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Success Stories Sucess Stories
EIC Survive& &Thrive Thrive IX EIC Survive 2025
2025 JulyJuly 2025
Story type #culture (main category) #people & competency
Benefits ▸ Penta Global has doubled the workforce and significantly increased revenue.
Penta Global Scaling its people strategy to work side-by-side with rapid business growth Sujay Nair
Samer Sallam
Executive Director
Director of HR
How is Penta Global thriving? Penta Global has transformed its service offerings while maintaining exceptional employee retention with under 1% attrition. The Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) provider achieved a significant revenue increase and launched two new service lines. Comprehensive HR initiatives and sustainability programmes have positioned the company as an employer of choice and a reliable partner in delivering complex energy projects across international markets. The challenge - Having surmounted the challenges posed by the pandemic, Penta Global finds itself navigating a period of rapid expansion. As the company expanded its services, took on new projects and engaged with new clients, challenges emerged that quickly needed focus to maintain the level of growth that Penta Global was seeing. Chief among these was a talent gap within the organisation. The company’s accelerated growth demanded skilled personnel from senior leadership and middle management to project execution teams, yet the right talent was in short supply. As integration challenges arose between long-time employees and newcomers, culture quickly became a focal point of their efforts. There was an urgent need to fill key roles and foster an environment where both new and existing employees could thrive. Penta Global also recognised that a workforce growing at such a fast pace could lead to burnout, so they committed to supporting their employees not just professionally, but personally, ensuring their well-being and continued success. Meanwhile, existing processes and systems designed for a smaller operation needed revamping to support the company’s new scale and diversity of services. As Penta Global moved from what it described as a “small business attitude with a large business vision”, it needed to modernise operations without compromising delivery quality or diluting the company culture that had underpinned previous success. The solution - Answering these challenges, Penta Global created the Thrive Together Strategy, a new framework focused on ensuring that as the business grew, its workforce would flourish alongside it. Launched in 2023 and intensified throughout 2024, it has targeted several key areas at the same time.
First, the company strengthened its leadership team by bringing in highly experienced professionals from leading players in the energy sector. These leaders brought valuable industry insights and expertise in managing large-scale operations. Critically, Penta Global recruited Samer Sallam as Director of HR, an industry veteran with extensive experience in building robust HR, people and culture functions. Penta Global also made a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The company believe that building a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive culture is not only a moral and social responsibility, but also a strategic advantage that drives innovation, enhances employee engagement, and delivers stronger business results. For example, since just February to June 2025, it has doubled its female workforce, with the number rising every month. To address compensation, the company undertook a complete overhaul of its salary structure. This initiative was crucial for attracting new talent and retaining existing staff, but it also helped to position Penta as a preferred employer in a competitive market. Indeed, the restructured compensation package has been instrumental in the company achieving its remarkably low attrition rate of less than 1%. Recognising the need for enhanced internal communication, Penta also launched an intranet platform to facilitate collaboration and information sharing across its expanding workforce. This digital hub serves multiple purposes – boosting engagement, reinforcing company culture and supporting change management initiatives. The company also established the Think Tank Awards, an employee suggestion scheme designed to recognise innovative ideas and foster a culture of continuous improvement. The HR function was elevated to a strategic role through representation in the Operations Committee and dedicated HR partnerships with business leaders, which ensured alignment between HR initiatives and business objectives. Alongside this, Penta Global is implementing an upgraded ERP system to manage HR transactions, centralise data management and enable data-driven decision-making. Meanwhile, employee wellbeing has become a cornerstone of the strategy through the HR Connect programme, which addresses both personal and professional needs. As described by Alanoud Abdulla Sultan, an HR Officer who joined in 2023: “There is a great culture
▸ Sustainability initiatives include reduction of fuel consumption by 120,000 litres annually.
Key findings For young people ▸ Combine curiosity, proactivity and resilience. Ask questions, have a voice and work to a level you are proud of. For industry ▸ Build a diverse, efficient organisation that values its people, fosters a strong culture of safety, quality, and sustainability, and drives innovation in ESG. For government ▸ Improve the processes in terms of lead time to mobilise key personnel. Also, more guidance and engagement to support the private sector in sourcing and retaining local talent and skills.
Penta Global at a glance: Key products and services: EPC provider. Main industries served: ▸ Oil and gas – 95% ▸ Onshore renewable energy – 5% Headquarters: Abu Dhabi, UAE Year established: 2004 Number of employees: 4,500
at Penta Global. Everyone takes an interest in your progression and I have been given freedom and opportunity to learn new skills. They really do live their values every day.” Sustainability initiatives have also been integrated into Penta’s transformation, including decarbonisation efforts that reduced fuel consumption by 120,000 litres annually through the transition from diesel to electric compressors. The company launched its Penta Against Plastics campaign, implementing a plastic-free office policy and promoting environmentally conscious practices throughout its operations. Penta Global has also reduced approximately 321 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually by replacing dieselpowered compressors with electric alternatives. The outcomes stemming from this strategic focus on people and culture have been impressive. Beyond the workforce doubling and revenue increase, Penta Global has successfully developed a cohesive culture that supports its expanded operations. The company is now positioned for continued growth, with projections of another significant revenue increase in 2025 as it ventures into clean energy sectors and expands further into new markets such as Saudi Arabia.