Basma Alzamil

Basma Al Zamil is an expert in family enterprise governance, succession planning, and leadership development. As a third-generation member of her business family, Al Zamil was among the first women to join the Zamil Group, based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She advises families across the region on navigating complex challenges in family business, with a focus on unity and effective governance. Al Zamil is a Certified Family Business Advisor by the Family Firm Institute and a Certified Governance Specialist.

Al Zamil began her professional career at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, later working at Michael Baker International in the United States before joining the Zamil Group. At Zamil Group, she led initiatives in human resources, introducing strategic structures and processes that led to her appointment as general manager of corporate HR. She also served as head of corporate social responsibility, leading initiatives that emphasized the role of business in community development. Al Zamil played a key role in preparing the next generation of family members and developing plans for leadership, ownership, and governance transitions. In her corporate HR role, she advanced opportunities for women in Saudi Arabia by employing women across Zamil companies and addressing workforce concerns.

As an advisor at Lansberg Gersick Advisors Global, Al Zamil supports families in managing governance, succession, and leadership transitions. She draws on experience balancing tradition and innovation, sharing insights into how the Zamil Group established a governance framework that supports unity and long-term vision. Al Zamil provides practical strategies for sustaining family business legacy while adapting to change, and her thought leadership addresses the evolution of family enterprises in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region, the implementation of governance, and guidance for advisors new to the region.

Al Zamil is active in the public and nonprofit sectors, serving on boards and committees including the local city council in Khobar, the Businesswomen Executive Council, and the Board of Trustees at Royal University for Women in Bahrain. She has spoken at TEDx YU Khobar at Al Yamamah University and is a frequent speaker at regional conferences, contributing expertise on family enterprise governance, succession planning, and leadership development. Al Zamil’s experience as both a member of a multi-generational family business and a professional advisor informs her perspective on the future of family enterprises in the Middle East and beyond.