Maturity Assessments & Audits
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The best solution for your business
Black Swan Leadership and Advisory was established to provide reassurance to boards, executives and senior leaders by helping them to create the culture and processes to address the major risks that can affect both sustainability issues in general but specifically health and safety governance matters.
The goal of Black Swan Leadership & Advisory
The goal of Black Swan Leadership & Advisory is to give you confidence that your business is doing what it needs to do to strengthen its reputation as a high-reliability organisation, and to allow you to focus on delivering value for your stakeholders.
You will be enabled confidently to:
Our Founders
Michael Cripps
Joint Founder and Chair of Black Swan Leadership & Advisory Ltd.
Mike commenced his career as an industrial management trainee with the Johnson Group in the UK. He was sponsored through technical college and then studied Business Studies on a part time basis. He subsequently undertook MBA modules in Strategic Planning and Marketing at Reading University’s ‘Management Unit’!
Mike moved into recruitment in the 70’s utilising his early industrial leadership experience and then jointly founded Cripps Sears. The focus of Cripps Sears was initially on supporting a range of large, specialised companies in different sectors. These included multinational Energy and Financial services companies. This initiative was supported by a broad focus on locations such as London and Aberdeen which soon became key locations as did Japan. His specialisation supported the company during difficult economic situations.
The international focus also broadened quickly to embrace Houston, the Middle East, Singapore and Europe, particularly: Germany, France, Norway and East Europe.
Ultimately, Cripps Sears created offices in other key locations worldwide as its staff and specialisations grew along with the strength of its brand. In 2018 there was a successful management buyout of Cripps Sears, by its management team led by the Managing Director, and a previous Cripps Sears Director (the ex-CEO of a top 5 global search firm), who rejoined as Chairman. The company has since changed its name to Cripps Leadership Advisors Ltd.
Mike has since focussed on the development of Black Swan Leadership & Advisory Ltd. His role looks at advocacy and working with Chairs, Directors and Senior Leadership in understanding the challenges and opportunities that Black Swan Leadership and Advisory Ltd can bring. He has also been and remains involved in Youth Club and sporting Activities.
Dr. Waddah S. Ghanem Al Hashmi
BEng (Hons), MBA, MSc, DBA, DipSM, DipEM, AFIChemE, FEI, FIEMA, CFIoD, FBDIGCC, FIIRSM, Chartered Director
Joint Founder and Principal Advisor of Black Swan Leadership & Advisory Ltd.
With a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering from the UK Waddah is considered one of the authorities on Environment/Sustainability, Health and Safety as well as Governance and Leadership and High Reliability Organizations (HROs). He is a chartered Director with the IoD in the UK with 27 years of experience, 14 of which have been as a board director in several organizations.
Waddah holds several academic and vocational qualifications including two PG Diplomas an MSc in Environmental Sciences, an Executive MBA and a Doctorate from the University of Bradford in Governance and Leadership. He has received several awards in his career, most notably, the Rashid Prize for Scholarship Excellence in 2007 (Dubai), IEMA Sustainability Leader of the Year (UK) in 2019, Hon Diploma in OSH from NEBOSH in 2024 and Award of Council at the Energy Institute (UK) in 2025. He is a visiting lecturer/professor for several universities based in the UAE, India and Malaysia.
He is the Hon. Charmain for the Energy Institute Middle East and served as a Council member in the Energy Institute’s Board (2019-2022). He is also the Vice-Chairman of the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) and served as a vice chairman at the Dubai Centre for Carbon Excellence (DCCE) from 2010-2019.
He is currently appointed as a Senior Director for Logistics and Marine Assurance and served in the past as Senior Director for Sustainability, Operational and Business Excellence for the ENOC Group in Dubai, UAE.
He is an advisor of several Industry Advisory Committees at universities. He represents the UAE in the International Standards Organization (ISO) Technical Committee 283 and is Chairman of the UAE National/Federal Committee for Occupational Health and Safety in the UAE, Chair, Advisory Board for the UAE Chapter of the Board Directors Institute, GCC, Hon Chairman – Energy Institute, Middle East and Chairman, Platform for Connected Leadership
His publications include various research, practitioner journal and conference papers in including 12 internationally published books. He has many technical/academic and conference papers that have been published in the past 20+ years as well. He has three articles published with the Harvard Business Review Arabia on the Connected Leadership Framework, the Role of the Boards of Directors as well as Cultural Competence.
This methodology aims to ensure that you can use this confidence to optimise your insurance costs, including D&O cover.
Our Vision
Our Vision:
To be the reference authority and the advisory partner of choice for boards and executive leadership throughout the world for international corporate governance and leadership programs in Health and Safety, ESG Governance, creating High Reliability Organisations/Corporations.
Our Mission
Our Mission:
Reinforcing the confidence of Industry Chairs, Directors and NEDs in good governance, creating significant value for business reliability, sustainability and growth by providing services through. To help leaders achieve effective health and safety and ESG governance and leadership in line with international corporate governance, legal, compliance and management standards.
Our Vision
Our Vision:
To be the reference authority and the advisory partner of choice for boards and executive leadership throughout the world for international corporate governance and leadership programs in Health and Safety, ESG Governance, creating High Reliability Organisations/Corporations.
Our Mission
Our Mission:
Reinforcing the confidence of Industry Chairs, Directors and NEDs in good governance, creating significant value for business reliability, sustainability and growth by providing services through. To help leaders achieve effective health and safety and ESG governance and leadership in line with international corporate governance, legal, compliance and management standards.
