CEO Insights Magazine

The contemporary legal landscape has become more complex than ever today. In such a scenario, companies require legal practitioners who can combine deep technical proficiency with strategic business orientation. To stay ahead of their competitors, organizations are banking upon legal executives who can shape governance, support expansion, and navigate multi-sector operations. General counsels who bring structured discipline, broad international insight, and practical commercial leadership across diverse regulatory environments are being prioritized and in demand.

One such sought-after legal leader is Azzam Kaddour, General Counsel, Mubbadrah Investment. He has built a reputation as a veteran legal executive capitalizing on more than three decades of high-level expertise in corporate, commercial, and multi-jurisdiction advisory work. Having responsibly built several comprehensive legal functions, he has strengthened governance systems, and supported growth across diverse business sectors. 

Grounded in consistent dedication, focus, and hands-on experience, Azzam is largely recognized for his principled leadership and ability to deliver clear, commercially grounded legal advice across sectors.

In a conversation with CEO Insights Asia magazine, Azzam talks about his illustrious journey and shares his leadership insights.  

As a seasoned professional with about 33 years of experience, what have been some of the key milestones you have achieved so far?

Coming from a family of lawyers, my longstanding passion for the legal profession has shaped a career defined by commercial acumen, cross-border expertise, and strong early exposure to international work.

I began my professional journey in Syria with a leading international-facing law firm, which gave me the platform to advise multinational companies. After my LLM in the UK, I moved to Oman to join SASLO/Richard Butler, which in turn strengthened my regional and crossborder expertise.

Later, I transitioned to Dubai to become Weatherford’s first in-house legal counsel for the MENA region. I set up Weatherford’s  MENA legal department, developed the legal framework, oversaw major regional oil-and-gas negotiations. Later, I launched International Legal Bureau (ILB) law firm with senior colleagues in Syria.

A key milestone was my leadership of the in-house team in the multi-hundred-million-dollar JV transaction between Weatherford and Qatar Petroleum and during NESR’s multi-hundred-million-dollar acquisition of Gulf Energy.  

What key elements do you take into account when managing legal issues associated with the various businesses of the group in the upstream oil and gas sector under Gulf Energy and its subsidiaries? 

From my perspective, understanding each business and its risks is of prime importance for providing meaningful legal input. This allows for setting clear contract governance rules, enhancing your ability to deliver precise, reliable, and impactful legal support. Since legal frameworks are vast and can vary significantly from region to region, grasping these differences is critical to providing accurate and effective counsel.

An essential element of effective legal practice is establishing clear internal governance frameworks. By recognizing the risks inherent in each contract type, you can adopt repeatable review and negotiation approaches that enhance efficiency and elevate legal guidance. As in-house counsel, my role is to advise on legal matters, not make commercial decisions. Clear boundaries ensure your guidance supports managers and teams without overstepping into business management.

Describe your leadership style. What are the guidelines or methodologies you follow as a leader? 

Identifying and hiring the right people is the foundation of success. We assign responsibilities based on expertise, corporate litigation oversight, and more. Regular in-person discussions ensure alignment, and even experienced leaders benefit from listening to their team. The legal profession is vast and no single individual can master every aspect of it. Given the breadth of the legal profession, teamwork is indispensable. Leaders must guide, listen, and empower their teams to deliver. By listening closely, setting achievable expectations, and allowing others to execute, the leader creates space for collaboration, reconnecting later to review outcomes and refine decisions together.

Effective leadership means clear communication, active listening, and providing directions, then allowing the team to execute. Regular reviews are important, but trust and open communication are what truly strengthen performance.

How do you keep yourself up-to-date with on-going industry trends to steer your organization towards the future?

Staying effective requires keeping pace with both market dynamics and legal developments. What is compliant today may be prohibited tomorrow. On the commercial side, our work is inherently collaborative. Regular discussions with commercial and technical teams help me understand  the shifting business drivers, new service models, and emerging trends, allowing me to provide accurate and timely advice. By maintaining open communication, we gain insight into market dynamics, product evolution, and strategic decisions driving change. 

Given our multi-jurisdictional operations, I make it a priority to track legal changes across all relevant markets as keeping pace with legal developments is an ongoing responsibility. We rely on external counsel as it supports us with jurisdiction-specific updates, and I personally participate in frequent online conferences to stay informed. My team follows the same approach to maintain consistency and accuracy to remain informed and prepared.

What future destination are you heading towards?

For now, I will continue to work and remain with Mubbadrah Investment. The pace of work here is energizing and never stagnant. The organization offers, diversity, constant momentum, and intellectual challenge. At Mubbadrah Investment, each expansion introduces new legal, tax, and governance considerations that differ significantly from local frameworks. Their move into European real estate brings completely different legal and tax environments, and that continuous learning keeps me engaged. Such positive engagements keep me busy and embroiled in learning something new constantly.

Another aspiration of mine is to eventually go back to Syria and revive the office that closed during the war. I envision rebuilding a team of fresh legal talent and equipping them with international perspectives. Local knowledge alone is no longer enough, and I would be glad to support their development.

Based on your extensive experience in the industry, what advice would you give to aspiring leaders in the field?

Strong legal leadership begins with deep legal knowledge. Real legal leadership comprises of a crucial element of continuous learning and upgrading ourselves. For a lawyer to lead effectively and create impact, he must stay updated and grasp the business context. This insight enables lawyers to craft advice and agreements that are not only legally sounds, but also operationally effective and strategically aligned. Having an in-depth knowledge of how the client’s industry works allows one to deliver advice that is practical, relevant, and genuinely helpful.

A lawyer’s achievement is inseparable from their reputation as reputation and integrity are the core foundation of real leadership. Credibility is assured once a lawyer earns the trust of his clients. With these nonnegotiables, creating an impact and influence becomes easy and possible to achieve. Equally important is for in-house lawyers invest in real partnerships with their teams and business stakeholders, they gain the insight and support needed to deliver meaningful, impactful legal guidance. These connections create trust enabling one to deliver and advice with confidence and influence.  

Azzam Kaddour, General Counsel, Mubbadrah Investment

Azzam Kaddour leverages over 33 years of regional legal experience to bring in specialized corporate, commercial, and international advisory work. His expertise spans multi-sector operations, complex joint ventures, and multi-jurisdictional regulatory environments, earning him recognition as a trusted legal strategist. Azzam has been integral part of legal functions where he has built governance frameworks and advised on major regional transactions.

• Hobbies: Passionate regular swimming 
• Favourite Books: Ancient history books and documentary fan
• Favourite Travel Destination: Italy
• Favourite Cuisine: Syrian and Italian

Awards & Recognition: • Legal Alliance Silver award for best local law firm in the Middle East through ILB in 2012