Information Technology Institute Chairwoman
Dr. Heba Saleh Omar

In 2014, Dr. Heba Saleh has received her Ph.D from the University of Sunderland, United Kingdom. In 2002, She earned her M.Sc. in Computer Science from Louisville University in the United States of America, after graduating from Cairo University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Engineering. Over her 20-year career, she is well known for her success in the areas of change management, strategic planning, organizational development, employees’ engagement, project management and problem-solving orientation towards addressing challenges. Saleh started her career as a Business Intelligence (BI) specialist in the private sector, through which she developed her technical and operational expertise on IT tools, talent development and support processes.

She joined ITI in 1999 as a lecturer on Database Fundamentals, Business Intelligence, Data-warehousing, Data Mining, research skills and problem solving techniques, through which she managed to link her practical experience in the private sector with the technical knowledge she acquired through her academic background and her study in ITI. She supervised many students’ successful projects related to Software Development, Data Analytics, and e-commerce areas. In 2001, She was promoted as the Database Department Head in ITI.

In 2004, Saleh started her professional management career through leading ITI’s state-of-the-art training department generating a record of 2.5 million EGP. She designed and led many sectorial training initiatives for the government reaching out to over 15,000 government employees in what was considered to be some of the most massive governmental skill development programs. She oversaw sectorial government skill development programs for the complete spectrum of personnel. This included MSAD funded projects for 4.1 MEGP in 2005-2006 and 1.5 MEGP in 2006-2007.

She also Managed Public-Private projects; she led ITI’s e-Learning kids project “VITI4KIDS”. The project was a breakthrough in teaching basic IT concepts in Egypt to children. The project success has been crowned by receiving a number of awards regionally and internationally such as; the finalist of the 2006 UAE educational IT challenge; one of the top three awards in the Arab e-content award – 2006, the best paper award in the MApEC “Multimedia applications in Education 2006” Conference; the first place in the national e-content award provided by the Egyptian Ministry of Communication and Information. Meanwhile, in 2004 she was the center manager of the TEMPUS project, which was carried out in cooperation with University of Sunderland, Cottbus University, and Suez Canal University.

As a key player in the HCBD area, She played a pivotal role in the creation and implementation of several national ICT strategies. This included setting the strategies for developing the ICT capacity Building and the strategy for developing the Electronics Industry in Egypt which led to the emergence of the first national initiative for developing professional capacity in the area of Electronics in cooperation with the Egyptian academic community “EDUtronics”.

In 2007, Saleh played a key role in the design of the Egyptian national BPO strategy and the initiation of the multi-stakeholder EDUEgypt Initiative, which was a result of a cooperation protocol between the MCIT and the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE). This included negotiation, management and knowledge transfer with leading world-class service providers such as McKinsey, Infosys, IBM and FirstSource. EDUEgypt entails training senior students in the participating Egyptian universities on the needed ICT skills to join the offshoring and outsourcing (O&O) booming industry in Egypt. EDUEgypt program was one of the key drivers in improving Egypt’s position on the world’s outsourcing destinations map from 13th position to 4th position worldwide until the year 2013. The program is currently ongoing entering its 8th year with a beneficiary base of 45,000 being implemented in 57 faculties in 16 Egyptian Universities.

In 2011, she was appointed as ITI Chairwoman Assistant of Training leading all ITI’s flagship training initiatives and programs. With a capacity of 400 employees and up to 60 million EGP budget, she was responsible for running multiple-stakeholder initiatives benefiting a base of 10,000 beneficiaries annually.

Also In 2012, she was appointed as ITI Acting Chair followed by a decree from the Minister of ICT in 2015 to appoint her as ITI Chair. During her four year term as Acting Chair and as a relentless believer in the role and importance of developing people and enhancing the outreach and access to professional ICT development; Heba Saleh initiated the management and expansion of the Information Technology Institute into the promising and growing future ICT hub in Ismailia by the Suez Canal region through establishing the fifth Branch of the Institute catering for the Suez Canal region.

The Suez Canal regional branch is based on a futuristic vision that stays ahead of the market capitalizing on the abundant talent pool, the several logistic, technological and strategic vantage points of the region as well as the increasing industry interest in the area. The branch is fueled by innovation and utilizes the potentials and talent of the region youth residents through training them on the latest ICT technologies in a hands-on problem oriented approach.

On the African level, Heba Saleh is considered one of the key initiators and managers of South to South cooperation programs leading a rigorous institutional strategy for South to South Cooperation. Saleh; as a firm believer in African collaboration manages a mega training program with the Republic of Uganda to train 3,000 Ugandans as well as a collaboration venue with the Republic of Djibouti to provide consultancy and capacity development assistance to the government and the ICT sector.

She is also a member in the Committee of Computer Science and Informatics Sector Planning, an affiliate to the Supreme Council of Universities. Her experience also was recognized in her appointment as a board member in the Aviation Information Technology Company (AVIT), the 10th of Ramadan Institute for Engineering and Technology, and the National Telecommunications Institute (NTI).

Saleh has considerable research publications in the area of Business Intelligence and Data Mining, ICT practices for Learning, Modelling and simulations in learning.

Her publications include:

• New applications in Education using IT, MApEC, 2006.
• ICT application for learning, AUC, 2008.
• Use of System Dynamics to Develop Learning Pedagogy in Egypt, Sys Dynamic Conference 2009.
• EDUEgypt: The Egyptian National Initiative for Human Capital Development, e-skills Summit 2010.
• Modelling and Simulation in Learning Environment, Sys Dynamic Conference, 2011.