Spotlight on Leadership: Hebbah, Head of Business Development at Applus+ KSA

“I am a Business Development leader in the Testing, Inspection, Certification, and Engineering consultancy sector, with a strong focus on supporting strategic industrial and infrastructure growth across Saudi Arabia,” Hebbah shares.

Her journey has been shaped by close collaboration with major national projects and energy clients. “Working at the intersection of technical excellence, commercial strategy, and stakeholder alignment drew me to business development. Today, I focus on expanding market presence, enabling cross-business collaboration within Applus+, and supporting clients through the full lifecycle of their projects.”

Balancing growth and trust

In highly regulated, high-risk industries, trust is the foundation of sustainable growth. Hebbah’s approach focuses on:

• Credibility over short-term gains: pursuing opportunities where Applus+ can genuinely support quality, safety, and operational excellence.

• Independence and transparency: maintaining professional integrity to protect both client confidence and industry standards.

• Strategic alignment: evaluating opportunities based on long-term client objectives, national priorities, and measurable value.

“When trust is established, growth becomes a natural outcome rather than a target pursued in isolation,” she notes.

Turning strategy into results

Hebbah emphasizes structured execution to transform strategy into measurable outcomes. She aligns business development, operations, and commercial teams from the outset, using clear ownership, defined KPIs, and disciplined pipeline tracking.

“Collaboration across global and regional teams within Applus+ has strengthened pipelines, improved client engagement, and delivered sustainable commercial growth,” she adds.

Customer-centric at scale

Customer centricity begins with understanding a client’s long-term vision. Hebbah builds strategic account plans, maintains continuous engagement, and positions teams early in project planning.

“This allows us to act as a partner rather than a reactive service provider. As accounts grow, I maintain executive-level relationships while empowering operational teams to deliver consistently — balancing growth with trust and service quality.”

Leadership and culture

Her CBP™ Leadership and Customer Service certifications have reinforced the importance of communication, empathy, and accountability. “I focus on developing client-facing teams that listen actively, understand expectations, and deliver solutions with professionalism and ownership. Every interaction is an opportunity to build confidence and long-term relationships.”

Looking ahead

Reflecting on Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, Hebbah shares:
“Being part of this transformation is both professionally rewarding and personally inspiring. The future of our industry lies in collaboration, innovation, and empowering talent. Leadership is about creating impact — not only through results, but by building trust, enabling teams, and contributing to sustainable national growth.”