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Dubai, UAE — Biz Group, the GCC’s leading learning and development consultancy and a portfolio company of NEMA Holding, today announces the appointment of Casper Hammer as Chief Executive Officer, effective June 2026. The appointment marks the conclusion of a carefully planned leadership succession process initiated by founder and outgoing CEO Hazel Jackson, who established the business in Dubai in 1993.
Hammer joins from the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), where he served as Vice President and Managing Director of Growth Markets, overseeing operations across the Middle East, India, and APAC. He brings over 15 years of regional experience, a track record of scaling high-performing teams, and a deep understanding of the leadership development landscape across the GCC. His appointment is intended to support Biz Group’s next phase of growth across the GCC, with a focus on leadership development, AI transformation and technology-enabled learning, along with deeper strategic partnerships.
A Succession Planned With Purpose
Jackson founded Biz Group at the age of 26, arriving in Dubai from London in 1993 with a vision for what learning and development could look like in a rapidly growing region. Over the following three decades, she built the business through periods of remarkable regional growth and global disruption alike, evolving Biz Group from an idea into one of the GCC’s most trusted learning and development consultancies, serving organisations across the UAE, KSA, and Qatar.
The decision to transition leadership was deliberate and unhurried. The acquisition by NEMA Holding was itself a step in that succession architecture rather than a conventional exit. Jackson will remain on the board and continue to support clients and strategic initiatives in an advisory capacity.
Why Succession Planning Matters
Research suggests that between 27 and 46 per cent of executive transitions are viewed as failures or disappointments within two years. The pattern that separates successful transitions from failed ones is consistent: the most effective successions are those where the outgoing leader treats the handover as a process, not an event, identifying not just a capable operator, but someone who understands what the business stands for and is equipped to take it further.
Jackson’s approach to the Biz Group transition reflects exactly that. Rather than stepping back and leaving the board to manage the search, she led it herself, spending four months in deliberate, focused evaluation.
Hammer’s background in scaling purpose-driven learning organisations across the Middle East made him a considered choice: deep roots in the industry, the commercial ambition of a builder, and a proven understanding of the regional landscape.
“I spent four months making sure I found the right CEO for Biz Group,” said Jackson. “Somebody who would love it as much as I do, who is passionate about the industry, and who has the entrepreneurial spirit to manage the energy of our team. I found all of those things in abundance in Casper Hammer.”
“Biz Group has spent 33 years building something genuinely rare in this market: deep client relationships, a strong regional reputation, and a real belief in the impact that learning can have on people and organisations,” said Hammer. “I am looking forward to leading this team into the next chapter.”
About Biz Group
Founded in Dubai in 1993, Biz Group is the learning and organisational evolution partner for enterprise HR and L&D leaders across the Gulf. Combining 33 years of regional depth with a forward-looking perspective on where the industry is heading. The business delivers solutions across leadership, team development, frontline learning and AI transformation, at a scope, scale, and skill level that puts clients at the centre of every outcome. Biz Group is a portfolio company of NEMA Holding.
