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Management Team

Profiles of Directors of Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group institutes:

Dr. GENE CROZIER, Phd - Advisor to the Chairman, Abu Dhabi Univeristy - Director of the Institute for Executive Development(IED)
  Dr Gene is currently the Advisor to the Chairman of Abu Dhabi University, HE Ali bin Harmal Al Dhaheri and the founder director of IED. Dr Gene is credited with having launched the world’s first competence-based professional program for managers in 1990 with the British Institute of Management (BIM) working with the UK’s Open University. He is also the architect behind the EQUIS accreditation scheme for top international business schools and was a director of the EuroArab Management School (EAMS) in Granada, Spain (1999-2003). His work in the competency field has involved personal responsibility for the assessment of over 500,000 managers from all sectors across the world. He has worked in the Arab world for ten years, first through EAMS, then the Doha Asian Games (Qatar) and the EuroJordanian Advanced Business Institute (EJABI) in Amman, followed by his work for ADU over the last four years.
 

In the public sector, he participated in the development of national schemes for the Ministry of Defense, the Office of Government Commerce, The Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, the Police Senior Staff Training College, teachers and lecturers and the National Health System. He was also Chief Examiner for the Chartered Manager award for the Chartered Management Institute, which was targeted at many talented leaders in the public sector and linked to business awards in Singapore. 


 Dr Gene has been instrumental in the development of competency frameworks used by public sector organizations as well as blue-chip companies such as the Financial Times Group, hsbc, SABME and Standard Charter. He has developed a number of psychometric tests and developed assessment centers for top organizations across Europe as the director of MEANS, a European network for the design of assessment centers for top executives.

   
Richard Firth - Director of the Institute for Vocational Development (IVD) and Institute for Continuing Development (ICS)
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 		 Richard Firth is the Director for Abu Dhabi Universtiy Knowledge Group’s Institute for Vocational Development, has over 20 years experience in the international vocational education and training field, and has held a number of executive director positions with leading global providers of educational services and qualifications. His recent experience has included roles as Managing Director of Parity Training, a leading UK Training provider, delivering training program to large UK blue chip private and public sector clients; as BTEC Director for Edexcel where he oversaw driving significant growth in BTEC qualifications in many markets, including the UAE and other Gulf countries; as Managing Director of Distributed Learning for Pearson Education where he built a new internet based education business; and as Managing Director of NCC Education, building business and delivering vocational IT programs in over 30 countries. In addition to his executive roles, he has also held non executive board positions with a number of skills and education bodies including; the IT Training and Accreditation Council; The British Computer Society Examining Board; was a founder director of the National Council for Vocational Qualifications, the UK government organization that was tasked with revolutionising vocational education in the UK; International Director for the Institute of IT Training; and a founding director of the Foundation Degree Forward Board in the UK,promoting Foundation Degrees and their role in Higher Education. His early career saw him involved in the delivery of skills training, and advising organizations on strategic planning.