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"I strongly believe in CX and its ability to drive business success; however, implementing it requires professional will, unwavering determination, and the refusal to give up, even when immediate results may not be evident,” says Mohammed Abdelhalim, CCXP, PMP.. For the Sudanese Abdelhalim, who serves as Head of CX at United Capital Bank in Khartoum, his early career provided experiences that shaped his commitment to delivering value.

His education and experiences as a field maintenance engineer equipped him with valuable skills such as teamwork, commitment, troubleshooting, and working under pressure to meet targets and deadlines. Moving into the Core Department, Mohammed further expanded his skill set, gaining expertise in communication, analytical thinking, problem-solving, and presentation delivery. His subsequent role in Core Planning honed his planning, designing, and project management abilities, enabling him to provide effective solutions and develop business cases. The knowledge and skills acquired through his engineering and information systems studies have proven invaluable in his CX career, which began in 2016 with a role at Zain, a telecommunications provider, where he had the opportunity to effect customer-centric culture change across the organization.  

"In Sudan, the telecom industry stands out as a pioneer in CX,” he says. “Due to intense competition where technology, price, and service offerings are similar, these companies have chosen to utilize CX as a competitive advantage and value proposition. However, other industries such as banking, airlines, and taxi apps are still in the early stages of focusing on CX and have yet to mature."

Mohammed is determined to do his part to engage his entire organization in delivering better customer experiences. In his current role at United Capital Bank, his focus on introducing the concept of hospitality--treating customers as guests rather than mere consumers--has garnered praise from the CEO, executive team, and peers alike. "Changing the mindset of employees towards our customers is a significant part of the cultural change across the entire organization,” he says. “I love the positive feedback we receive from both employees and customers after the immense effort we put into embedding the CX culture."

To bolster his professional credibility in such a large-scale change management effort, Mohammed earned his Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) credential in 2021. “I decided to become CCXP certified for two reasons,” he says. “First, it serves as a credential to my experience, and second, it allows me to be part of a community where I can learn from CX professionals and expand my professional networks."

The CXPA community has proved invaluable for Mohammed as he helps his organization weather the sociopolitical and economic challenges in Sudan. Mohammed emphasizes the importance of aligning the CX strategy with the company's overall strategy and says that by understanding the organization's goals-- such as maximizing existing customer value--CX professionals can develop initiatives that cater to high-value customers and enhance their loyalty. “Flexibility and agility are key to adapting the CX program to external factors beyond the company's control,” he says.

In the face of challenges, Mohammed remains optimistic about the future and determined to achieve his professional goals. He is especially interested in connecting with fellow CX professionals in New York, London, and Qatar, or any destination where human dignity and equality are valued.

CXPA is proud to connect and support CX professionals throughout their entire career.  Share your story by submitting a blog post or contacting us at info@cxpaglobal.org