed has partnered with startups, corporates, and government programs to drive measurable impact. His belief is simple yet powerful: people are not part of the business, they are the business.
From HR Specialist to Regional Growth Leader
Ahmed’s journey began with a deep curiosity about how people shape the success of organizations. Educated at ESLSCA Business School in Paris, and holding both an MBA and a Master of Law, he developed a unique ability to merge analytical business insight with a people-first approach. Early in his career, he realized that most companies focused heavily on systems and operations but neglected the engine of growth, their people.
This insight led him to redefine HR as a growth function, not just an administrative one. Over time, he became a sought-after advisor helping leaders bridge the gap between business objectives and people strategy.
The Birth and Vision of Talent 360
In 2019, Ahmed Darkawi co-founded Talent 360 with a mission to help organizations across the GCC and wider MENA region grow by unlocking human potential. Under his leadership, the company has evolved into a regional powerhouse, partnering with enterprises, startups, and public-sector initiatives.
Talent 360 provides a full spectrum of services from talent acquisition and leadership development to organizational design and HR transformation. But what truly sets it apart is its technology-driven vision, developing digital platforms and analytics tools that digitize people management. Through these innovations, Talent 360 is helping clients move from manual HR processes to data-driven systems that enhance decision-making, engagement, and scalability.
“Our mission isn’t just to automate HR,” Ahmed explains. “It’s to empower leaders with real-time insights so they can make better decisions about people, culture, and growth.”
A People-First Growth Philosophy
Ahmed Darkawi’s approach combines strategic clarity with empathy. He challenges organizations to view people not as costs but as assets whose growth drives business performance. His people-first philosophy centers on transparency, inclusion, and measurable impact, ensuring that every initiative links human development to bottom-line results.
Companies working with Talent 360 often see tangible outcomes such as stronger leadership pipelines, improved retention, and agile, high-performing teams capable of thriving in today’s dynamic markets.
Driving Digital Transformation in People Operations
At the heart of Talent 360’s current growth phase is digitization. Ahmed and his team are developing tech solutions to transform how companies manage their people, from AI-enabled talent assessments and performance dashboards to learning experience platforms tailored for GCC and MENA markets.
By integrating technology into HR processes, Ahmed aims to make people management smarter, faster, and more strategic. This move positions Talent 360 as a frontrunner in the emerging HR-tech landscape of the region.
Mentorship, Leadership, and Impact
Beyond his corporate role, Ahmed Darkawi is deeply committed to developing the next generation of leaders. He mentors high-growth startups through regional accelerator programs such as MISK, GIZ Egypt, Flat6Labs, Orange Accelerator, and FEPS. His mentorship emphasizes resilience, purpose, and innovation, values he embodies in his own leadership.
“Growth is never linear,” he often says. “You need systems, but also empathy. That balance between structure and heart is what drives lasting success.”
Legacy and Future Vision
Ahmed’s ultimate vision is to make Talent 360 the leading people-and-growth consultancy in the MENA region, a partner that combines strategy, technology, and human insight to redefine how organizations scale. He continues to expand the company’s reach into new GCC markets, introducing digital solutions that make people management both efficient and deeply human.
As he puts it, “We’re building a future where data and empathy coexist, where leaders can use technology to understand, inspire, and empower their teams.”
Through his innovative mindset and unwavering belief in people, Ahmed Darkawi is not just transforming businesses, he is reshaping how the region thinks about growth itself.
Do connect him on LinkedIn
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