Future Leaders

EDITORIAL

Building the future of the Middle East

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hese days it often feels that media is all about crisis and negative things happening around the world. It is yet important to remember that there are also great innovation and new success stories born everyday. Many of them happen here in the Middle East. More and more companies are coming to the region to enjoy the opportunities and positive business environment that Dubai and other Middle East business hubs have to offer.

In this Middle East edition of the global Future Leaders special report series, we are honored to present some the most interesting companies and business influencers who are leading the innovation and growth in this region. We also share some truly inspiring success stories of great entrepreneurs who are role models to all of us working and building the future for the Middle East region.

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford

Kalle Salmi Publisher, Head of Middle East Content Group International

CONTENT 4 5 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 23 24 26 27 28 30 31 32 33 34

National Bonds: Reinforcing economy du answers the call of enterprises Halliburton: Adapting to changing needs MCG: Closing the talent gap Finesse: Enabling businesses 3i Infotech: Satisfying customers Danube builds and empire Well equipped to face boom time Anand Kapoor counts start-up successes Talise Fitness: much more than a traditional gym Granteq: Innovating human interactions Arkhurst & Abdellah: Sailing companies to sustainable success Software that supports sales during sales meetings themselves Mediclinic: Orchestrating best possible results Taaleem humanises education Roots Group Arabia Meera Kaul Foundation: Empowering women of the future BATCO: “Bigger challenges are better” tangramGulf: globally positioned; locally delivered!

Liana Technologies: Empowering today’s online marketers The Einstein behind banking, healthcare and country branding in the region

Editor-in-chief: Kalle Salmi CEO, Content Group International: Johan Ehrström Project Managers: Rida Jillani, Danielle Francisco Content Executive: Emilia Paulig Art Director: Petra Pirinen Contributors: Sabin Muzaffar, Heba Hashem, Mansoor Mughal, Criselda Diala McBride, Hiten Nainaney, Noora Seif Mounir Quraish Concept owner: Content Group International HDS Business Center Cluster M, Jumeirah Lakes Towers Dubai, United Arab Emirates www.contentgroupinternational.com A Gulf News Sponsored Supplement published by Al Nisr Publishing.

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National Bonds: Reinforcing economy NATIONAL BONDS CORPORATION’S JOURNEY TO SUCCESS AND ATTAINING MARKET LEADERSHIP National Bonds was established for a social and economic purpose, mainly to promote financial planning and encourage a consistent habit of savings. National Bonds has managed to acquire more than 750,000 clients and is considered by far the largest investment firm in the region. Our understanding of people’s underlying aspirations that motivate them to save guides the development of National Bonds’ business strategies.

We have delivered competitive returns in comparison to other savings structures or term deposits in the market. Additionally, our new rewards structure has positioned us as the richest rewards program in the Middle East, giving away to date 515,223 prizes totaling AED49 million from the company’s own funds (the Mudareb) as daily, weekly, monthly, and annual dividends to bondholders.

THE SHARIA-CENTRIC APPROACH OF NATIONAL BONDS CORPORATION

Hani Hussein, COO, National Bonds Corporation PJSC

THE CRITICAL ROLE OF SAVINGS IN STRENGTHENING THE ECONOMY OF THE COUNTRY A sustained culture of savings assures individuals of their own well-being and empowers them to contribute to the national economy.

Savings also help individuals avoid debts that could result in disastrous consequences for health, society, and family.

With this understanding and as part of our priority to raise the quality of life of the community, National Bonds Corporation took on the challenge to transform people’s mindsets and inculcate a regular savings habit right from an early age. Thanks to our sustained efforts, we currently have more than

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750,000 bondholders - both UAE nationals and expatriates - subscribing to our savings programs.

Meanwhile, our managed funds total over AED5 billion. This is being re-invested in the local economy to generate revenues and grow our bondholders’ capital. National Bonds invests in varied segments of the economy including money market instruments, fixed income sukuks, income generating real estate, private equity and a limited portfolio in equity markets.

While it gives us great satisfaction that we have helped many families secure their financial future, we take equal pride in having empowered people to play a participatory role in the development of the national economy.

The uniqueness of National Bonds Corporation lies in its sharia-centric approach.

The savings scheme is based on the Mudaraba structure under which the company becomes the trustee and manager of bondholders’ investments. National Bonds Corporation invests the funds into various ethical avenues on behalf of the bondholders and subsequently distributes the profit at the end of the calendar year as per the sharia compliant-Mudaraba agreement between NBC and the bondholders.

The company offers an exclusive range of product offerings that allow for direct wealth accumulation through various routes such as an all-in-one Shariah Compliant Saving Scheme, Dirham Saving Scheme, Dollar saving scheme, Step-up Bonds and One Year Term Bonds, as well as treasury solutions for the corporate sector.

National Bonds also offers the Employee Savings Program (ESP) that encourages employees to start their own individual savings plans in preparation for a seamless retirement life.

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du answers the call of enterprises Fahad Al Hassawi, Chief Commercial Officer of du, says understanding customers has allowed them to design sector-specific ICT solutions.

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nformation and communications technology (ICT) has revolutionised the way UAE companies do business both on a regional and global level. It has also been one of the key drivers of UAE’s economic growth as the government moves toward realising its smart city and m-Government initiatives in the coming years.

For telecom service provider du, under-

standing the sector-specific requirements of their growing enterprise client base is crucial in developing manageable and cost-effective ICT solutions, said Fahad Al Hassawi, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer.

“We understand that every business in every industry has different requirements in terms of their ICT set-up. As a result, we don’t design our solutions in isolation, but rather take a customer-centric approach by consulting with our customers to better understand the solutions that would best suit their needs,” he said. du’s enterprise solutions offerings span a wide range of sectors including oil and gas, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing and logistics. Many of their offerings can also be tailored to adapt to their customers’ specific requirements for reliable and scalable ICT service.

“A case in point is our Managed Services bouquets, which are designed to be easily customisable and combined, in order to provide the best overall connectivity solution to any customer, no matter what their industry, business or size of their operation is,” Al Hassawi added.

INNOVATION WITH VALUE FOR BUSINESSES

naged services (mobile and fixed) offer a range of benefits including value, faster speeds for both upload and downstream, 24/7 support and easy upgrade options.

“Each of our solution provides not only value for money, but also protection against bill shock – with a fixed, regular payment, allowing companies to entrust their ICT needs to our experts for a fee that will fit well within their budget, and that they know they won’t exceed,” Al Hassawi said.

The company’s reliable and affordable solutions have given their customers the confidence to use du as a credible ICT partner, who can provide the expertise and assistance to help streamline their business operations.

This bodes particularly well also for the UAE’s fast-growing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) segment. “With SMEs, it comes down to innovation,” said Al Hassawi. “By keeping the needs of SMEs at the centre of our product design process, each of our propositions features innovative solutions to bring more convenience to SMEs across the UAE.” But what sets du apart is its ability to provide SME-focused products at warp speed, which is essential for a segment that is also evolving rapidly with changing market dynamics. All of these have enabled du to become a complete service provider in the SME space, offering both mobility and managed services offerings.

POSITIVE FUTURE

Delivering innovative solutions combined with value for businesses has been at the core of du’s enterprise solutions programme. Its extensive portfolio of mobile, fixed, broadband and maFahad Al Hassawi

Customer confidence has helped du carve a niche for itself in the regional ICT market and this is evident in its year-on-year growth.

Al Hassawi said their prospects look bright as du gears up to take advantage of growth opportunities ahead of the Expo 2020 in Dubai and massive economic developments in Abu Dhabi and other emirates.

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Halliburton: Adapting to changing needs As attention in the region turns to developing unconventional reservoirs, technical and economic challenges are continuously emerging.

Mike Hugentobler, Senior Vice President at Halliburton, Middle East & Eurasia Regions, explains why technology alone is not always the answer.

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erving the upstream oil and natural gas industry since 1919, and with more than 80,000 employees in 80 countries, Halliburton’s experience is hard to match. From locating hydrocarbons and managing geological data, to evaluating formations, constructing wells, and optimizing production, the American company understands that the reservoir is the source of all value.

“Our mission is to create a sustainable value for our stakeholders, by safely delivering outstanding products, services and solutions that help our customers meet their technical and economic objectives in the exploitation of their energy resources,” highlights Hugentobler.

FOUNDATIONS OF SUCCESS Three solution themes currently contribute to Halliburton’s superior growth: unconventional resources, mature assets and deep water, all which are extremely challenging. But as the company’s motto maintains, ’solving challenges’ lies at the very heart of its daily operations; an ethical stance that often results in significant savings.

For instance, a sensor technology employed by Halliburton in Abu Dhabi saved as much as $268,000 by indicating rock quality and hence, the permeable reservoir sections, all within a fraction of the time it would have taken competitors. “We innovate at a faster

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rate and build a robust technology portfolio collaboratively with customers and suppliers to help our customers meet their technical objectives.”

Operating worldwide through corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas and Dubai, Halliburton’s long-term action plan is consistently driven by its objectives and purpose.

“Every year, Halliburton executes the strategic-planning process, which is critical to the company’s long-term growth and sustainability,” explains Hugentobler. During this process, the company maps out the three- and five-year strategy focusing on developing the strategic plan, which focuses on safety integrity; solution themes; technology and innovation; employee investment; and integration.

CHANGING NEEDS Technology and innovation, in particular, can solve many bottlenecks. “The exploitation of hydrocarbons is becoming increasing difficult. Well paths are more deviated and more tortuous than ever before. Wells are becoming deeper, hotter and have higher pressures as the quest to find more reserves intensifies”.

And while hydrocarbons have been traditionally found in conventional reservoirs, like carbonates or clastic reservoirs, attention is now being addressed towards reco-

very from source rocks in unconventional reservoirs.

“The economics of effectively and efficiently developing an unconventional reservoir are very challenging. Technology addresses all these issues. With new technology we are now able to go to extreme temperatures and pressure, allowing data to be recorded to fully evaluate a reservoir’s potential even in the most hostile environments,” explains Hugentobler.

New drilling technology is also enabling the company to accurately place wells with the high precision required to maximize reservoir connectivity, and to effectively stimulate unconventional wells to make the economics of recovery a viable proposition.

BEYOND TECHNOLOGY “But it is not just the downhole technology that’s needed to succeed in the oil and gas business,” notes Hugentobler, “it is the establishment and rigorous adherence to processes that distinguishes service providers and Halliburton is one of the leaders in this respect”.

Indeed, Halliburton has earned an envious reputation for getting the job done. “When our customers have a critical objective and they want assurances that their objectives will be met on-time and on-budget, they call Halliburton,” Hugentobler remarks.

However, the company is looking beyond that, as it strives to to understand how the

”Our mission is to create a sustainable value for our stakeholders, by safely delivering outstanding products, services and solutions that help our customers meet their technical and economic objectives in the exploitation of their energy resources.” market is developing, how its customers’ business is evolving and all the changing geopolitical dynamics and their impact on its operation.

“We are constantly trying to understand the future so we can better serve our customers and ultimately drive better performance for our shareholders,” notes Hugentobler.

“One of the key elements to this is customer collaboration and customer intimacy”.

According to him, it is better to work on a collaborative solution than force an idea on a customer. “Having strong, joint ownership builds credibility and typically results in the application of more effective solutions.”

MIDDLE EAST: HISTORICAL PRESENCE Halliburton’s presence in the Middle East dates back to more than six decades and its regional business is seen as fundamental to both its short-term objectives and long-term vision.

“Halliburton has been operating in Saudi Arabia since 1938, providing services for the Oil and Gas industry for over 65 years ago, so our heritage goes back many years,” Hugentobler elaborates.

“We see the stability of the business, through global economic fluctuations and the significant growth opportunities that the region has to offer as two key components to why Halliburton has a strong interest in growing its footprint in the Middle East”.

One example of Halliburton’s commitment to the region was the inauguration of the Unconventional and Reservoir Productivity Technology Center in Saudi Arabia at the start of 2014, at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM).

“This new center enables Halliburton to provide state-of-the-art research and develop-

Mike Hugentobler

ment solutions for conventional and unconventional reservoirs, addressing challenges both in the kingdom and across the region”.

The center provides a base to build strong relationships with local universities like KFUPM to develop technology, which is expected to lead to employment and training opportunities for Saudi technicians and university graduates. It is also envisaged to be the source of technology to existing and

future partners in the region and worldwide, contributing to the development of local workforces and national economies.

“The Middle East is very robust and steady. It is encouraging how fast national oil companies have increased their activities in the growing market. We will continue to expand our product-line, service offering and technology portfolio in the Middle East, and we plan to stay.”

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Closing the talent gap MENA’s evolving media and communications industry has provided a growth platform for MCG Associates, says Managing Director Justin McGuire.

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ustin McGuire couldn’t have chosen a more challenging time to take his entrepreneurial journey to the next level. As the world endured the tail end of an economic storm in 2010, McGuire was busy setting up his own company, MCG Associates, a Dubai-based search and recruitment agency specialising in the communications industry.

That, however, wasn’t part of his original plan when he came over to the Emirates from the United Kingdom in 2008. “When I first moved to Dubai, it was with a view of setting up and building a media and communications recruitment division for a company, but due to the recession, that never formulated so I went into business with an associate for a year in 2009. But for various different reasons, we had to part ways,” he said.

A media industry veteran with 16 years of experience in recruitment and seven years in broadcast and digital advertising, McGuire suddenly found himself unemployed during the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Convinced that he had nothing to lose, he decided to fuse his skills and build MCG Associates from scratch.

“I think most entrepreneurs would agree that there are times when you kind of get backed into a corner where your only way of responding is to come up with an idea or a business plan of your own. Mine was very much like that,” he added.

skills gap in the Middle East, particularly in the digital media space, which was evolving quite rapidly. At the same time, he also witnessed the substantial haemorrhaging in the European digital media labour market due to the financial meltdown and the ensuing Eurozone crisis.

OPPORTUNITIES AMIDST UNCERTAINTY

NICHE SECTOR

In the two years that McGuire was in and out of the UAE, he was quick to notice the

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In the midst of this global job market imbalance, McGuire saw an opportunity to help regain some sense of equilibrium by relocating digital media professionals from Europe to fill the human resource (HR) requirements of media companies in the Middle East.

His timing was impeccable as the region’s Internet penetration and media consumption levels skyrocketed with the emergence of mobile technology – further creating demands for people who can add value to media, marketing and advertising companies in a tech-savvy environment.

Today, MCG Associates has grown from a one-man venture to a company of 12 members, with a provision to gradually expand the team into a 22-strong office operating out of Dubai Media City. It has also established itself as a go-to agency for regional firms looking to hire specialists in the fields of digital media, creative media, public relations (PR), media publishing, client services, media management, events and conferences management, as well as planning, data management, insight and analytics.

MCG Associates operates in a niche segment of the recruitment industry, but McGuire sees this as an advantage in a market

traditionally known for its ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to recruiting.

“We’re growing because we’re genuine specialists in what we do. You have to be able to understand the job your client has and the uniqueness of this region. And you have to match those two parts together closely,” he said.

Each of MCG Associates’ consultants has worked in the sector of the media and communications industry he/she represents.

For example, the person in charge of sourcing candidates for PR positions has worked in PR herself, same with the consultant handling all requirements for events, conferences and exhibitions roles.

“We’ve been very successful because we’ve sat on the other side of the fence and we understand the unique requirements and complications involved in doing those jobs,” McGuire added.

And perhaps due to several HR mistakes they have committed in the past, more and more clients today recognise the value of spending money on talent sourcing agencies such as MCG Associates.

“Some people try to save money and cut corners, but what they don’t realise is that if they don’t invest in a talent strategy – in using specialists to find the right people for their business – then in the long run, it’s going to cost them more money,” he said.

GROWTH PROSPECTS Initially, majority of their talent pool were relocated into the region from Europe. But the tides have now turned and demand has increased for Arabic-speaking talent, prompting them to source around 60% of

Justin McGuire

“I think most entrepreneurs would agree that there are times when you kind of get backed into a corner where your only way of responding is to come up with an idea or a business plan of your own. Mine was very much like that.” their candidates from the Middle East and North Africa (including the Levant) region, while the rest are from abroad.

They also have a growing pool of talents from North America and Latin America.

McGuire said their business and the diversity of their candidates reflect the multicultural nature of the region.

While Dubai remains MCG Associates’ strongest market in as far as demand for talent is concerned, they are also receiving requests from media and advertising companies based in Doha (Qatar), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Riyadh and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), and even as far afield as Singapore.

McGuire hopes to set up an office in Doha within a year as their operation expands

with renewed business activities in Qatar.

Asia is also shaping up to be a promising market for MCG Associates as they receive requests to supply talent in the continent.

Their goal is to have a branch in either Hong Kong or Singapore in the foreseeable future.

But McGuire envisions MCG Associates to go beyond providing just recruitment services and become a full-service HR consultancy, addressing the needs of four career life cycles: 1) graduate entry point, 2) talent retention, 3) recruitment replacement and growth and 4) top-end recruitment.

“We plan to work closely with universities in Beirut and Cairo, which are traditional markets for finding good junior Arabic-speaking talents. We’ll try to promote that into this region because there’s a lack

of talent at the junior level coming into the job market,” he explained.

Plans to create a training and development division are also underway to serve the company’s second and third agenda.

“Currently, clients call us up to source talents when someone in their company leaves. [Through this division, we hope to] help businesses retain their existing talent pool and grow their companies.”

In addition, McGuire said their company will next year launch an executive search division, which will work closely with major corporations to find CEOs and general managers.

So far, the future looks bright for MCG Associates… and they’re only four years old.

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Finesse: Enabling businesses Raju Ramesh and Sunil Paul, Co-Founders of Finesse talk about the changing dynamics of the IT sector

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ell us about the Finesse, when was it established?

Finesse was started in April 2010.

It took us almost a year to organize ourselves and get our first few customers in order to chase our dreams but looking back we managed to do it reasonably quickly.

Most others have not been so lucky.

What are the company’s core areas of expertise?

Our core expertise is in providing technology services to businesses. This requires competency not only in technology, but also in the entire business process, productivity management and enabling contiguous business decision-making.

We recognized at the time of the inception that people had changed the way they live and work. Therefore, it was only a matter of time that the need to have business applications available anytime, anywhere would be a very basic customer requirement. Cloud technology is a game changer and we have made sure that our business processes and productivity improvement expertise is geared towards meeting new paradigms.

What sets Finesse apart from the rest?

Our biggest strength is the way we approach an opportunity. In the traditional model the customer would have a requirement, which the vendor would quote against. However the consumption model is very different now.

What our customer buys is a combination of various things. It is typically a business application that needs to be implemented, plus a sizable amount of process redesign, including running the process as a service when required and finally a payment model where he can look at paying per month, per transaction, etc. When the cost is on OPEX the customer is extremely comfortable be-

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cause he knows he will pay only if his business is generating revenue and growing. He does not need to stick dollars up front that can be better used in servicing his customers.

Do you consider yourselves at Finesse as thought leaders and why?

We started Finesse during the recession when the bottom was still not visible. The general impression at that time in the Western world was that the economic power was going to shift to Asia. We subscribed to that theory after doing our analysis and made our investments accordingly. We already have operating offices in India as well as in Singapore and are in talks at Vietnam and Indonesia.

Thought leadership is just not about innovation. It is something that has various ingredients and we have ticked all the right boxes in the execution process.

What is your vision for the company?

We stand to build a world-class institution to positively impact the lives of people around us.

We want to be the preferred port of call for our customers and a safe dock for our employees as well as partners. That’s it.

However, this cannot be achieved without various other contributing factors. The first and foremost is the right competency and skill sets, followed by a great leadership team that is close to the customer and finally a culture of putting the customer first.

This happens only when teams believe that exemplary customer experience will be rewarded suitably and is more importantly in their interest as well.

So that means the best in class competency, best in class leadership and best in class organization culture. Our reward matrix will encompass all of these.

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3i Infotech: Satisfying customers 3i Infotech Limited’s Charanjit Attra, Executive Director & Global CFO and Ashish Dass, President walk back memory lane tracing the company’s incredible success.

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global IT company focusing on transforming businesses through innovation and technology, 3i Infotech has played a pivotal role in empowering numerous businesses big and small.

Talking about the journey, 3i Infotech’s Executive Director & Global CFO Charanjit Attra said, “We set up base in the Middle East over a decade ago by acquiring a company that was already selling ERP solutions and insurance products. To date, we have successfully completed over 600 ERP projects and more than 200 installations of our insurance products in the Middle East alone.”

Charanjit Attra manages the company’s overall business operations of the MEA region.

Continuing the discussion, 3i Infotech’s President Ashish Dass said: “We have come a long way from actually being an IT department in the ICICI bank. Technology has been central to the bank’s success, which has witnessed immense growth over the past 25 years of existence. 3i Infotech evolved into a business thanks to the farsightedness of the chairman of the board.”

The company initially established its global presence with the strategy of acquiring a list of companies that primarily focused on IT services and products with a product-centric approach applied in the European market and a services based approach in the US as well as Indian markets. It all began during the 2003-07 period when the company acquired about 40 firms in Europe, US, MEA and India. This led to the consolidation of the company worldwide.

“The firm has a staff of about 9000 employees globally and is listed in the National Stock Exchange in India with ICICI bank holding a majority of stake, apart from the public shareholders and list of investors,” stated Dass.

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Charanjit Attra

Gauging the immense potential of the emerging Middle Eastern market, 3i Infotech acquired the already well-established Insys Technologies in 2002. Based in the UAE, the company had been a running business since the 1980s. “There were essentially two In-

“Here at Infotech, we strive to get in touch with the real owners of the product and this is where we have the competitive edge.”

surance-focused premier products called PREMIA and ORION. We went forward with these two offerings and have experienced tremendous success all across the MENA region.”

En-route to even greater growth, the company decided to change its name to 3i Infotech in 2006. Between 30 to 35 percent of the company’s business comes from its ERP portfolio offered across the region.

Talking about Infotech’s products, Charanjit said: “We are also introducing our anti-money laundering products in the Middle East AMLOCK which is doing very well in India. We firmly believe in taking our relationships with customers to another level by constantly offering them groundbreaking technologies and newly enhanced products.”

Known for its innovation, 3i Infotech is continuously upgrading, enhancing as well as improving its list of products and services.

In a bid to meet the ever rising demands of customers, the company has recently introduced its ORION 11J on the Java platform, which is a highly configurable intelligence that allows top IT executives, CEOs, CFOs and CXO to use it. “Here at Infotech, we

Ashish Dass

strive to get in touch with the real owners of the product and this is where we have the competitive edge,” said Ashish Dass.

The buzzword at 3i Infotech is homegrown products and that is exactly where the company’s competitive advantage lies.

Ranked amongst the top four IT companies in the Middle East, the firm is a force to be reckoned as it provides the right fitment and solutions to its large client base.

Competing with goliaths like SAP, Microsoft and Oracle, 3i Infotech offers products and services pertaining to core banking and financial solutions, capital markets, asset & wealth management (BFSI) as well as anti money laundering and insurance sectors. The secret to the company’s success is its customer-centric approach and robust solutions, which are not only customized, but have been developed according to the region’s needs.

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Danube builds an empire Danube Group Chairman Rizwan Sajan continues to explore growth avenues as his company revenues swell to USD2.5bn.

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ubai’s stellar growth as an urban metropolis has catapulted Danube Group to its present position as the country’s leading supplier of building materials. Rizwan Sajan, who sits at the helm of this USD2.5-billion company, refuses to rest on the company’s laurels as he explores various growth avenues.

In 2014, Danube ventured into real estate, making post-recession history with its 171unit townhouse project called Dreamz. It was the first private property developer to sell out within just three hours after the project was launched. Sajan said entering the property scene was an organic move for Danube.

“I wanted to enter real estate 10 years ago.

But the market was unstable then, growing at a rapid rate, which was unsustainable,” he said. His patience boded him well as the property bubble of 2008–2010 resulted in better market regulations and policies designed to prevent the industry from going belly up.

After Dreamz, which will begin construction this year and completed by end-2016, Sajan has already set his sights on another real estate venture called Glitz, comprising studios, as well as 1- to 3-bedroom apartments in Studio City. The project will be launched in November 2014.

The Danube chief said competition may be intense, but they are confident about their projects because they target the underserved mid-market level.

BUYING INTO RETAIL In 2008, at the height of the economic slowdown, Danube opened Danube Home, its retail (B2C) division. “There was arguably a huge demand for a one-stop shop where people looking to furnish their apartments or villas can find everything they need under one roof,” Sajan said.

Danube Home sells fixtures and acces-

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sories from ceiling and bathroom tiles to chandeliers and wallpapers, but it’s the added service that makes it a sought-after destination. “It offers an efficient after-sales service and consultants are on hand to guide customers about the products they wish to buy. For example, we provide interior detailing, which allows customers to see how certain products would look like in a room.”

As a result, Danube Home is on an upward trajectory. Branches are expected to pop up in Riyadh, Oman, Qatar, as well as Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and plans are underway for a store on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai.

Sajan is also not one to shy away from new concepts, such as his latest teahouse brand Cha Cha Chai – Danube Group’s answer to popular ‘organised coffee shops’. There are currently five shops in operation, with five more to be launched before the end of 2014.

By next year, Danube plans to open one teahouse every month.

REVENUE GROWTH Danube Group is expecting overall revenue growth to jump by approximately 15% in 2014 to reach between USD2.3 and 2.5 billion. But with their real estate division coming into play, Sajan said the group could see their performance skyrocket to around USD3.5 billion in 2015.

The group currently has 2,000 staff across various locations in the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, India, China, Malaysia and Canada.

Amidst the company’s success, Sajan, who has been voted as one of the most influential Indian businessmen in the Gulf region, is not one to be complacent.

“For me, it’s all about the journey, not the destination,” he said.

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Rizwan Sajan

“There was arguably a huge demand for a one-stop shop where people looking to furnish their apartments or villas can find everything they need under one roof.”

Well equipped to face boom time GENAVCO’s President Isam Abu Nabah says they have raked in the benefits of UAE’s growth momentum as the economic dust settles.

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AE has put the financial crisis behind it as the country is abuzz anew with construction activities. Dubai alone has 10 mega-projects underway between now and 2030 worth around USD240 billion, according to reports.

The current infrastructure development windfall is fuelling growth for GENAVCO, one of the country’s major suppliers of commercial vehicles as well as construction, in-

dustrial and quarry equipment. Company President Isam Abu Nabah said they have even seen their recent growth performance exceeding pre-crisis levels – referring to 2008 before economic shock waves hit the GCC. “The recession had a strong impact on everybody in the construction industry and GENAVCO was no exception,” said Abu Nabah.

“But the impact to us was minimised because of the diversity of our product offerings.”

GENAVCO, which has over 20 major world-renowned brands in its equipment portfolio, also continued to acquire further range of products during the slowdown to complement their existing line-up, giving their customers a plethora of choices and allowing them to cater to business opportunities during the crisis.

Established in 1967, the Dubai-based firm has garnered trust from their customers over the years. “The companies that have survived the slowdown were mostly our loyal customers, who continued to do business with us because of the confidence they have in our products and services. All of these contributed to putting us in our current position,” added Abu Nabah.

CONFIDENCE RETURNS GENAVCO currently supplies ISUZU commercial vehicles and pick-ups as well as road construction equipment such as asphalt pavers, road rollers and milling machines. In addition to earth-moving equipment, materials handling equipment, power equipment and racking solutions.

They are also the authorized distributors of BP Lubricants. Their diverse product range and length of operation in the construction business mean that they had been instrumental in supplying the much-needed equipment for most of the UAE’s impressive development projects.

Isam Abu Nabah

With Dubai winning the bid to host Expo 2020, Abu Nabah said confidence is returning to the market and the company is well prepared to be among the major suppliers responding to the increasing demand of the construction market.

“In the coming years, we expect a robust demand for industrial machinery and equipment based on the projected infrastructure expansion plan ahead of the Expo 2020 and other projects across the UAE,” he said.

In preparation for the next wave of construction growth in the UAE, Abu Nabah confirmed GENAVCO’s expansion strategy that involves a three-pronged approach: continued product diversification, manpower increase and facilities enhancement – all of these will enable GENAVCO to become a comprehensive service provider to this sector.

“After the crisis, we focused our strategic direction towards further brands acquisition to enhance our existing portfolio and we will continue this practice as we widen our product base,” he said. With this comes a heightened recruitment drive as part of sales or technical support manpower plan.

Infrastructure expansion is on GENAVCO’s agenda as it anticipates the opening of its new facility that will feature the ‘4S’ divisions (sales, services, showrooms and spare parts) in Abu Dhabi in the next five months. Another major facility in Dubai’s Al Quoz area – spanning 45,000 square metres of space – will rise in the next three years.

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GENAVCO is all set to face the construction boom challenge.

Anand Kapoor counts start-up successes The Group Vice Chairman of MiDCOM shares his story about keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive.

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At just 41 years old, Anand Narain Kapoor, the Vice-Chairman of the MiDCOM group has seen his entrepreneurial undertakings grow by leaps and bounds to become a USD 1.5-billion enterprise, with presence in 17 countries throughout Africa and the Middle East. Born and raised in India, he moved to Uganda when he was barely 23 years old to work for a bank. But he realised soon enough that he wasn’t cut out for an ‘office job’ and took the entrepreneurial plunge with the help of an investment partner, setting up the Midland Forex Bureau in 1997.

In a short span of 15 years, he has spawned his business and ventured into Agro, Telecom, Real-estate and Consumer electronics.

Very few are also aware of the fact that Anand Kapoor, who had enrolled for an MBA course back in India, quit his course midway because he was hungry for bigger challenges. “I just can’t seem to settle down. I’m constantly on the lookout for business opportunities, eager to explore possibilities and see where the next adventure takes me,” he said.

DIVERSIFIED PORTFOLIO Many wonder how someone manages to criss-cross such lines in business where quarterly telecom sales are discussed alongside farm yields and milk processing capacity. Speaking of unconventional choices, Kapoor explains his time in Uganda as a period of quiet but significant transformation. After the success of the Forex Bureau, Kapoor could’ve focused on further growing the company, but his penchant for chal-

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lenge and his entrepreneurial zeal led him to diversify with vigour.

He has also dipped his toes into real estate, developing commercial and residential properties across Africa. Uganda, the business home for Kapoor and the MiDCOM group holds a special place in his heart. His other agro venture, Pearl Dairy also boasts of a manufacturing facility in Uganda capable of processing 500,000 litres of milk per day. The dairy plant setup in Mbarara, Uganda has been instrumental in providing a sustained source of livelihood for thousands of dairy farmers in Uganda’s milk production belt. His latest venture includes a strategic partnership with Samsung to assemble and distribute consumer electronics in Nigeria.

Overall, Kapoor directly employs thousands of staff across his network of businesses which provide a livelihood for over 10,000 families directly and indirectly in Africa and the Middle East. This enterprise also includes the Rainbow International School, one of the premier British curriculum schools in East Africa. Talking about Rainbow International School brings out a more personal side of Kapoor who recalls a time when his wife was a teacher there.

Since he took over the management of the school in 2001, his wife manages the activities as a Director of the School.

KAPOOR THE PERSONALITY Anand Narain Kapoor brings his own unique style to the business table. When

asked about where he gets his energy from, Kapoor credits his childhood which he spent in the by-lanes of Kanpur City, India. Right from an early age, Kapoor was an active sportsman. He was a member of the many sports teams in school and at one time even had aspirations of becoming a pilot. A cursory look around his office definitely draws your attention to the trophy shelf. One would expect these to be filled with the numerous business and corporate awards that his organization has won.

The company’s awards he says are placed in a shelf in the boardroom for all to see.

But this cabin is his personal space and the trophy shelf houses the numerous sporting accolades he has won over the years. There is a plethora of golfing awards, cricketing awards and acknowledgements for supporting sporting events.

Kapoor has been an avid golfer for many years now. He and his wife are regulars at the Emirates golf club and can be seen there almost every weekend. He also laughs and says that he got his executive team to join in every other weekend and has made them golfing converts. We walk towards his trophy shelf and he points at the pride of his collection, The Chairman’s Cup trophy which he won a couple of years back.

There are more golfing awards from the Indian Golfers society, NBF and Mashreq Gold that he proudly displays.

He also interjects to point out that MiDCOM has been also been a sponsor and supporter of many sporting events in the UAE and Africa. He cites the forthcoming

President’s Cup T20 cricket tournament in Abu Dhabi where MiDCOM is the sponsor.

This he says is a hallmark of his commitment to nurturing sporting talent wherever the opportunity presents itself. His association with the Abu Dhabi Cricket Council has been a long-standing one.

But his interest in a world outside business is not just relegated to team sports and the greens of the golf course. Kapoor is a major film buff and loves music. MiDCOM has been a sponsor for some of the most anticipated music concerts in the Middle East. Kapoor also excitedly talks about how the Indian day celebrations in Uganda were sponsored by the LATO milk brand that he owns. He talks about an acclaimed Indian singer who headlined this event that had 20,000 members of the Indian diaspora in Uganda grooving to her performance.

I ask Kapoor about where this fits into his personality as a businessman and he is quick to retort. He says that sports teaches you the importance of split second decision making. When push comes to shove, there are some hard choices that one needs to make and his involvement in sports has helped him do that he says. He stresses on teamwork and the importance of having a trust based relationship with his peers and his employees. When he delves a little deeper into the importance of sports in his career, he talks about how sports helped him understand the importance of team-spirit, about how it made him mentally tough and resilient and how it taught him to enjoy both success and failure.

Kapoor also mentions how he uses art and music as a very effective medium to engage in the marketing and branding of his company. He says that when he invites international musicians to Dubai and helps organize a concert for them, he can use that to either raise awareness about any cause that he believes in and at the same time improve the visibility of his company. His entrepreneurial journey is a reflection of his personality as his sportsman where dizzying heights go hand in hand with frustrating lows and through it all, Kapoor still comes out smiling and energetic as the captain of his ship.

WHAT’S NEXT The world seems to be Kapoor’s oyster and his adrenaline appears to be in constant rush to develop new ideas, explore new markets worldwide. His passion and dedication to entrepreneurship has caught the attention and respect of his peers. In 2014, he received the Non Resident Indian (NRI)

Anand Kapoor

of the Year award for excellence in Entrepreneurship and for two years running (2013 & 2014), Forbes Middle East named him as one of the Top 100 Influential Indian leaders in the UAE. There are many other accolades that have come his way and true to his nature, he takes it in his stride.

“I don’t chase numbers. I never planned to have a billion-dollar company, which is why I wouldn’t say that, for instance, I’m planning to have a USD2-billion company.

I believe the numbers are part of a greater journey. You have to start somewhere and make that thing work, then the numbers will come,” Kapoor said.

When asked about his plans for the Middle-East market, Kapoor never ceases to surprise with his proclamations. Kapoor mentions that in the coming year, the first fashion university of the Middle East, setup

by MiDCOM in collaboration with a leading Global University will be opening its doors to students. He aims to take advantage of the Dubai Design District project that is being developed in Dubai and create a talent pool that will redefine fashion in the Middle East in the coming years.

If that wasn’t surprising enough, he also says that there is an affordable housing project in the works in the Jumeirah Village Circle area. But perhaps his biggest dream is to grow from being a distributor of electronics and communication products to the level of a strategic partner of choice for principals. He hopes to achieve this goal by providing them the complete gamut of services required to support their business by building the capabilities from the ground up. The partnership with Samsung is one step in that direction and he has plans to expand rapidly to meet his goals.

NO SLOWING DOWN Anand Kapoor continues to stress on the fact that although his company has been around for the better part of two decades, they are still a start-up venture. He says that his focus is on continuing to keep the organization nimble and fast-moving to adapt with the changing times. One look at his office staff is enough to tell you that the employees are constantly on the move and the office is abuzz with activity. It is this culture that Kapoor says he has tried and ingrained into the ‘organization’s DNA’.

‘Disruptive growth’ is a buzzword for him and everyone around him. Over a casual chat with one of his employees, we learn how excited people are to be working for an organization like MiDCOM and under a management that always shoots for the stars.

When I mention this to Kapoor, he smiles and says, “At a very young age, I have recognised the importance of dedication and hard work. And this I impart to my team as well.

Over the years, we have worked very hard and gone through several challenges and I’m proud to say that we’ve overcame those obstacles to reach the stage where we are now.

We will remain committed to this principle in the years to come,” he said.

For budding entrepreneurs, who are still trying to find their solid footing in the vast, and often overwhelming, world of entrepreneurship, Kapoor has this nugget of wisdom to offer: “First of all is to dream and dream big. Believe in those dreams and work very hard to make them a reality and God will be kind to you.” For Kapoor, a combination of ambition, gutsiness and discipline will bode incredibly well towards achieving one’s goals.

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Talise Fitness, much more than a traditional gym After years of operation in Dubai, the fitness brand of the Jumeirah group, Talise Fitness, is ready to spread its wings in the Middle East and globally.

Cedric Betis, Group Director of Wellness for the Jumeirah Group, reveals the brand’s winning strategy and expansion plan.

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n the fast-growing, competitive world of fitness, the recipe for success is only known to a select few. For Talise Fitness, the key lies in the brand’s holistic approach; the synergy created between Talise Fitness, Talise Spa and Talise Nutrition.

“Talise Fitness model is based upon people’s aspirations. Our responsibility is to create a support system that will assist people to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Happy members are the best brand ambassadors and we decided to enhance the relationship to a new level,” highlights Betis.

“We are now joining forces with our members by taking part with them in the most iconic fitness events, such as the Dubai Desert Warrior Challenge and the Wadi Bih Run. This is also a very good excuse to celebrate and indulge ourselves when our members reach their personal objectives!”

Talise Fitness’s portfolio in Dubai now includes four outlets in strategic locations – Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab, and Jumeirah Emirates Towers, as well as outlets in managed properties such as Jumeirah Zabeel Saray.

“Talise Fitness is a Dubai-based concept that took its inspiration from New York. We realized there was a lot of synergy between the two cities. Similar to New York, Dubai is a multicultural and trend-setting city where people travel to and live in to achieve their ambitions. That’s how we came up with our New York style loft design for all our gyms.”

The year 2013 marked a new beginning for Talise Fitness. The main focus was to gradually exit from the existing ‘hotel gym model’ and transit towards a more com-

mercial approach that would pave the way for future growth.

“We wanted to create a strong brand identity that could add value to the Jumeirah Group and generate the highest return on investment for our shareholders. We went through a rebranding exercise, created new processes and implemented industry KPIs,” explains Betis. “Talise is now following the growth and expansion plan of the Jumeirah Hotels. We are following a strategic expansion plan for extending the Talise Fitness footprint both locally and internationally.”

To keep up with the latest in fitness technology and innovation, every year the Talise team attends global industry conferences like IHRSA and FIBO in the United States and Europe. Finally, Betis highlights the importance of investing in employees.

“We place great attention towards the development of our staff. We collaborated with MefitPro to develop an educational platform and provide our staff with the latest training qualifications.” Indeed, Talise Fitness is consistently improving their operation and recently partnered with industry leaders like Technogym for their fitness equipment and Reebok as their official apparel partner.

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Talise Fitness provides an excellent health and lifestyle program in combination of nutrition, fitness and general health practices to educate and develop a healthier lifestyle for the corporate workforce. To know how you can improve energy levels, concentration at work and social well-being, please contact Judit Toth – Corporate Wellness at Judit.toth@jumeirah.com

20 Cedric Betis

Join with a friend and get the second membership on a 50% discount.

Promotion is valid only through October. Ladies will receive a discounted voucher for mammography by Mediclinic.

For more information call: Madinat Jumeirah - 04 366 6821 or log on to www.jumeirah.com/taliseoctoberoffer

Granteq: Innovating human interactions Face-to-face interactions are rapidly converging into online communication, yet maintaining the basic aspects of human communication that are crucial to the success of industries, as Girish Narayanan, managing director of Granteq, reveals.

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long-established provider of innovative Learning, Communication and Technology (LCT) solutions, Granteq has won the trust of many industry leaders, including GE, Landmark Group, Khalifa University, and Noor Bank. The company caters to almost all vertical industries, from education, hospitality, and oil and gas, to government, retail and healthcare.

“We have a product or solution for every industry, whether it’s a simple home-based user, an enthralling experience-centre or a complex control and command centre,” says Narayanan.

NEW INDUSTRY NEEDS With chronic illnesses on the rise due to various demographic and lifestyle reasons, Granteq has solutions that can be used in setting up telemedicine programs and managing chronic patient care, with the ability to scale and cover thousands of patients.

“Telehealth is rapidly changing, and with technology, patients are using tele-psychiatry services with their therapists for shorter, more frequent sessions,” elaborates Narayanan. “They can now contact their therapists when they’re in need of immediate consultation, which results in improved patient outcomes.”

“SMEETS is ideal for midsize businesses, educational institutes, government departments and large corporates as it can handle the management of visitors, catering, and facilities, as well as TV, digital signage and act as an information kiosk during emergency evacuations,” explains Narayanan. “We’ve thought of the little things.

For example, SMEETS has an integration capability with conferencing systems where participants can join meetings remotely via their hand-held smart phones.”

To stay ahead of innovation, Granteq works closely with its technology partners, and spends considerable time attending seminars, world-renown trade shows and most importantly, talking with customers. “We will continue to innovate human interactions, and expect to launch Granteq Global by 2017 to expand our reach into all emerging markets.”

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The need for human interaction is also growing in online banking, a segment which Granteq caters to with complete face-to-face, online video-banking solutions. “There’s a demand now for visual communication in online banking, which is an important factor in maintaining customer relationships.”

When it comes to education, a budget-restricted sector, different needs arise. “Think of audibility as loudness, and intelligibility as clarity. If you want to hear something, you may turn up the volume, but if you want to understand what you’re hearing, volume just doesn’t cut it,” Narayanan stresses.

“That’s when you need speech intelligibility. We provide teachers with powerful audio tools that inspire successful communication, eventually resulting in every student having equal access to learning and strengthening the teacher-student relationship”.

CONFERENCING ON THE GO Granteq deals with an impressive selection of technology partners, including CTouch, Lightspeed, Vidyo, Phoenix, Vivitek and Cisco.

However, in the summer of 2014, the company achieved a milestone when it launched its own product, SMEETS, designed to enhance workspace efficiency and premise management.

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Girish Narayanan

Arkhurst & Abdellah: Sailing companies to sustainable success In a city where thousands of foreign companies have established their operations, confusions over legal compliance, corporate governance, and funding options are not uncommon.

Jennifer Arkhurst, Director and Solicitor at Arkhurst & Abdellah Consultancy, shares her experiences in dealing with Dubai’s corporate world.

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s a boutique consultancy practice working with small and large firms, Arkhurst & Abdellah has handled a diverse range of requests since its establishment in 2012. Led by a team of specialists in corporate and commercial matters, the Jumeirah Lake Towers based consultancy focuses on minimizing legal spend through innovative solutions.

“Our mission is to encourage companies to adopt best business practices as well as save them thousands of dollars in wasted revenue,” says Jennifer Arkhurst, a British lawyer with 15 years’ experience advising management teams and boards of directors of Dubai and UK listed companies.

“From the outset, we’ve attracted the interest of multinationals and a good number of our clients have a presence overseas.”

Indeed, Arkhurst and Abdellah have been working on corporate issues for a world-renown French lingerie group, a Swiss conglomerate specialising in F&B, in-flight catering for VIP’s and private jets and more closer to home, an international conglomerate owned by a Sheikha.

“We receive numerous enquiries relating to preparing agreements associated with forming a company in the UAE, such as joint ventures, collaboration agreements, memorandums of association, shareholder agreements and mediating disputes relating to collecting receivables and service related issues” notes Arkhurst & Abdellah. “We strive to prevent companies from having legal problems in the first place instead of focusing on solutions”.

Regulated by the Law Society of England and Wales, Arkhurst & Abdellah has also been the consultancy of choice for many SMEs, who make up about 60% of their client base and often seek assistance with agreements and locating Emirati sponsors and angel investors.

According to Arkhurst, SMEs in the UAE aren’t typically prepared for the challenges of the UAE business community, whether it’s the expense associated with setting up, sustaining their companies over the long term, or the local business etiquette and changes to local laws and regulations.

“Many SMEs are eager to expand too quickly, hence develop expensive habits that could result in problems further down the line. Attention is rarely given to corporate governance, managing business risk and succession planning. The sudden death of a business partner and the effects of Sharia and the UAE laws for example, could have a drastic effect on business continuity”.

Jennifer Arkhurst

A large number of companies looking to set up in Dubai, according to Arkhurst, come from Europe and Africa, as a result of the UAE government’s initiatives to build closer business ties with Africa, the business opportunities that Dubai’s World Expo 2020 will create for entrepreneurs and government initiatives to support women and SME’s in business.

Clearly, Arkhurst and Abdellah have been successful in executing their unique ideas, thanks to their positive attitude and commitment to their mission and core va-

lues. “We take a collaborative approach to the success of the business community at large and not only our own success. We like to see our clients’ and other businesses thrive, especially SME’s”.

“Our warmest gratitude and thanks to the UAE leaders, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, UAE Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and the successful and highly inspirational Emirati business women” concludes Arkhurst.

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Software that supports sales during sales meetings themselves

Ville Silventola & Lauri Ruhala

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ccording to a survey conducted by the American Marketing Association, only 10% of all sales materials created by a company’s marketing organization end up being used by sales representatives. Similarly, a survey conducted by the IDC states that B2B-sales representatives spend approximately 30 hours per month preparing materials for sales meetings. Salesframe, a B2B sales enablement application, strengthens internal communication between a company’s sales and marketing organizations as well as gives sales representatives the tools they need to better engage their customers and promote the value of their portfolio.

“B2B sales has changed significantly over the past few years and this can be traced back to a significant shift in buying processes. The amount of information available to a buyer has grown exponentially with the arrival of the internet which has led to sales being excluded from participating in the early phases of a customer’s buying journey. When a buyer finally decides to meet with potential suppliers, they expect more than ever from those coming to meet them.

Sales representatives need to be able to generate value in every meeting by providing the customer with information not found

online while also demonstrating how the offered solution would support the customer’s business.” summarizes Ville Silventola, CEO of Salesframe.

“However a recent study by the Aberdeen Group indicates that over 70% of a company’s brand image is generated by sales representatives in the field. This means that effective sales still matter.”

“Salesframe is a revolutionary B2B Sales Enablement tool that helps b2b companies close more deals.”

Salesframe is an application for managing and distributing sales materials that are used in B2B-sales meetings. The app is currently in use at numerous top companies based in the Nordic countries. The tool works both in offline and online modes which allows sales representatives to access their portfolio and sales materials regardless of their location. The application also gathers data from its users and allows marketing and sales managers to analyze sales meetings, goals and content usage. ”We like to think of Salesframe as the Google of sales meetings. It helps sales reps to react to customer needs and questions on the fly by providing the right content at the right time. We aim to give people in the field a toolbox that brings marketing and sales organizations closer together. Salesframe is a great tool for communicating content needs to marketing while still at

the customer and this gives organizations greater flexibility in creating content that is actually needed in sales situations.” comments Lauri Ruhala, Business Development Director of Salesframe.

Silventola is keen to point out that while traditionally a sales representative prepares a handful of ways to pitch to a customer, Salesframe gives the reps a chance to discuss any subject that pops up without having to organize a new meeting. To emphasize this, Salesframe users have access to interactive content such as ROI and TCO calculators that allow reps to present what kind of impact an investment would have on the customer’s business. ”We have reference cases where our customers have been able to triple their prices over a few years while also increasing their market share and revenue by utilizing interactive content.”

Visit our website www.salesframe.com and book a demo session or a meeting!

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Mediclinic: Orchestrating best possible results CEO David Hadley talks to Content Group International about Mediclinic’s roadmap to market leadership and the UAE healthcare industry.

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n 1983, one of the world’s biggest private healthcare groups, Mediclinic International, was established in South Africa.

Headquartered in Stellenbosch, the group currently operates 52 hospitals in Southern Africa, 16 in Switzerland, two hospitals and nine clinics across the UAE. “Mediclinic was founded by our current chairman Dr. Edwin Hertzog who is an

anesthesiologist by trade. After experiencing immense success in South Africa, a decision was made to expand offshore and after investigating many markets, we decided to establish another base in the Middle East. Mediclinic Middle East officially set up business in Dubai by acquiring a 51% stake in Welcare World, owned by the Varkey Group, in 2007,” revealed CEO David Hadley.

In 2008, when the world was at the peak of recession, Mediclinic inaugurated City Hospital - a state of the art healthcare facility.

“To be fair, we might have not expanded had the recession started a year earlier but we just missed it. We were literally knee deep in the Middle Eastern and Swiss markets when the downturn occurred. It is interesting to note that the City Hospital opened at the height of the crash. There were challenges of course but I think we came out with flying colours,” he said.

Mediclinic has grown quite rapidly with 11 facilities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and almost 80 facilities worldwide. “It makes us the fifth largest group by market capitalisation. In Dubai, we are obviously the biggest with an aim to continuously grow in the UAE,” the CEO said.

A private healthcare provider, Mediclinic focuses on the services side of this sector, offering technologically advanced health-centric facilities, world-class doctors, pioneering radiology departments, laboratories and so forth. “We cover the full spectrum from primary, secondary to tertiary care. In South Africa and Switzerland we do highly specialised medicine and transplant surgeries, which David Hadley

is an area we are beginning to develop in the UAE with the introduction of the Mediclinic City Hospital’s North Wing project” he said.

Owning and operating some of the most respected facilities across the UAE, Mediclinic Middle East runs its business under the same philosophy as Mediclinic International, which is the ‘Science of Care’. Its formidable list of facilities includes: Mediclinic Welcare Hospital, Mediclinic City Hospital.

Medclinic Dubai Mall, Mediclinic Ibn Battuta, Mediclinic Meadows among others.

Talking about the Middle Eastern healthcare industry and particularly the UAE, the CEO notes that the market is nascent and still in the infancy stage. “Although the market is immature in terms of healthcare, I think the country is very dynamic and is changing very quickly. Dubai especially is very progressive and the ruler wants to facilitate the burgeoning population of locals and expats by firmly establishing the healthcare sector. The government is very forward thinking in its approach and is making sure that regulatory issues, billing processes etc. are addressed. There are lots of policies coming into place in terms of mandatory healthcare and these will positively impact the sector” he remarked.

Listed on the Johannesburg stock exchange, corporate governance is a part of company culture. This is how Mediclinic runs its business. Striving to maintain market leadership in the UAE and across the Middle Eastern region, the group plans to open more healthcare facilities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi as well as in Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah in the future. Keeping a close look out for opportunities in other emirates, Mediclinic insists on ensuring the highest quality of service orchestrated to deliver the best possible results.

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Taaleem humanises education Ros Marshall, Chief Executive Officer of Taaleem, discusses why they are taking a holistic approach to growing their business.

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ducation has become a big business in the GCC – and for obvious reasons. Rapid population growth and the region’s strong economic position are expected to elevate the education market (both public and private) to a USD61-billion industry by 2015, according to a recent report.

However for UAE-based school management company Taaleem, the business of education is about inspiring young minds to compete on the global stage and become leaders in their own right.

“We’re very conscious of the different demographics of each of our schools and make sure that our students are given the best opportunities to become lifelong learners with critical thinking skills and open minds,” said Ros Marshall, CEO of Taaleem.

Learning in Taaleem schools goes beyond the classroom as students are also exposed to outreach programmes to help marginalised communities in Africa and Asia, as well as inter-cultural understanding programmes worldwide.

While competition is rife in the UAE private education market, Taaleem sets itself apart by seeking to recruit and retain high-quality talented staff.

“Every school has definitive facilities and infrastructure, but Taaleem schools are all about people. The quality of a school never exceeds the quality of its teachers. We recruit the best teachers, and provide appropriate support and challenge for them to enable them to nurture and inspire the children in their care,” Marshall added.

“Education is an emotional buy for parents and they need to be able to trust you as educators. Our investors also understand that preparing children to be future leaders is a long-term investment. As shareholders, they have been very patient and interested to know that we’re actually growing responsibly.”

STEADY GROWTH

FOCUS ON THE UAE

Taaleem currently has a portfolio of six K-12 schools – five in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi – offering British, American and International Baccalaureate (IB) curricula. Its three pre-schools in Dubai offer the International Primary Curriculum and the International Curriculum for Languages and Creative Arts. This year Taaleem opened its Dubai British Foundation in Jumeirah Islands, which will feed into the company’s next British school in Jumeirah Park to open in September 2015.

For now, UAE remains a prime focus for Taaleem, especially with potential growth opportunities ahead in support of the Dubai Expo 2020. Abu Dhabi is also seeing a similar uptrend as it undergoes a major urban transformation.

Although growth is concentrated in the UAE, Marshall said Taaleem actively shares its expertise with organisations and school operators, who want to improve the quality of education in their respective countries across the GCC and the wider MENA region.

Taaleem is also growing its own talents to cope with the increasing demand for outstanding teachers. Already the company is one of the world’s largest providers of IB training workshops and its Jumeira Baccalaureate School hosts the regional American Common Core Conference.

Marshall said managing the performance and development of its people remains an essential part of Taaleem’s DNA.

Over the past decade since its inception, Taaleem has grown consistently to cater to the increasing needs of the UAE population.

But Marshall said they are not keen to jump on the rapid expansion bandwagon.

“It’s a measured pace of growth, rather than rushing off into different directions and putting up schools on every corner,” she said.

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Roots Group Arabia

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oots group Arabia is an integrated building and construction firm which operates across vast geographical territory that extends from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Nigeria, China and Malaysia. The group`s operations are classified under three sections namely:

such as Case Construction, Bosch, Vikrant, and Hawk Energy Solutions.

(B) Manufacturing of building construction materials (steel and timber products in particular) (C) Construction Services: integrated Designing solutions ranging from interior and exterior design to furnishing luxurious construction projects.

(A) Distribution of construction tools, building materials and equipment including wrenches and scaffolding, ect. This includes retail, wholesale and special projects. The group cooperates with international names

Over the years the group have developed an integrated structure of operations which includes manufacturing and distributing construction materials and equipment in addition to interior design of hotels, palaces

and private compounds. The group also cooperates with third party suppliers to provide its clients with the required equipment and materials.

The structure of the group operations is designed to facilitate its multiple activities so they can focus on contractors and construction companies requirements.

Roots group has built its long term strategy in light of the expected future growth of the construction industry in the Middle East, which is expected to develop significantly over the few coming years. The group`s strategy aims at meeting the growing demand of contractors and construction companies.

Roots group has access to a steady flow of construction projects in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, this is attributed to the fact that the group constantly cooperates with major construction companies in the Middle East. Roots group employs more than 7300 employee.

The group`s total revenues for 2013 was SAR 3,437 million of which 60% is derived from distribution, 27% from design and construction and 13% from manufacturing. the group`s net profit was SAR 299 million.

The Group operates through ten warehouses in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Medina, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Beirut, Damascus and Kuala Lumpur. Roots also operates Gulf depot which is a chain of 38 construction equipment and materials outlets of which 30 outlets are in Saudi Arabia. The group`s revenue is expected to reachSAR 4,000 Million in 2014.

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CEO: Eng. Ousama Dahir Fansa

Chairman of the Board: Mr. Mohammed Taher al-Dabbagh

(51 years old)

(59 years old)

Education: Fansa, a Syrian national, earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the American University in Beirut in 1986.

Education: Taher al-Dabbagh, a Saudi citizen, graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor in Political Science from the University of Michigan, USA.

Experience: Fansa Joined Roots back in 1986, he then held the position of project engineer. He was then promoted top project coordinator in 1989. and in 1991 Ousama was promoted to the position of project manager and then Director of the Office in 1993. in 1995 he was appointed director-general of the group, then he was appointed as Group Chief Executive Officer in 2004 and a member of the Board of Directors in 2010.

Experience: Taher al-Dabbagh began his career as a trainee at the Saudi Investment Bank in the year 1982,he has held several positions before leaving the bank in the year 1985. After that he joined the United Saudi Commercial Bank and served as a branch manager during the period from 1985 to 1988. In 1989 Taher al-Dabbagh joined Saudi Cairo Bank as manager of the corporate banking business and then moved on in 1992 to work as a

district manager for the Saudi Hollandi Bank.

During his service with the Saudi Hollandi bank al-Dabbagh held few executive positions most recently was the general manager of the bank in the western region before being appointed CEO of Saudi Hollandi Capital in July 2007 until his resignation in March 2012.Since June 2013 al-Dabbagh serves as an adviser to ABN Amro bank - Luxembourg. al-Dabbagh has accepted to chair Roots group board of directors in August 2010 and still holds the position.

Empowering women of the future Meera Kaul Foundation’s noble vision takes it from the Middle East and Africa to Asia in a bid to narrow the gender divide.

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ith women comprising 50% of the world’s population, it makes economic sense to hone their skills so they can participate in national development, said Meera Kaul, a serial entrepreneur, angel investor and philanthropist.

Kaul, who has broken that proverbial glass ceiling after training as a lawyer and making significant strides in information technology, is taking the gender parity campaign to a global platform through her namesake foundation.

A not-for-profit organisation set up in 2011, Meera Kaul Foundation (MKF) exists to address the sea of gender inequality prevalent in many of the emerging economies, where there’s still an alarming lack of respect and opportunities for women. These areas also have a dearth of female role models, who have the capacity to inspire their respective communities.

“We’re talking about some economies where, sadly, women are not even treated as human beings,” she said.

MULTIFACETED APPROACH The US-based foundation has sponsored and organised several projects in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, with funding coming from Kaul’s own contributions, as well as grants from various organisations that support their cause. For MKF, investing in women is not only necessary, it is essential.

“There are two things that are very important for us to make an investment or support a project: 1) the idea has to be viable and must be primarily women-led, 2) whatever the project is, it must impact the community in a positive way,” said Kaul.

And in pursuing their objectives, MKF takes a multi-dimensional approach through training, mentoring and capacity building initiatives to eradicate gender bias and en-

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courage women to consider careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

MKF also conducts gender sensitisation programmes for corporations to encourage critical reflection that challenges gender stereotypes; in addition to mentoring programmes for schools, colleges and companies to better understand and appreciate gender diversity.

NUMBERS SPEAK LOUDER Kaul is passionate about encouraging women to take up degrees in STEM and explore entrepreneurial ventures as current studies suggest women have yet to realise their full potential.

In 2014 alone, around 70% of the 1.3 billion people in the world who live below the poverty line are women. Over 650 million women are still illiterate, around 121 million children still do not have access to education and 60% of these children are girls.

“There was a time when a person’s capacity to perform a job is based on physical strength. That is not the case anymore, but why is it that women still lag behind in economic participation and opportunity,” said Kaul, who believes that women should look at degrees that open up job opportunities – at the moment, these are prevalent in fields such as technology and the sciences.

The foundation works very closely with their community partners to ensure that projects are delivered successfully. While Kaul admits that more things need to be done to address the persistent gaps in gender disparity, MKF is digging in for the long haul.

“Across the board, there are plenty of opportunities to make a difference and change people’s lives,” she concluded.

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Meera Kaul

“Bigger challenges are better” Batco is a perfect example of what a thought leader is.

The group has executed some of the most challenging public works in the UAE and is regularly called upon for its expertise in mountain protection.

Camille Ghantous, UAE Area Manager at Batco Group of Companies, reveals the underlying strategy that has taken the group from strength to strength.

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tarting off in Beirut in the early nineties, BATCO was founded as construction company for public works, and was the only firm to be working on waterworks tunnels at the time.

One thing led to another, and the environmental experience resulted in winning a landfill management contract.

“We brought in Lavajet, an Italian waste-management service provider in a joint venture (JV) and ended up acquiring the larger part of the company,” says Camille Ghantous.

As the firm continued to grow in the construction and waste management fields, it was selected to execute a major part of the Bahrain City Centre Interchange – the company’s first project outside of Lebanon.

“From the start, we had a very strong affinity for bridges and tunnels. So it was easy for us to earmark projects”.

MOVING INTO THE EMIRATES By 2007, BATCO Construction had expanded into the UAE after being awarded two projects; the first as part of a JV working on the Dubai Bypass Road, or Emirates Road as it’s known today. “We completed the structural work and underpasses, and our partners did the roadworks. We also landed a waste management contract for the city cleaning of half of Al Ain with Lavajet.”

BATCO’s presence in the UAE grew rapidly, and in 2013, the group made its second acquisition, buying 55% in Emit, an Italian company specializing in sewage and water treatment plants. “Acquiring Emit gave us a bigger reach in the GCC, and we’re now expanding into Africa, where we have a project in Nigeria,” notes Camille. The acquisition also paved the way to European countries where Emit is present. “We are now in a position to tender for all three companies.”

From its offices in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, BATCO currently works with governments and has contracts in place for city cleaning and landfills. At the same time, the group is involved with public works throughout the country, including the UAE’s largest tunnel in Khorfakkan.

“We tend to focus on challenging projects, technically and time-wise, which is good because you feel that you’re part of something great and the margins are better,” explains Camille. “We also target projects where you don’t need to frequently mobilize and demobilize. Working on long-term projects is more beneficial from our point of view”.

CHALLENGING PROJECTS To illustrate the extent of the challenges undertaken by BATCO, a major project in Fujeirah saw the company carve out a 44-kilometre road through the mountains, and similar projects were carried out in Dibba and on the mountain of Jebel Hafeet.

“We’re the only company to bring specialists and rock climbers that go 80 metres high with ropes and carry out geotechnical analyses to ensure that all the mountains are stable,” notes Camille.

Outside of the UAE, BATCO is working on a massive, Dh1.3 billion project in Oman, which comprises bridges, roads and tunnels.

The company is also active in Nigeria, where it’s building bridges over troubled waters, in a project worth $260 million.

Although the company’s scope of work is not primarily focused on building contracting, this hasn’t stopped it from tackling rehabilitation projects. “We renovated the ancient site of Silos at Beirut Port, and we completed a similar project in Al Ain, where we renovated an old castle to become a museum and heritage site.”

Camille Ghantous

FUTURE DEMAND On his outlook for the construction industry, Camille expects to see ongoing demand for public works within the region.

“It has to do with the fact that governments have plans to open up new areas and release the congestion”.

In the transportation field, the future looks even brighter in light of planned railways, subways, trams and metros. “This is a booming sector in the GCC. Cities that have already developed their infrastructure are now suffocating. To alleviate this, they have to look at improved means of transportation.”

Similarly, marine works represent a lucrative market, highlights Camille, thanks to a drive by governments to expand their trade and commerce, which requires the expansion of the maritime and ports sector.

As BATCO’s experience continues to gain in strength, the company will be eyeing more geographic markets, specifically in Africa, a market “still in its infancy”, but also in Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union states.

The group is also keen on pursuing more challenging work, including a construction project on the horizon that will involve dealing with coral reefs. “Our balance sheets and experience shows that the bigger the challenge, the better the results,” concludes Camille.

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tangramGulf: globally positioned; locally delivered!

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orking on mega projects in the MENA region and beyond, tangramGulf offers a formidable portfolio of services across all disciplines including architectural, master-planning and landscape design, interiors, medical planning, civil and structural engineering. Design Director, Sandra Woodall talks about the company’s success and vision for the future.

Tell us about the company, when was it established? tangramGulf has been in the Middle Eastern region for almost 25 years. We are a fully integrated design and management company, with headquarters in the UK and studios in Dubai, Abu Dhabi as well as Doha. The firm is supported by our colleagues at tangramEurope in London, tangramAsia in Hong Kong and Guangzhou PRC, and at tangramMENA in Algiers.

What are your core areas of expertise?

We serve a wide variety of market sectors ranging from master planning to civic and community buildings, sports facilities, hotels and resorts, residential complexes, educational campuses and mixed-use developments. Our designs for hospitals, clinics, research facilities and laboratories have won many accolades and received recognition worldwide. We are presently involved in tourism, leisure and hospitality projects.

What competitive edge do you have over others?

We are a design driven studio, with a wealth of experience across the region. As group design director, I have been based in the Gulf for 20 years, and bring an understanding of the regional culture and traditions into all of our designs. We collaborate and transfer skills as well as knowledge from our studios across the world.

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Sandra Woodall

What in your opinion is sustainability and how can it be incorporated to assure best practices?

Sustainability is at the very core of our designs and our practice’s ethos. Our efforts have been lauded by the industry and we have been awarded the “Sustainable Design of the Year 2013” by Middle East Architect Magazine. We were also runners up of Construction Week’s “GCC Sustainable Project of the Year 2013.” tangramGulf promotes technical interaction required to create robust, integrated sustainable design solutions, which produce tangible benefits for the environment, communities as well as our clients’ businesses.

How do you envision the future - business wise?

We are very much looking forwards to consolidating our position in this region.

Our strength lies in social infrastructure projects, healthcare, education and public amenities, which remain in strong demand.

Alongside is our emerging tourism and leisure expertise, which also represents a very strong growth area for development. We have proven our commitment to the region by ensuring that our legacy is that of sustainable investment, the development of social capital and opportunity for future generations.

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Liana Technologies: Empowering today’s online marketers Liana Technology is an innovative IT company, specializing in digital marketing and communication software. Headquartered in Finland, the firm has offices around the globe from the Nordic region to Russia, China, Germany and France. Their Middle East operations are managed from Dubai.

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ne of the fastest growing Finnish IT companies, Liana Technologies was established in 2004 and has a staff of over 100 employees across all offices. The company has been ranked in the Deloitte technology Fast 500 EMEA list for the past three years consecutively. “We develop software for digital marketing professionals. Our cloud-based, online marketing tools are technologically headache-free solutions that allow marketers to focus on content and business matters. Liana’s offerings include email marketing and marketing automation, content management and ecommerce platforms as well as solutions for PR and communication teams,” revealed General Manager Liana Technologies, Janne Kilpelainen.

Liana Technologies’ portfolio of products allow online marketers to focus on their core businesses while knowing the complex Internet technologies are taken care of by a trusted partner. “Since all our products have been developed with interoperability in mind, it enables us to provide customers with solutions tailored to their needs and requirements,” he added.

DIGITAL MARKETING: TARGETING THE MOBILE USERS

The increasing usage of mobile devices brings an additional challenge to marketers, especially in the UAE where smartphone penetration is one of the highest in the World. It is just not enough to create a website or email newsletter for large screens only. By using a responsive web design, businesses can rely on their content to be always displayed correctly; regardless of the devices used. Whether the person at the other end is using a smartphone, tablet or a desktop, the content automatically scales to the right layout.

Janne Kilpelainen

According to Janne Kilpelainen, effective online marketing delivers the message to the right recipient, at a right time with the right content.

“With today’s software and technology, it is possible to create dynamic content that is personalized according to each individual recipient.

Every customer is overloaded with daily marketing messages. Only the carefully crafted and strategically placed messages will reach intended recipients, ensuring the desired outcome,” he concluded.

The overall marketing landscape has changed and the clock speed of how things are done is getting faster in online world. “To cope with the fast paced online communication, marketing professionals need advanced, yet easy-to-use tools to produce, publish and share valuable content. Instead of always having to rely on the help from IT team or to have somebody interpret the results, marketers can today do it all of it by themselves – easily, fast and independently”, he says.

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The Einstein behind banking, healthcare and country branding in the region

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e paces around the room as he talks, the words come fast and sharp, as they try to keep pace with his thoughts and ideas, some of which can be summed-up as ‘ahead of their time’.

Hence, it would come as a surprise to note that David Tavakoli, the young founder of Brandstein, is a humble entrepreneur who’s not quite famous for taking credit for his innovative ideas.

Brandstein ranked as the top 10 creative branding agencies in UAE is his main passion business. The agency that delivers ‘creative genius’ is surprisingly positioned as affordable, compared to other regional branding agencies, despite having branded dozens of well-known brands.

“I spent a decade perfecting my tactics on a trial and error basis. I have lost the list of things I lost in the process! I still think I know nothing of being an entrepreneur,” he said. Despite achieving sound success with two of his ventures, David appears to be like a long-distance runner, warming up before a marathon until this point of his life. He has got four patented inventions and a handful of unique business plans. No wonder then that one of his priorities is to get the right partnership in place: “I’d welcome an investor to partner on Brandstein to make more of them come to life.”

When it comes to branding and entrepreneurial spirit, his approach is simplification. As he puts it himself: “In the era that identities are turning out to be identical, simplicity seems to be the ultimate sophistication.”

“It takes an effort to simplify and I have finally managed to seed that in my business perspective.” He quotes from Einstein, “If you can’t simplify it, you don’t have a point.”

Taking branding of cities to the next level he speaks of HQ. “HQ is the Happiness

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“In the era that identities are turning out to be identical, simplicity seems to be the ultimate sophistication.”

Quotient,” as he calls it, which unlike IQ can be easily increased. “I’m certain HQ, besides its obvious importance in denizens’ life, has a significant role in everyday productivity, crime rate, even economics, tourism and more.” He seems concerned about how genuinely happy people of the UAE are ranked compared to other countries. He speaks of a set of uplifting visuals on public transportation, engaging traffic light moments and a honk-less town technology he proposed to Roads and Transport Authority, as a few of the ideas that can strategically enhance a city’s overall HQ. He is also working on a ‘TED’ talk on Audio/Visual Pollution as one of the most important factors in cities’ HQ. Although too many ideas make him sound incoherent on a few, David wanders on a wide range of unique entrepreneurial concepts.

“We’ve mastered it the unconventional way at Brandstein. We innovated evolving identities as well as ambience and sense branding for example. Now I feel comfortable expanding it further.” He doesn’t sound perturbed by other agencies in town as he believes what Brandstein has prepared itself to do is now unbeatable.

Summing it up, David said, “Having worked with the giant creative agencies in town, I refused to get greedy early and was working on a folio instead of fishing for profit”. He is clearly not a great salesman, however, with a little impetus this company could possibly be worth 10 times its current audited value and reach the magical 8 zeros in the near future.

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David Tavakoli

“I spent a decade perfecting my tactics on a trial and error basis. I have lost the list of things I lost in the process! I still think I know nothing of being an entrepreneur.”