GCCS BITESIssue 01/2015 | April 2015

Message From the CEOThe first quarter of 2015 passed by quickly. We have strengthened our senior management team by gaining James Tracey, our new CFO, on board. We continue to gain talent that will enable us to wither through the challenging environment we operate in and to help us establish the solid foundations we aim to build our future growth on.

Our efforts in positioning ourselves, as a quality provider of services has not gone unnoticed in the professional arena. We have won for the third year in a row the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), Kuwait Chapter “Gold Award

2015 for HSE Excellence in the category of: Facility & Maintenance”. In addition, ASSE has granted GCC SERVICES the special award “Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)” recognizing the results of our initiatives in this field.

The above is a vivid example of living our values “DIVERSE” in our daily lives. We Deliver with Integrity beyond our customer expectations without compromising on service or ethics. We overcome challenges through our Versatility by winning challenges and coming through with a service of quality and execution Excellence. This is what leads the industry to...continued to page 2

Aspire to InspireAspire to Inspire

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Message From the CEOcontinued from page 1... believe that we are a Reliable player to be counted on for the long run. We leave a lasting, positive contribution to the local communities, through operating in a Safe way and by creating a Safe environment where we adhere to the highest standards of safety to protect our stakeholders. The end result reflects our Stewardship. We are creating an ecosystem where we Engage all stakeholders as partners in one team making each stakeholder’s life a better one. By succeeding in accomplishing this, we set ourselves apart.

We all assess the people we interact with by the values they uphold and base our judgment on their behaviors. GCC SERVICES doesn’t compromise on our values. Therefore I ask each one of you to embrace DIVERSE and weigh each decision and action against those values.

My previous message asked each one of you to tighten your belts in preparation for a tough 2015. DIVERSE will help us emerge victorious by guaranteeing that the decisions we make and actions we execute all lead to improve our bottom line, in return making more cash available. We need to think long-term and avoid the temptation of uncalculated risky shortcuts. Not only we need to continue doing things right, but we must excel in everything we do and execute without mistakes. Special recognition goes to those who contributed to “Sharing Great Ideas” initiative enabling us to increase revenue, cut cost down, and improve service and teamwork because they exhibit the values we are living and the spirit we are fostering. I will continue to reward the individuals, teams and initiatives that mirror our values. DIVERSE aims to inspire.

Sincerely,

Rashad SinokrotCEO

Aspire to Inspire

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ValuesDelivery

Acting on our commitment to exceed clients’ expectations without compromising on service.

IntegrityEstablishing trust in all our relationships through consistent service standards supported by strong

code of ethics and governance.Versatility

Adapting to the challenging markets we operate in. Global touch, local reach for satisfaction and flexibility.

ExcellenceBuilding a culture of quality and execution excellence to better serve our clients.

ReliabilityCounting on us for tenacity, responsiveness, initiative and creativity to bring effective and proactive

solutions to our clients’ needs.Stewardship & Safety

Leading a positive impact on the communities we serve while implementing the highest safety standards to protect all our stake holders.

EngagementPartnering with our staff, clients and the communities we serve. One Team, One Goal working

together for sustainable relationships.

VisionTo outperform the support services sector and meet our clients challenging business

requirements by providing excellence in delivery, reliability, integrity and safety.

MissionWe commit to exceed the expectations of our clients providing them with a full spectrum of facilities, life support and construction services in a culture governed by

business ethics and execution excellence. Our tenacity combined with our responsiveness, creativity and adaptability to the markets will provide effective solutions to our clients’ needs while maintaining the highest safety standards to protect all stakeholders and the communities we serve.

Corporate Values, Vision & Mission

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Competition WinnersBy Alistair Smylie, Executive Director, Strategy & Sharing Great Ideas Panel Member

Thank you to all of you who contributed to the “Sharing Great Ideas” contest. Initiatives and ideas no matter how small or visionary are always welcome. Those of you who responded were closely reviewed and we also found this contest to provide valuable insight to how our operations and team members identify with our business. This exercise further demonstrated the interest of respondents in seeing improvement as well as ownership in their role and in wanting to play a part in bringing about change within the Company. Thank you to all.

However, there can only be one winner in each category. Those selected were carefully reviewed by our panel and below are our winners...

image credit: brainteck.com

Improve Teamwork: Mohamad Al-Haj – SudanCongratulations Mohamed Al Haj! We noted all six of your comments and all are valid points although two of them were particularly noted and we will ensure they are monitored in the evaluation of all our management and staff. Your point of, mutual respect for one another, regardless of origin and rank, is a strong message and key to upholding strong morale and team work that ultimately impacts service. Your point on communication is also highly important to ensure all our employees communicate in the English language and particularly important for better understanding and awareness, and to encourage respect for one another. We must all recognize and respect the ethnic origins of our people, their varying levels of capability, approach and understanding to bring about true teamwork, which will make us successful as one, not in part. Thank you and we will continue to convey these key messages throughout GCC SERVICES.

Increase Sales: Ssebyala Martin – IraqCongratulations Ssebyala! We have recognized your ideas on the basis of appreciating the vision you have in diversifying our business which will bring more value and consolidation for our clients. Diversity is also at the centre of our company values.

So that you and everyone are aware, we have initiated diversification of our business and services and we will be building on our capabilities too, viewing this subject to be most important to future expansion and sustainable success. Thank you for sharing your insight which ties very closely with the corporate direction under which we are taking our Company. continued to page 5

Sharing Great Ideas Winners

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Our winners will receive a certificate of appreciation from our Sharing Great Ideas Committee panel members. Each top idea winner per category will be awarded a cash prize of USD500 and the grand prize winner will be awarded an all-expense paid weekend for two at The Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai, UAE.

Our Congratulations to all the winners and we continue to encourage everyone to share their Great Ideas within the organization whether there is a competition or not. As our CEO always reminds us, the only way is UP!

continued from page 4Improve Service: Wassim Al Zarouni – Corporate DubaiCongratulations Wassim! Your initiative to indicate the number of calories on each menu meal choice is an added value and easy way of providing our customers improvement in our service. We agree, no cost is involved and the initiative is within easy reach of our foodservice specialists within the Company to take forward as part of our daily foodservice offer. We will be circulating this initiative to our operating teams and we’re quite sure it will meet with appreciation between our customers and clients alike. Thank you for your time and thought.

image credit: brainteck.com

Sharing Great Ideas Winners

Reduce Costs: Eftychios Papanicolaou – CyprusCongratulations Eftychios! Your idea of using a Bar Code Reader machine is a good one. Greater systems management is part of our development program and we agree, such a tool will reduce staff time, ensures accuracy and greatly benefits our inventory control. This can be rolled out at low cost across all our business units and considering the amount of capital we have tied up in our globally located inventory not least, the variances that easily occur, this will bring great value in operating efficiency and to our bottom line. Thank you.

Grand Winner: Roda March S. Collado – Corporate DubaiCongratulations Roda! We liked your idea in respect of Reducing Cost. The message of ensuring “One Goal” and driving cost saving through each employee, will ensure we are as cost efficient and competitive as we can be in every area of our business. That message is something that can be carried and evaluated amongst every one of us and will have great collective impact if driven as a part of our employee/operating culture. We agree it brings responsibility, stewardship and ownership in each of us and also reinforces the meaning of some of our core values. We will be including this in our future employee KPI evaluation program. Thank you for your most valuable and collaborative initiative.

Prizes That Await Winners...

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By: Mahmood Al-Timimi

For the fourth consecutive year, GCC SERVICES Iraq participated in the Basra Oil & Gas International Conference and Exhibition held from 4th until the 7th of December 2014 in Basra International Fair Ground. Highlighting our presence in the exhibition, GCC SERVICES Iraq launched its new corporate brochure. Thanks to the team in charge, our booth was designed and built to reflect the GCC SERVICES image in front of the clients. The 28 square meter booth proved to be a success in projecting the image of GCC SERVICES to provide services that would bring prospective clients their Home Away From Home.

The Basra Oil & Gas International Conference, organized by Expotim International Fair Organization, has been holding this exhibition for 5 years. The event consisted of a conference concurrent with an exhibition similar to previous years. The event has quickly grown to become an indispensable event in the Oil & Gas calendars of both regional and international companies. The event also allows local companies to have a common platform to assess the products and technologies available to them. Iraq’s Oil and Gas sector continues to prove its influence over international business. In fact, 200 companies from the Oil & Gas industry from over 30 countries have participated in this event.

We would like to take the opportunity to thank the team members who worked together and made our participation in this exhibition a success. It’s about one team, one family projecting the spirit of our mantra- Home Away From Home.

The Iraq Team, from left, consisting of Alan Cook (Iraq Senior Operations Manager), Mahmood Al-Timimi (PR & Administration Supervisor) and Maud Monteau (Iraq Proposal Manager)

GCC SERVICES Participates in Basra’s 5th Oil & Gas Exhibition

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Samer Saleh, Housekeeping Supervisor in GCC SERVICES Iraq, participated in the 8th Annual Half Marathon Race organized by the Lebanese Internal Security Forces in Beirut last April 19, 2015. With his own initiative, he wore a shirt bearing the GCC SERVICES logo and ran the marathon proud of his identity as member of our Company. You are an inspiration. Way to go Samer and keep it up!

Samer Saleh Wearing GCC SERVICES Logo with Pride

Here is one of the many appreciation notes that GCC SERVICES Iraq Operations receive regularly from our extremely satisfied clients. This one was sent from the Head of Infrastructure and Personnel Transportation at Gazprom NEFT Project in Badra region. This was addressed to our ‘Tiger Team’ who spends sleepless nights to provide exceptional service.

The note reads “ Appreciate your efforts! Keep it up!”

Keep it up guys, and keep these appreciation notes coming!

Client Appreciates Team’s Hard Work

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GCC SERVICES Uganda: Our Journey, Our Story

It was in October 2011 when GCC SERVICES Uganda Limited was established in Uganda, having its office located in Kampala, the capital. This establishment was motivated by the oil discovery in Lake Albert Region which brought new opportunities to international companies like GCC SERVICES to expand its operations in Uganda.

In mid- March, 2012, a contract was awarded to GCC SERVICES Uganda operations and the scope was to provide maintenance services to Tullow oil facilities in Kampala and in Lake Albert region. GCC SERVICES Uganda provided full facilities maintenance to offices and residences in Kampala, Entebbe airport, Hoima town, Buliisa town, Buliisa field, Kisinja full camp and Kisinja field maintenance. The Comapny employs local Ugandan nationals and together we formed a team aiming at exceeding customer expectations.

The Company’s goal is to sustain a quality of life for its customers in remote locations. GCC SERVICES Uganda became synonymous with Quality Life Support Services for the Customer. The Remote Operational Locations are not just the home of the GCC SERVICES Uganda Staff members, but the place where the customers come together to have a feeling of “Home Away From Home”. The Company added a compelling mix of a diversified multinational professional staff that provides a safe, secure environment for the client to experience the GCC SERVICES Uganda services anytime-anywhere.

Today the Company is performing full facilities maintenance and specialized labor supply to its

clients and has expanded its operations into life support services, architectural designs and camp construction to cover all country capabilities.

The road has not been all smooth, as a team we have gone through a number of challenges. Though we don’t consider these as challenges, we consider them opportunities to discover our capabilities. Due to the increased cost of operations in the oil and gas sector and the decreasing oil price in the world market, it continuously affected us just like any other oil and gas stakeholder in Uganda.

However, we chose to go on we went back on the drawing table, decided to give our brand a loud voice, we discovered why we matter, described our value and chose the best team to deliver that message to our clients. We have expanded our operations across the country, we have broken all limits, expanding our clientele from banks to hotels, to residences to malls, we have submitted several bids to the UN agents in Uganda, and we have ventured into training the trainer- a move to keep our training costs low. Decision making involved employees in a bid to keep our loyalty and commitment to the Company. Amidst the ongoing oil and gas challenges, we continue to venture into getting ISO certified to maintain our standards high, cost cutting is the song of the day, and we have chosen to sustain our existence in a country that seems to have no hope in oil and gas until 2018.

With all these, we will keep our story alive, keep it true and keep it relevant.

By Anita Atwine, HR Supervisor- GCC SERVICES Uganda

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From design to finish...proudly GCC SERVICES! Tullow Oil Office Renovation Project

It Started with One Idea That Turned to a SuccessTo fulfill our goal of growing stronger, we took a step to merge architecture and art to our engineering department, and engage all aspect of building and construction to build upon a new service offering from our Company, GCC SERVICES Uganda. Today, we also offer Urban Design, Architecture, Interior Design and Project Development Consultation Services.

It was timely that our major client, Tullow Oil asked for tender for a design and build project for their office. This project required complete renovation of their existing office. The design concept started from a site visit, Tullow Oil current offices were crowded by all well-known construction firms over 50 years of experience. Going through the brief, a simple office design renovation was required. We submitted our bid from the design concept, 3D designs including furniture and office layout up to procurement and construction of the office.

Last quarter of 2014, they confirmed that they will go ahead with our proposal and this marked our first project with our new service offering.

We went beyond what was asked, we proposed a whole new look, an innovative concept that offered them not only an elegant space but an image that represented their identity. Going beyond their expectations was our winning key over all the other much known successful firms.

We built a team, analyzed our challenges, drew a strategy and moved forward eagerly. We have completed the project from December 2014 to February 2015; we have succeeded in this project given the tight schedule!

With this feat, we stand as a team of successful, dynamic young professional architect and engineers who have started with a credible reputation of bringing innovative yet cost effective and environmentally conscious designs.

By Pegah Salmani, Design Architect, GCC SERVICES Uganda

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APG: Steady and ReadyBy Donna Pearce, Operations & Development Manager

Whilst this isn’t an easy time, we are grateful for the support of GCC SERVICES and Rashad’s (CEO) direction and attention to us. We are lucky to still have our major client Origin and some smaller hirers enquiring for our product. We are consciously moving away from high risk construction projects and returning to basics with supply, hire and logistic services, which highlight our experience and expertise.

The recent elections in Queensland were very much based on state and federal economics and job creation. Queensland has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country and this has impacted on our role in the business sector. The slowdown in China and the shrinking consumption of coal are both impacting heavily on mining infrastructure and product demand. Mines are closing, 1,200 mining jobs in Queensland alone were axed last year and more job losses loom heavily on the horizon. The impact is trickling down to the service providers like us with numerous businesses ceasing trade in the last 12 months. The coal seam gas sector is not faring much better with most construction projects completed; commission and production phases requiring less resources, we are feeling the pinch along with all our competitors.

We have recently tendered for a large supply and logistics project in PNG on behalf of Australian Aid which would give us an opportunity to utilise Agility Logistics Brisbane. We are also focusing on client side project management and quality assurance contracts as well as dry hire at very competitive rates.

Whilst we bid goodbye to Tim Cork who was a valued member of our team for 3 years last month, we were all able to join together for an enjoyable day at a concert hosted by our local winery.

We are grateful to have Bill Gibson back to full time work, fighting fit and returning to us happy and healthy after some health issues last year. Bill has been busy centralising our stock in one location after over two years of continuous hire, giving us a chance to oversee some minor maintenance.

With quality stock ready to go, our team is ready for all opportunities and is prepared for our next challenge!

APG Team celebrating with their families at a local winery

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GCC SERVICES Indonesia is ISO 22000 Certified!Our congratulations to GCC SERVICES Indonesia for successfully completing the Food Safety Management System external audit carried out by BSI (British Standards Institution) last March 2015.

GCC SERVICES Indonesia is now an ISO 22000 certified company.

We extend our congratulations and appreciation to Pascal Arnaud, our General Manager for our Indonesia operations and his Food Safety Team for this exceptional achievement. Thank you all for your commitment and hard work to make this happen.

EGCL- 3rd GM Cricket Tournament HeldBy Apple Lucianiada, HR Officer

The GM Cricket Tournament organized by Emdad Gulf Catering Logistics LLC (EGCL) for the 3rd consecutive year is becoming a yearly event which all EGCL staffs wait for, and even our clients are always motivated to participate.

After series of matches, the final cricket competition was between EGCL and National Food Products Company (NFPC) on March 27, 2015 and the latter emerged as winner. The EGCL team consisted of players from ADAT and Central Kitchen locations.

It was a fun day where true sportsmanship and camaraderie were exhibited from both teams.

Our EGCL team posing proud of their identity The winners received trophy awarded by EGCL GM

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QHSE Director Visits GCC SERVICES CyprusBy Marlette Miltiadous

February 2015 saw a visit to Cyprus by our Quality and HSE Director, Mr. Saji Varghese. Saji came to Cyprus to train the staff on Health & Safety as well as the Food Safety Level 2 course. The staff found the information imparted by Saji very enlightening and enjoyed his method of instruction. The course was naturally followed by the test, where all of the GCC SERVICES Cyprus staff passed with “flying colors”. We look forward to Saji’s next visit and further training.

On a lighter note, the staff took a 5 minute unplanned break during the training, as it started to snow! Snow is very rarely seen in Cyprus, especially in the capital. Of course we all went outside to enjoy the phenomenon. We also found out that this was the first time Saji had ever seen snow personally. I am sure this will make his visit as memorable for him as it was for us! (Top) Mr. Saji with Cyprus Team (Below) Mr. Saji enjoying

the Cyprus snow

Celebrating a Double Anniversary

GCC SERVICES Cyprus celebrated a double anniversary earlier this year. GCC SERVICES has been in operation with UN Cyprus for 2 years now! When GCC SERVICES first took over the supply of food ration to the UN in Cyprus, our Warehouse Supervisor- Marios Papanicolaou was right here for the very first delivery on April 1, 2013. Marios has become a vital member of the team over the past 2 years and like all members of our staff, is proud to be working for GCC SERVICES!

We at GCC SERVICES Cyprus celebrate our first two years and are looking forward to the continued cooperation with the UN mission in Cyprus!

Left photo: Marios at work in our Cyprus warehouse

By Marlette Miltiadous

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GCC SERVICES Indonesia Growing with OpportunitiesBy Thomson Siregar Since the 7th century, the region of Palembang, East Sumatera was under the rule of the Sriwijaya kingdom-one of the strongest and most advanced states in Sumatra at that time. By the end of the 8th century, Sriwijaya had controlled a great part of the Indonesian archipelago.

Palembang was an important link in the traffic between India and China. Apart from being a trading hub, it was also important center of Buddhist learning. As such, Palembang was visited by ships from all over the country and the world.

Today Palembang is a thriving city situated on the banks of Musi River, its surrounding areas accommodate a number of the country’s most important industries such as petrochemical, coal, gold mining and fertilizers.

And to anticipate the increasing number of visitors per year, in September 2005, the newly renovated Sutan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport in Palembang was re-opened and became one of the province’s modern airports. Not only that, important infrastructure and facilities are also constantly being developed because of these increased activities.

Given the city’s industrial importance and the commercial area (mountains) where the mining industries are growing so fast. In addition to these significant developments, GCC SERVICES Indonesia has been taking the opportunity to build and grow the business project for the catering & accommodation services in Sumatera Region.

From 2015, GCC SERVICES Indonesia has mobilized various remote projects and is providing the following services: Catering , Housekeeping , Laundry, Pest Control and Maintenance for these clients:1. Supreme Energy Indonesia (Geothermal Project) - located at Talang Pisang Lahat East Sumatra. This is our new client where personnel on board are expected to increase after 3 months on the contract.

2. Dwinad Nusa Sejahtera (Sumatera Copper and Gold) - located at Suka Menang Lubuk Linggau - East Sumsel. It takes around 2 hours from center of city to travel to this site. This is one of the biggest Gold Mining in Sumatera Region.

We believe and we are confident that by being well prepared, GCC SERVICES Indonesia can grow bigger and become one of the best catering services in Indonesia. We will continue to give and perform our best to ensure delivery of excellent services to our clients throughout our contracts with them.

Our hardworking GCCS Indonesia staff at work

A glimpse of Palembang and one of our sites...

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Ready, Steady, Strike!Corporate Office Holds 4th Bowling Tournament

Last March 19, 2015, though it was a Thursday and quite a busy week, staff from Corporate were all set to wear those bowling shoes and get it on the alley at Dubai Bowling Centre in Al Quoz. 10 teams participated to compete in this year’s tournament and each one has set their eyes on the prize.

As participants came in early, we started the warm up games and got everyone fired up 10 minutes before the set time. Finally, the tournament officially started. This year’s team names were creative and striking, these were: The BOWLED Eggs, BOWLweiler, JEES Strikers - the unBOWLievables!, Gutter Canal Cleaning Services, Cannon Bowlers, Team Boozer, The Mighty BOWLdozers, King Pins, BALLbarians and Bowl Breakers. Each team had their banners installed in their respective alleys and each of them was determined to bag as many prizes as they could.

Fierce rounds of bowling ensued and after roars of cheers and laughters, the results came in for the first set. The top team, having the highest average team score, was The Bowled Eggs, comprised of Fawzi Nashat, Norman Yap (Engineering & Construction), Madhawee Perera (HR) and Newton Matope (Supply

Chain & Operations). The Top 3 Male and Female finalists were also determined and they advanced in the next round of competition where the Champions will be determined for both Men’s and Women’s division.

Top 3 scorers for the Male division were: Saji Varghese (QHSE), Eric Déru (HR) and Osbert D’Souza (Finance). The Female contenders on the other hand were: Abeir Al Saadi (PR & Administration), Madhawee Perera (HR) and Michelle Aldana (BD). They were all supported and cheered by all staff who were watching their scores closely. While the fierce competition was going on, other staff were welcome to enjoy free bowling games as part of the program.

After 10 frames of heated bowling action, the Champions were determined. Before announcing, all participants headed to the dining area where the food was served. All that throwing and striking pins made them really hungry. While they were enjoying the food, the awarding program commenced. Led by the dynamic and ever entertaining Mr. Mike Al Samman, (PR & Administration Director), staff cheered as he spilt his antics. Various prizes were given to the ‘Lucky Dip’ raffle winners, from coffee packs to travel vouchers and other freebies.

A special award ‘Early Birds’ was given to Gutter Canal Cleaning Services (a.ka. GCC Services) as they were the first team to arrive complete at the venue. A special award was also given to the team with the Most Creative Team Name, it was determined by the crowd through the intensity of their claps and cheers. Team Boozers bagged this award, Roshan Bhosle (IT), Bernardo Tiamzon (PR & Administration),

Darryl Rodrigues and Nelson Lewis (Supply Chain & Operations) were delighted to receive their team lunch voucher. Faith Mukenyi (BD), Ian Hope Cayanan, Rajendra Appala and Paulette Tenorio (Engineering & Construction) were surprised and delighted to receive the ‘Most United Team’ award.

Afterwards, the time came to... continued to page 15

By Roda March Collado

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Ready, Steady, Strike!continued from page 14... award the trophies to the Champions. The Bowled Eggs emerged as the Top Team of Bowlers. They were entitled to a Yacht Dinner Cruise as a prize. Champion- Men’s Division was Eric Déru (Director of HR) and Champion- Women’s Division was Michelle Aldana (Estimator, BD). Everyone cheered them on and gave their congratulations.

Just when everyone thought the program was over, Mr. Mike announced we cannot end without honoring our Gutter King and Queen (they were the individuals scoring the lowest in the male and female division respectively). Rajesh Pedapudi (Supply Chain & Operations) and Ian Hope Cayanan (Engineering & Construction) were crowned Gutter Royalties. They were such a sport that they even sat on the thrones and burst into laughters as people cheered them on and took photos.

We wrapped up the evening with more food and laughters and photos of course! We look forward to next year’s surprises, ciao!

clockwise from top: Winning Team discoverng their prize, Most United Team posing for the camera, The Early Birds, Most Creative Team Name winners, Women’s Champion and Men’s Champion

HABC Trainings Completed

Last February 2015, when Director of Quality & HSE- Mr. Saji Varghese visited GCC SERVICES Cyprus, he conducted Food Safety Training based on Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (HABC).

We would like to recognize the team’s commitment to food and safety standards and this is exhibited in the high marks they got during the examinations at the end of the training. We would like to give special recognition to Ms. Marlette Miltiadous, Food Supply Office Assistant as she scored 100% marks on the Level 1 Award in Principles of Health and Safety in the workplace.

Great job guys, keep it up!

Top photo:GCC SERVICES Cyprus team proudly showing their training certificates, below: Marlette happy to receive her certificate and get 100% marks

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Wiluna is a town in the Mid West region of Western Australia. The town is situated on the edge of Australia’s western desert with a hot and dry climate. It is the service centre for local indigenous communities, the farming industry, and the local mines in the area. Rosslyn Hill Mine is located just outside of Wiluna, and Australian Camp Services (ACS) provides Catering and Facilities Management Services to the mine.

Recently, ACS was one of the several local companies mentoring a group of Home Economics students in a ‘Cook Off’ event held at Wiluna Community School for their Careers Expo. This provided an opportunity for collaboration between catering companies working in the Wiluna area, students from Wiluna schools and the local community.

Each group of students was partnered with a chef and tasked to prepare a healthy meal in 30 minutes, utilising a range of fresh foods supplied by the catering companies, along with vegetables and herbs picked from the school garden.

ACS seized this opportunity to provide students with a valuable workplace experience, which is not easily accessible in a small, remote community.

Two excursions were held, a total of 5 girls and 8 boys ranging from Year 7 to Year 11 participated. The students were all very excited to be in the camp and asked many interesting questions.

Community EngagementBy Charles Betterman

The group paired with the ACS chef, won their round by cooking the ‘’Tastiest Dish’’ as judged by a panel of local ‘experts’.

Following on from this successful ‘Cook off’ event, ACS was approached by the Home Economics teacher of Wiluna school about the possibility of a class excursion to the Rosslyn Hill Mine’s (RHM) accommodation village to see a commercial kitchen in operation.

After the induction and sharing of general information and guidelines for behaviour in the camp, the students were given a tour of the village. We showed them the recreation areas, accommodation rooms, gymnasium, linen room, freezers and finally the kitchen/dining room. The ACS Village Manager, a qualified chef, demonstrated expert knife skills to the students, which the students really enjoyed. He also shared some of his experiences as a chef. (see photo above,left).

Throughout the visit, there were many questions regarding how to get a job at the camp or the mine. This was an excellent opportunity to emphasise the need to regularly attend school, complete a good level of schooling and to communicate clearly with others. A young ACS employee spoke with the students on how he had started working in the camp with limited experience. This reinforced to students that it is possible to seek employment in the camp when they finish school.

The teacher later passed on that one of the Year 11 girls said that after the visit she was determined to complete Year 12 and apply for a position with ACS at RHM.

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In October 2014, the United Nations (UN) initiated a tender dealing with the transportation of about 130 tons of combat ration from Europe to Abyei in Sudan.

The first challenge was to define to right means to transport the cargo. In clear, we had two main choices:• Size: 20ft or 40ft• Type: Dry or reefer

The numerous changes in the client’s requirements at this point show how crucial this decision was. We started with the requirements considering 40ft dry containers, just to learn few weeks later that only reefer should be considered. After this, we considered quoting having in mind we will utilize UN’s container, then the later recalled this information and confirmed that suppliers should take care of this sensitive part. Talk about challenge.

In December 2014, we then decided, considering the work already done and our expertise, to base our offer on the transportation by sea through 13’ x 40’reefer containers. Whereas the first contact was made in October 2014, we had to wait up to February 2015 to hear again from the UN as they were asking us to extend the validity of our offer. Considering the evolution of the currency market, we agreed and gave them two more months to use the prices and services described in the offer submitted back in December 2014. This time, we did not have to wait long to hear from them. We received two days later a query related to an additional issue: ‘no lifting’. This means facility will be made available at the destination to offload our 40’ reefer containers so we were asked to lower the cost of our offer and review it with 20’ reefer containers only.

Working Together Brings Success!By Benoit Guillermit, Maud Monteau & Newton Matope

We were there to provide a turnkey solution at that moment. Indeed, it was right to understand at that time that 2 main trends were ongoing and could give us an advantage to win this job. First, the client was under time pressure: if this tender began in October, it was for a reason, transportation was required, and 4 months later it had become urgent.

None of the competitors would be able to undertake the last requirement from the client: sending 20’ reefers. Indeed, it is known that the specification of those containers implies that the liner, owners of those assets, do not accept to send them in the African region as their return to origin is considered risky (loss, damages, …) and very long (preventing the liner to use them with other clients and make money from it). There was room here for innovation, great thinking and cooperation to meet clients’ requirements and win the contract.

Cooperating with GCC SERVICES team at Corporate Office and in Sudan was our solution! By getting in touch with the Supply Chain & Operations Department of GCC SERVICES in Dubai, we made an opportunity from this client’s constraint. If the lifting of the 40’ containers is the issue that our client was... continued to page 18

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continued from page 17... facing at destination, let us do it. We were indeed able to count on GCC SERVICES team in Abyei Sudan (UNISFA) to unload the containers and offload the cargo without requiring lifting equipment fitted for 40’ reefer.

One week after sharing our solution and the cost efficiency that it represented for the customer, we received the Purchase order from the United Nations. From there, operations began, starting with vessel booking and, with more difficulties, the collection of 13 containers which were finally found in Valencia, brought to North Europe and loaded on the first vessel to respect client’s deadline at destination.

In parallel, our role was to keep the UNISFA updated of all progress made and to coordinate with both, GCC SERVICES Dubai and GCC SERVICES Sudan. The efficient communication between the teams and their experience allowed them to realize that the United Nations did not have the required documents to use duty exemptions at destination. In consequence, more than a week before the arrival of the container at Port-Sudan, we brought this point to the attention of the UN and required from them to advise on the procedure to follow since the duty exemption was not part of the document, contrary to the information provided in the tender.

Because the UN was responsible of this lack of document, the responsible of MOVCON (UN Movement Control Commanding Officer) in Khartoum took the lead and got directly in touch with us and informed us to:

• Not pay any duty related to this shipment as the UN won’t be able to pay us back,

• To wait for further information, knowing that on his side, everything was done to get a signed agreement and necessary exemptions from the Sudanese government and provide any help he can.

The required document has indeed been signed by the Sudanese government before the arrival of the containers to Port Sudan. However we had to wait 10

days to see the containers moving from Port Sudan towards Abyei.

As of today, the 13 containers have been offloaded and hopefully the empty containers are on the road back to Port-Sudan to be given back to the transport company and to avoid any additional payments.

Thank you to the GCC SERVICES Teams (France, Corporate Logistics, Sudan Transport & Logistics and UNISFA) for the excellent teamwork and coordination that enabled the successful delivery and turnaround of the project beyond the client’s (UN) expectations.

Indeed working together brings success!

Working Together Brings Success!

FranceCorporate SudanG

CC

SERV

ICES

Issue 01 /2015 | April 2015

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GCC SERVICES Sudan: Focusing on Staff Welfare By Anto Pristwin- Depot Manager, El Geneina, Mohammad Saleh-

Depot Manager, El Fasher, Videsh Kinalekar- Depot Manager, Nyala, Gamal Awad Ahmed- Relief Depot Manager

As the saying goes, "All work and no play make Jack a dull boy" and it is true. Without time off from work, you end up being bored and unproductive. That is why in the articles to follow, our different teams organized different activities and projects that aim to promote welfare and teamwork among staff.

UNAMID - Sector West - El GeneinaFocusing on the same and as part of staff team building activity, recreation and motivation, Team El Geneina organized a football match last 21st March 2015 at noon in their premises. Many staff- both local and expatriate participated in the match while the others joined in cheering and supporting the players. This match brought the team closer together by fostering a sense of togetherness and strengthened team spirit. see photos on the right

There were 8 players per team and the match was refereed by a member of the Nigerian Contingent from the Super Camp.

UNAMID - Sector North - El Fasher Not wanting to be outdone by their colleagues in El Geneina, the Depot in El Fasher organized a similar event last 11th April 2015 that started from 9am. It was essentially the expatriate staff versus local staff. Expatriates were outplayed by the very skillful local staff, who appeared to adapt to the sandy conditions much quicker than the expatriate staff.

The local staff were the outright winners 4-2 and the whole event was a resounding success and provided plenty of amusement to the remaining staff who were watching. continued to page 20

photos on topleft show UNAMID staff while at play and belowleft, they gather after a great game

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GCC SERVICES Sudan: Focusing on Staff WelfareEnhancing Surrounding & Workplace AtmosphereEl Fasher City is the capital of Darfur and the HQ for UNAMID mission in Sudan. Currently supplying food for 5,000 troops and supplying 90 tons of bulk food orders a week. Busy indeed and what a way to reward staff by making improvements in our surroundings…Together, El Fasher team with limited resources has put an effort to enhance the living conditions of all staff, through building a recreation area, planting trees, and carrying out construction works that facilitate a more pleasant, safer working environment.

With the new recreation area, every Thursday the team gets together over an evening BBQ and our Chef Ajay does what he does best on the grill! Pleasantries are exchanged, friends are invited and assorted music is played complementing our diverse team. Talk about having a good time!

So if you are visiting the Sudan operations and coming through to El Fasher, make it a Thursday so you can take part in our evening event and get a sense of good time in Sudan.

UNAMID - Sector South – NyalaNyala Depot has been hard at work improving the facilities within the depot at minimal cost and this was achieved when they found out that one of the warehouse workers had a background in construction. Thus, they only had to buy the raw materials. This then got the team to put on their ‘thinking caps’ and they came up with various improvements that have been or are being implemented.

The daily work still goes on at a pace and the customer is still getting a full service from the Depot. With the improvements that have been made and are in the pipeline, the morale of both local and international workers has been boosted by these small but crucial improvements made by the company.

top: new transport office in the loading bay area, below: enhanced recreation are in El Fasher

Photo shows the new transport office with seating area for contingents waiting to collect their rations.

Issue 01 /2015 | April 2015

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Staying Safe: Avoid Online & Phone FraudBy James Tracey, CFO

Increasingly both companies and individuals conduct more business and personal financial transactions online. This will continue and the benefits for this are obvious such as:• Speed – transactions are “instant”• Convenience – we can process transactions from

any location and from multiple devices including phones, tablets etc.

• Lower cost – transaction costs are reduced as the need for physical infrastructure is reduced.

However, we need to make sure we are protecting ourselves and the Company from online threats.Online fraud is increasing – in 2012 online fraud cost e-retailers $3.5bn and these numbers are rising. Online fraud can take many forms, some of them include:• Phishing emails, looking for either personal or

company information• Intercepting emails and changing supplier bank

account details• Malware - software downloaded inadvertently to

your computer or phone• Credit card fraud• Advanced fee fraud• Domain name fraud• Prize fraud – The “too good to be true email”

The following tips will help to keep you and the Company safe…

1. Bank account details - Never change supplier bank account details unless you have verified the change in person or on the phone with a known contact in the supplier’s company. All changes in company supplier bank accounts should be approved by the Corporate Controller, in our case, Amendra Singhvi.

2. “Too good to be true”- Please remember if an email that looks too good to be true, it probably is. – E.g. informing you that you have won a prize (for a competition you did not enter) and all you have to do is send your or the company’s details.

3. Phishing emails – These types of emails normally have the following characteristics as described below. Do not supply the Company’s or your personal details if you receive such emails.• Requesting personal information - Many phishing

emails will request company or personal information such as credit card or account information, passwords, etc. Emails from banks or legitimate organizations will never ask you to perform security-related changes to your account or send emails to collect user names, passwords, email addresses or other personal information. Do not respond to these requests.

• False claims- Many phishing emails make false claims about the status of the companies or your personal account and ask you to update or validate your account by clicking on an embedded link in the email. Some may also include a false sense of urgency and state that the account may be in jeopardy if it is not updated immediately.

• Fake links- Many phishing emails include links that look valid but that send you to a fake site. Never click on these links as while the web page address shown may appear to be legitimate (www.gccservices.com) it may actually display a different webpage address when you hover over the link with your mouse.

• Attachments- Never click on attachments unless you are confident on where they have come from as they may cause you... continued to page 22

Issue 01/2015 | April 2015

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continued from page 21... to download spyware or a virus.• Generic email greeting- Many phishing emails begin

with something generic like “Dear User” or “Dear Customer”.

• Typos and poor grammar- Many phishing emails contain typos and poor grammar in the content.

4. Credit Card details – take care and only share your or the Company credit card details when you are confident in the identity of the recipient.

5. Anti-virus – keep computer and phone antivirus software up to date.

6. Mobile Devices • Remote wipe / Trace my phone – where possible

install software that can track your device and remotely wipe it in the unfortunate event it is stolen – thus preventing access to the Companies or your personal data

• Passwords – regularly change passwords and ensure passwords are not easily guessed – i.e. do not use your name or the Company name etc.

• Ensure you enable the “auto lock” on all mobile devices

• Be careful downloading free Apps and only do so from recognized providers (e.g. Apple store)

Hopefully these tips will help us in ensuring our and our Company’s information is safe and we do not fall prey to online fraudsters.

Staying Safe: Avoid Online & Phone Fraud

Several companies have become enlightened by creating a high level Compliance Committee. I, personally, have long been an advocate for the advantages of a Compliance Committee. Thanks to our management’s shared vision, it is now in place in our Company.

The Compliance Committee’s purposes are to ensure compliance with the laws and regulations applicable to the Company’s business. Compliance Committee’s commitment is to make ethical behavior an integral part of the Company’s culture, a Group-wide ethics and compliance campaign is to be deployed. This aims to of raise the Company and the Company’s Group employees, suppliers and/or subcontractors’ awareness of ethics and compliance issues and to motivate ethical and responsible behaviors.

The cornerstones of the ethics program is the Company’s “Code of Business Ethics and Conduct” which include, among other things, Anti-Corruption and Anti-Bribery provisions, provisions against discrimination, harassment, forced labor, child labor, and other provisions related to Company property, Company records, conflict of interest and prohibition in some defined case of gifts, meals and entertainment, which could be an unethical behavior or the motive behind it is unethical.

The Compliance Committee is here to serve and support the management of the Company and the Company’s Group all over the world for the effective implementation of a Compliance Program to ensure we live the ‘Corporate Governance’ way of life in our dealings every day.

Compliance & Its ImportanceBy Said Azoury, Legal Counsel

Said Azoury one of GCCS’ Compliance Champions

Issue 01 /2015 | April 2015

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GCC SERVICES Iraq is ISO 9001:2008 Certified!By Deon Daniels

Last January 31, 2015, GCC SERVICES Iraq became an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company. What a way to start the year!

Months of hard work finally paid off. Inspired by commitment from our General Manager, Farazdak Altimimi, the entire GCC SERVICES Iraq Team paved the way to a successful ISO 9001 implementation throughout our operations. The Company became the first company in the Basra Region to achieve ISO 9001:2008 Certification.

The Internal audits were completed by Ajeethan Kizhussery, firmly guided by Saji

Varghese, Director of Quality and HSE. We would like to give special recognition to Nirvana Moujaes, Development and Planning Manager and Edward Chibindi, Deputy QHSE Manager, who spearheaded the ISO implementation process with their respective departments at Basra Head Office, Basra Central Warehouse and Al Ahwar Commercial Camp.

Upon confirmation of the ISO 9001:2008 certification, our General Manager expressed his delight with this success and encouraged all who contributed to work hard to ensure that we maintain this certification and keep improving our processes.

Iraq Management Team with Saji Varghese, Corporate QHSE Director and M. Rashad, Auditor of Bureau Veritas (centre, seated)

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is high on the agenda here in GCC SERVICES Sudan. Thanks to the opportunity to work with Agility, we have teamed up with them in funding the refurbishment of the Zo Al Norain School in El Geneina.

The work included repairing the floor of 5 classrooms, installing false ceilings for 10 classrooms, reconstruction of 12 toilets, providing a 2,000L water tank, repainting, providing school uniforms and school kit for 950 students.

The project was led by Gail Camillo from Corporate in Dubai and the project lead on the ground is Gamal Awad Ahmed, our Relief Depot Manager.top photo: before improvement, below: after improvements have been done

CSR- El Geneina School Improvement

Issue 01/2015 | April 2015

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3 Year Feat: GCC SERVICES Wins ASSE’s HSE Excellence Gold AwardBy Saji Varghese

April 22, 2015 - GCC SERVICES emerged, for the third consecutive year, as the Gold Award winner in the Facility and Maintenance category of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) excellence Award 2015.

American Society of Safety Engineers-Gulf Cooperation Council (ASSE-GCC) HSE Excellence Award is introduced to recognize leadership, excellence and encourage exceptional performance in the field of Health, Safety and Environment in private sector companies in the Gulf Region. This award showcases successful business models of organizations that uphold HSE Management as a business value and excel in performance. The award scheme is devised to recognize and reward those private sector organizations who have been successful over the course of the year in managing the risks of workplace, development and performance of its HSE Management System, besides doing ethical business. ASSE awarding criteria is evidence-based using top-notch international measures for scoring and evaluation were done by an adjudication panel consisting of HSE professionals from Kuwait and ASSE HQ USA. The award program is also endorsed by IOSH and IADC.

On his part, GCC SERVICES QHSE Director Saji Varghese said, “Winning this prestigious award is a testament to GCC SERVICES’ awareness on the importance of providing a safe and secure environment, ensuring the health of employees throughout the organization. GCC SERVICES is committed to Protect - People, Property, and Environment and improve customer satisfaction”. He added that this award is dedicated to all GCC SERVICES employees around the globe - who have worked hard to keep an excellent HSE track record.

To sustain its continuous success, the long-term visionary strategy of the Company upholds the value of health and safety, providing employees with the required protection to mitigate any risks. GCC SERVICES QHSE & Food Safety programs are driven by hands-on participation that makes a difference in the lives of people where we work. Key to the success of all programs was support from the CEO and Country Managers/GM that motivated participation of every level of employee working together. As a winner, GCC SERVICES received the ASSE GCC HSE Excellence Award Certificate and a Commemorative plaque.

Saji Varghese (3nd from left) accepted the HSE Gold Award on behalf of GCC SERVICES from Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Al-Farhoud.

Issue 01/2015 | April 2015

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SPOTLIGHT: APG’s Donna PearceFor this edition, we put the Spotlight on Donna Pearce, Asea Pacific Group’s Operations & Business Development Manager. We asked her some questions to get to know her better... let’s find out more about her.

Donna Pearce: @WorkGCCSB: What were your first impressions of the people and the work environment when you joined the company?Donna:Diverse. I have never worked in such a multicultural environment; the people I worked with had instant confidence in me which encouraged me to take initiative and show that confidence right back. GCCSB: You have been with us for how long now? What would you consider as the biggest challenge you have faced so far? How did you manage to work with it?Donna: I have been with APG for just over 5 years, as challenges go my biggest was co-coordinating projects in PNG and remote areas. It wasn’t just product I was organising, it was our people- they were located in very remote areas and I was responsible for their safety and performance. I couldn’t have done it without utilising APG and GCC SERVICES’ generous resources. This way I could always keep in touch with them and provide any assistance I could.

GCCSB: What do you find most interesting about your field of work?Donna: I enjoy the processes and policy of the resources sector, I find a lot of satisfaction in providing product and service which maintain, uphold and improve standards whether it is to our service, safety or environmental instances.GCCSB: How would you describe your team in your department?Donna: My team supports, accepts and understands my strengths and weaknesses. GCCSB: If there are people out there thinking of shifting their career to your field, what advice would you give them?Donna: To provide the services, we have to think like a community; diversity and sustainability is required, you must be adaptable and willing to change and accept organic growth. We provide a community for our clients, that is why as they change their environment, we must change with them.GCCSB: What would you consider to be the best part working with the company?Donna: I had the most amazing opportunity to attend the Leaders’ Retreat in Dubai last year and meet some wonderful people.Donna Eade : Off From WorkGCCSB: How do you enjoy your weekends or your time off from work?Donna: I have been married to my husband Shaun for just over 2 years and we love to cook, fish and spend time on our boat near where we live in Brisbane. We have 4 children between us ranging from 21 years to 15 years (1 girl and 3 boys) Mason, Kalin, Taylor and James. We have 2 Sharpei dogs Bula and Mahala who love the beach. GCCSB: If you were to have a second career, what would you consider taking on and why?Donna: I would like to write and audit management systems for businesses to improve their processes. I think a lot of businesses are unaware of the skills and resources they have and I would like to provide that ‘link’ to show them how to become more aware of the value of their procedures and resources.

Issue 01 /2015 | April 2015

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At last year’s leadership retreat held last September 2014, we committed to developing an information sharing tool which would allow easy exchange of information between all GCC SERVICES group companies. We envisioned a simple to use and easy to maintain platform which all permitted users would access on a regular basis to share information such as:• Best practices / competencies of each country• Technical information and capabilities / track

record• Policies and procedures• Client data / current and past projects operated • Managers’ experiences working with particular

clients in various locations• Regular news updates • Costing information with an auto update

mechanism• A central repository for contracts

Knowledge Sharing Tool at Our FingertipsBy Conor Ward, BD Director

SharePoint is used to store and track electronic documents or images of paper documents. It is also capable of keeping track of the different versions created by different users. It provides the benefit of a central location for storing and collaborating on documents, which can significantly reduce emails and duplicated work in an organization.

The portal can be used to provide password-protected, web-facing access to people outside an organization. Organizations often use functionality like this to integrate third parties into supply chain or business processes, or to provide a ‘shared collaboration environment’.continued to page 27

We have been working on this project over the last few months with some success. Initially, we started strong with some great ideas on how to proceed. However, for a little while we got side-tracked and lost sight of one of the key principles… ‘Keep it Simple’! We had decided to adopt the SharePoint application as it is already being used by Agility, but we were ‘over-cooking’ the project. Now we are

back on track and have slimmed down the process so that the initial and fundamental parts of the platform will be online for beta testing within the coming weeks. Our plan would be to launch in “version 1” mode and, as we all become familiar and adept with the platform, upgrade it by adding and enhancing functionality and capability.

SharePoint is a way to centralize access to GCC SERVICES information and applications on the Company’s network. It is a tool that will help us manage and share data, applications and information more easily.

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continued from page 26...

The sample screenshots below show how the various screens may appear. On accessing the site, the home screen will have a tab for each department in GCC SERVICES corporate office – HR, BD, PLD, etc. Clicking on a tab will open sub-tabs listing the various centres / businesses……ACS, APG, Uganda, Iraq, etc. Clicking on either a main tab or sub-tab will reveal on the left hand side of the screen folders showing document library, etc. which will be further sub-divided into folders such as: policies, sample executive summaries, technical proposals, etc.

Knowledge Sharing Tool at Our Fingertips

The home screen will also feature a rolling news feed, updated weekly by the Dubai BD office, which will show, for example, news relating to ISO certification awards in Iraq, BD wins in Australia, etc. A link on each news feed item will bring the user to a further information source.

The intent is to commence beta testing the platform by mid-May and go live in the 1st week of July 2015.

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Corporate Shares Training with Iraq OperationsLast March 23-27, 2015, Director of HR, Eric Déru along with Roda Collado, visited Iraq Operations for the 2nd time. The Iraq team gave them a very warm welcome.

Corporate HR shared some training sessions with the team that included: Communicating Better with Emails, Time Management Sessions and Performance Management Process.

The visit was very much appreciated by both teams and a plan was agreed to make the visit more regular.

As you know, our new values reflect how D.I.V.E.R.S.E we are (standing for Delivery, Integrity, Versatility, Excellence, Reliability, Stewardship & Safety and Engagement). It is important that each GCC SERVICES employee who is at the heart of our business understands the contents of each value, so to better live them and to embrace our Vision and Mission. Therefore, at Corporate, we are designing a training package that includes the following: a course to detail and explain the components of our Vision, Mission and Values, a pocket card to be distributed to all of us in each country of operations, and a video. The training campaign will start in May 2015 and will be launched throughout these coming months.

Vision, Mission & Values Cascading Process & TrainingBy Eric Déru, Director of HR

In addition, we are creating a Corporate Training Team so as to have an expertise that provides training to the countries on all elements related to operations, hospitality, warehousing, soft skills and subject matter expertise. In essence, we have already identified some key important training “must haves” and we will secure the rolling out of such training within the organization. This achievement is a great example of the cooperation between every entity, Corporate and countries, sharing together and working as One Team!

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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITYGCC SERVICES Participates in EMEG’s Mangrove Planting & Beach Clean-UpBy Jerilee Joseph, Government Relations Manager

On February 19, 2015, GCC SERVICES participated in a unique initiative at Ghantoot Reserve with Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG) to raise awareness on climate change. The reserve is one of the largest protected breeding and feeding grounds for hawksbill turtles in the United Arab Emirates.

The event kicked off with a presentation by Major Ali Saqer Sultan Al Suwaidi, EMEG president, who explained the ecological features of marine and biodiversity at the reserve. The event focused on educating and fostering interest in countering climate change. Along with rising sea-levels, human activities contribute the most to global warming and pose a serious threat to this fragile ecosystem. Major Ali provided historical knowledge of the UAE and its heritage.The mangrove tree thrives in salty conditions, making significant contributions that benefit the environment. Mangroves preserve water quality and reduce pollution by filtering suspended material and assimilating dissolved nutrients. Their coverage of coastal shorelines and wetlands provide many diverse species of birds, mammals, and fish a unique, irreplaceable habitat.

Our team planted mangrove saplings and extracted algae from the mangrove roots to allow them to breathe and grow freely. Nearly one ton of Algae was pulled from the tree roots. The algae can be stored for use in cleaning up oil spills, where it functions as a sponge to absorb and contain the contaminant. It is also a key research area in the search for bio-fuels.

After a short rest, we cleaned up a section of the beach in preparation for the upcoming turtle nesting season. Plastic debris, bottles, metal and general waste were removed from the beach and collected for proper disposal. Hawksbill turtles return to the same beach where they were born to nest along a 12 kilometer-long stretch of beach between Jebel Ali and Ghantoot. The turtle rehabilitation program began in 2006 and the aim is to ensure that their species survive. The eggs are protected from predators and the small turtles are later released into the sea.

The event provided a very unique learning and working experience and has set a foundation for future activities. Despite the hard physical work, our participants are looking forward to the next activity at the Ghantoot Reserve.

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Dubai Cares’ Rebuild Palestine Education InitiativeBy Jerilee Joseph, Government Relations Manager

Last January 8, 2015 GCC SERVICES participated in the Dubai Cares’ program to pack 50,000 school backpacks for the children of Gaza. Our team was small, but we set ourselves a clear objective of contributing our organizational skills – and energy. We streamlined our packing by completing multiple bags per person: resulting in Dubai 7 News filming a short interview with our company that was broadcast.

The interview and more information on the program is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFVtR2_oYd8

Reaching Out to SOS Children’s Village, Khartoum

GCC SERVICES, Sudan donated a total 20 footballs, 200 jerseys, goal nets and referee whistles for the boys of SOS Children’s Village Khartoum. The aim of this initiative was to provide the boys with a healthy and fun sports activity.

GCC Project Manager, Harry Akrofi (left photo) distributing Footballs and Jerseys to SOS Management Staff.

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Partnering with Our Suppliers to Reach OutBy Marlette Miltiadous

2014 was a very difficult year in Cyprus for so many families. The economic crisis, the failure of a major bank and the resulting fallout on the economy has taken its toll on employment. Due to this, there are so many families whose members are unemployed. Consider this scenario and add the additional difficulty for families where the major earner may be handicapped. These vulnerable members of society find it even more challenging to find employment in this economic situation.

The staff of GCC SERVICES Cyprus was made aware of a group of citizens that are currently unemployed and are finding it difficult to find employment as their hearing are impaired. Wanting to do our part during these challenging times and lift up their spirits in such a joyous occasion of Christmas and year-end holidays, Anita Young, our Project manager organized an event to address this.

When our suppliers came to know about this project, they were all thrilled with the idea and came on board to join and help us. They sent basic staples like rice and pasta, beverages and fresh fruit and vegetables as well as bread.

Last Christmas Eve, the staff of GCC SERVICES Cyprus went to the Papanicolaou’s home for the delivery of the donated goods. Anita prepared homemade mulled wine and sweets. Additionally there were sweets brought by others and everyone had a lovely time getting into the gift-sharing spirit!

When the recipients arrived and saw what was awaiting them, they were overwhelmed and became very emotional. It was very moving for the GCC SERVICES staff, knowing that our small act of kindness was appreciated so deeply.

GCC SERVICES Cyprus informed our suppliers of the result of their selflessness and generosity and thanked them for making such a difference in so many families lives.

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GCC SERVICES Iraq Supports Families of Iraq’s Brave MartyrsBy Mahmood Al Timimi

We believe in giving back to the community and it is one of our business priorities.

At GCC SERVICES Iraq, we always have hands extended to help the local community. This time, supporting families of Iraq’s brave martyrs was the focus.

GCC Services- Iraq established a charity program highly supported by our General Manager, Mr. Farazdak Al Timimi, to extend aid to the families of the martyrs who had fought for Iraq. This move is also aimed to recognize and honor the great Iraq fighters who sacrificed their lives in combating the forces of terrorism and to provide a safer environment for its citizens.

The program was held in Umm Elbanin mosque last April 4, 2015 in the presence of 60 brave hearted families, who lost their loved ones fighting to keep the country away from the grasp of terrorism. GCCS recognized the martyrs’ families during the program in coordination with Karbala Foundation for Charity.

Finally, GCC SERVICES passed its message of condolences to the bereaved families.

“May Allah in his mercy grant them rest, may their graves be a part of Jnnatul Faridaus and abode of light. May Allah make them pass successfully in all the stages of the life after Death, Amen.”

Dubai Cares’ Winter Clothing DriveBy Jerilee Joseph

13th February 2015 - In support of the Dubai Cares initiative, GCC SERVICES Dubai employees collected their winter coats, hats, shawls, sweaters and all other warm items of clothing to be sent to Syrian Refugees in camps impacted by heavy snow and freezing weather.

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Raising Smiles and Lifting the Spirits of Children Fighting CancerBy Mahmood Al Timimi

As part of the company’s Community outreach initiative, GCC SERVICES – Iraq opened its doors once again to the community and organized a small contribution to Basra Children’s Hospital.

Our aim was to contribute to the entertainment and well-being facilities of the children’s hospital. With this, we have provided them with two 46-inch TV’s, two X-Box 360 units (game console) with two extra joy sticks, three electrical wheel chairs and some flower decorations for the hospital.

The GCC SERVICES team visited the hospital last January 12, 2015 and handed over these items and spent time with the children. The team felt a great sense of responsibility towards these children and believe the Company’s donation would greatly contribute towards relieving their psychological suffering. Below are some photos taken during the event.

GCC SERVICES Iraq will continue to work towards raising smiles and lifting the spirits of these brave children who on a daily basis battle cancer. We will do what we can to impact their lives positively.

Child patients having fun in their new wheelchairs GCCS Iraq team with Medical Staff from Basra Children’s Hospital

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On April 22, 2015 Gulf Catering Company (GCC SERVICES) was awarded the ASSE’s first inaugural award for CSR. The award category was added to the ASSE award for Health, Safety and Environmental Excellence.

ASSE awarding criteria is evidence-based: with GCC SERVICES providing a comprehensive presentation of CSR activity covering education, local economic contribution, training and social engagement.

GCC SERVICES highlighted CSR activity in Iraq, Sudan and the UAE that included:• Training and official certification of 244 Sudanese warehouse

personnel in Food Safety• English language classes for Iraqi national staff members• Refurbishment of a 906-student school in Darfur• Donation of football uniforms, goal nets and balls for 200

boys in Khartoum • Donation of Ramadan food packages to Iraqi families in

Basra• Support of the Emirates Environmental Group Marine

program in UAE• Environmental Tree Planting initiatives• Ras Al Khaima, UAE desert cleanup• Participation in Dubai Cares initiative to pack 50,000 Gaza

refugee children’s school backpacks• Collection of winter clothing for Gaza Refugees

GCC SERVICES CSR program is driven by hands-on participation that makes a difference in the lives of people where we work. Key to the success of all programs was support from the CEO that motivated participation of every level of employee working together.

The award was accepted by our QHSE Director, Saji Varghese who also received the HSE Gold Award for the 3rd time.

Our parent company- Agility and EQUATE were the other two CSR award recipients.

GCC SERVICES Receives Corporate Social Responsibility AwardBy Gail Camillo, Government Relations Director

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Recipe: Pesto Pasta with ChickenINGREDIENTS1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta1 teaspoon olive oil2 cloves garlic, minced2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cutinto bite-size pieces crushed red pepper flakes to taste1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes,drained and cut into strips1/2 cup pesto sauce

Pesto Sauce (in a blender, combine and process until smooth):

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil1 cup fresh basil leaves1/2 tsp salt2 garlic cloves 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts 1/2 cup parmesan (optional)

For this edition’s recipe, I scouted the internet for a delicious, easy to fix meal. Thanks to Kristin (the contributor), she shared in allrecipes.com one of her delicious and hearty meals. Let’s give this a try!

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until tender, then stir in chicken. Season with red pepper flakes. Cook until chicken is golden, and cooked through.

3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. Toss to coat evenly.

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GCC SERVICES Corporate33rd Flr., Mazaya Business Avenue, Plot AA1, Jumeirah Lakes TowersP.O. Box 634367 Dubai, UAE+971.4.4552600 / www.gccservices.com

AUSTRALIAN CAMP SERVICESAdelaide: 12 Phillips St., Thebarton SA, 5031Brisbane: the Green Corporate Centre, Unit 1/3970 Pacific Highway, Loganholme Qld, 4129Perth: IBM Building, level 3, 1060 Hay St., West Perth Wa 6005www.australiancampservices.com.au

ASEA PACIFIC GROUPABN 88 128 617 247Suite 1/3970 Pacific HighwayGreen Corporate CentreLoganholme, QLD, 4129www.aseapacific.com

GCC SERVICES CyprusFood Supply Warehouse, UNFICYPP.O. Box 21642, Old Nicosia Airport,Nicosia 1590, Cyprus

EMDAD GULF CATERING LOGISTIC LLC901, Al Bawardi’s Tower, No. P/162Muroor St., Al Nahyan camp areaP.O. Box 34512, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E+971.2.6433800 / www.egcl.ae

GCC SERVICES FranceAgility-DGS France11 Rue Baudin94207 Ivy-sur-Seine CEDEX Francewww.agility-dgs-france.fr

PT GCC SERVICES IndonesiaBldg. C, JI Raya Protkol, Halim Perdanakusuma Jakarta 13610, Indonesia+62.21.28529000www.gccasiapacific.com

GCC SERVICES IraqGulf Catering Company for General Trading and Contracting LLC36/158 Al Fours, Algeria Block, Al Koura St.,Near Family Algeria Gardens, Basra, Iraq+964.7811117374

Gulf Mediterranean Co. for Touristic InvestmentKrimea Al Swani Road, Tripoli P.O. Box 309www.alzad.com.ly

GCC SERVICES SudanGulf Catering and Contracting Co. Ltd Bldg. 256, First Quarter, C HAl-Sitteen St., Al Jeraif west,Khartoum, Sudan

GCC SERVICES (UGANDA) Ltd.Plot 12, Wampewo Ave., KololoKampala, Uganda+256.791.200100

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Last

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1. When did Cyprus become independent?a) 1 January 1901 b) 14 May 1918c) 16 August 1960 d) 18 October 1965

2. Which sea surrounds Cyprus?a) Adriatic b) Mediterraneanc) Black d) Yellow

3. Which country is to the east of Cyprus?a) Algeria b) Libyac) Morocco d) Syria

4. Which is the capital of Cyprus?a) Nicosia b) Famagustac) Limassol d) Paphos

5. Which is the longest river in Cyprus?a) Karyotis b) Kourisc) Pedieos d) Serakhis

6. Which country invaded Cyprus in 1974?a) Egypt b) Bulgariac) Italy d) Turkey

7. Which is the currency of Cyprus?a) Drachma b) Euroc) Franc d) Mark

8. When did Rome annex Cyprus?a) 72 BC b) 64 BCc) 58 BC d) 12 BC

9. Who conquered Cyprus in 1191?a) Henry V b) Richard Ic) Louis II d) Edward VI

10. When did Cyprus come under British administration?a) 1756 b) 1763c) 1815 d) 1878

Cyprus is at the crossroads of three continents, with a rich and long history. How much do you know about the beautiful Island of Love? Try to answer them. Answers will be revealed in the next edition. Good luck!

If you have articles to share about your GCC SERVICES experience whether it be with colleagues or clients, please feel free to share with us. We can have it on our next edition of GCCS Bites.

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