Luminary Pakistan First Edtion

LUMINARY

FEEL THE DIFFERENCE WITH PAKISTAN’S FASTEST 4G NETWORK ZONG

Enlightening Business

32

MICROSOFT AIMS TO LEAD WITH INNOVATION Exclusive Interview With Mr. NADEEM A. MALIK

44

DRIVEN BY INNOVATION Exclusive Interview With Mr. AHSAN IMRAN SHEIKH

PAKISTAN’S HIGHEST TAX PAYER BILLIONAIRE

CHAIRMAN NISHAT GROUP

KING OF BUSINESS POSITIVE FACE OF PAKISTAN THE FACE THAT MEANS BUSINESS LEADING ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSIFIED BUSINEES GROUP IN PAKISTAN AND SOUTH EAST ASIA WITH OVER TEN BILLION US DOLLARS WORTH ASSETS

POWERFUL PLAYER IN TELECOM INDUSTRY Feel the difference with Pakistan’s Fastest 4G Network ZONG

Mr. Liu Dianfeng

Chairman & CEO China Mobiles Pakistan

MICROSOFT AIMS TO LEAD WITH INNOVATION Read more in an exclusive conversation with

Nadeem A. Malik

Country Manager Microsoft Pakistan

CONTENTS May 2016/June 2016

54 Unique Leadership Style

Exclusive Interview with Mr. Abuzar Bokhari

37 How Technology Can Help You Manage Business at the Speed of Your People

44 Driven by Innovation Exclusive Interview with Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh

52 Why Three Apps

Eva, Onehive And Besomebody Just Might Take Over Facebook

30 To Become A Better CFO

Concentrate A Lot More Than Finance

18 Human Resource Development

60 Soya Best for Diabetes

50 Voice To Text Revolutionary Mobile Apps 58 Excessive Exercise Can Have Negative Effects On Heart

31 Keys Secrets To Enterpreneurial Success

LUMINARY | 06

40 BUSINESS

12 Business News Stand 14 Business Management Look At Road Through The Windshield, Not The Rear-view Mirror

MANAGEMENT

TECHNOLOGY

Q&A

16 Customer Centric Compnay

36 Want To Try Hacking Pentagon

26 Powerful Player In Telecom Industry

Join Us Government So Called Program 'Hack The Pentagon' Pentagon Will Soon Invite Hackers To Break Into Government Security Systems

Feel the difference with Pakistan’s Fastest 4G Network ZONG Mr. Liu Dianfeng Chairman & CEO China Mobiles Pakistan

Crack The Traditional Codes & Be A Top Customer Centric Company In Pakistan!

EXCLUSIVE PROFILE 20 Mian Muhammad Mansha

32 Microsoft Aims To Lead With Innovation

Chairman Nishat Group

While Benefitting Organizations & People With Expertise To Grow More…

FINANCE

HEALTH

30 Finance Management Do You Want To Become A Better Cfo? Concentrate A Lot More Than Finance

INNOVATION 50 Gadgets & Apps Voice To Text Revolutionary Mobile Apps Dragon Dictation, Evernote for Android, Voic Assistant

58 Excessive Exercise Can Have Negative Effects On Heart According to the Canadian journal of cardiology extreme exercise may be toxic to your heart

EVENTS

64 Exclusive Highlights From Mega Events Kashf foundation celebrates a milestone 20 years

LUMINARY | 07

LUMINARY

EDITOR'S NOTE

We welcome you all and our deepest thanks go out for you, with LUMINARY Pakistan’s first edition we proudly accept the honor of creating history by bringing Pakistan first International business magazine franchise to the country. Our core focus is to enhance Pakistan’s positive image in International Markets.

We thank you again to all who supported; it's your support that makes our work possible.

Your input allows us to stay nimble and meet the evolving needs. Despite worries about the global economy and volatile stock markets, Pakistan consumers appear more confident than analysts had expected, but industrial production in the country fell for the quarter in a row.

Spring is on and as the resilient nature blossom, please accept season greetings on behalf of all LUMINARY team. We wish you a great spring and year ahead.

Meanwhile, a lot of rapid changes observed in telecom and banking sectors with mergers, acquisitions and new players taking over changing the whole game.

In this edition, you will learn some interesting details about one of the most diversified group in Pakistan-Nishat Group. We covered the Chairman Mr. Mian Muhammad Mansha who is more like the King of Pakistan business industry and arena.

Pakistan really needs great legendaries and positivity ambassadors like him please read more on Page 20.

ZONG the powerful player in telecom industry leading the industry with innovation and unique pricing strategies read an exclusive interview with Mr. Liu Dianfeng, Chairman & CEO China Mobile Pakistan on Page 45.

Microsoft aims to lead with innovation while benefitting organizations & people with expertise to grow more read more in an exclusive conversation with Mr. Nadeem A. Malik Country Manager, Pakistan.

One of the most famous diplomats with candid personality, we love his positivity and high spirits for Pakistan H.E Emil Wyss Consul General of Switzerland in Karachi Pakistan in an exclusive conversation with LUMINARY please read on Page 40.

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh, CEO Millat Equipment Limited driving his company with not only innovation but as well by his amazing leadership style making the company as pioneer and the most technologically advanced transmission gears & shafts manufacturing company in Pakistan please read more on Page 44.

Meet Mr. Abuzar Bokhari with his unique leadership style and focus on service quality with values on Page 54.

WE THANK YOU & WELCOME YOU

By Mahwish Khan editor@luminary-magazine.com

Editor in Cheif Mahwish Khan

Senior Designer Mehreen Ismail

Head of Video & Photography Imran Shah

Feature Editor S. Mureed Bukhari

Creative Head Mona Yousaf

Videographer M. Hamid Mughal

Head of Productions Fahad Billal Sheikh

Head of Communication Amna Perviez

Video Production Ali Mirza

Editorial: Raheela Yousaf Sadia Razaque Umar Draz Sara G.Miler Elen Farina

Communication Assistant Rabia Aslam

Coordinator Editorial Graphic Faran Anjum

Web Development Javed Mir Rizwan Khan

Human Resources Zubair Chaudhry

Business Development Sajjad Mirza Nouman Malik Head of Finance Qasim Kaleem Administrative Coordinator Ayesha Ali

Published By LUMINARY Pakistan 1536-D, Civil Defence, Faisal Ghuman Road, Lahore Cantt P.O. 54810, Pakistan.

T: +92 42 35890574 www.luminarypakistan.com The information contained in this publication has been obtain from sources the proprietors beleive to be correct. However, no legal liability can be accepted from any errors. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the publisher.

ENHANCING ENHANCING PAKISTAN’S PAKISTAN’S POSITIVE POSITIVE IMAGE IN IMAGE IN INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL MARKETS MARKETS

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MISSION WITH OF ENLIGHTENING A MISSION OF ENLIGHTENING

N’S BUSINESS PAKISTAN’S INDUSTRY BUSINESS INDUSTRY

N GLOBAL MARKETS IN GLOBAL MARKETS

nectivity more Making effective connectivity in International more effective in International usiness Industry Markets through & Business providing Industry onethrough providing one actions and onamazing one interactions platformsand likeamazing platforms like ess Leadership GlobalForum Business (GBLF).

Leadership Forum (GBLF).

BUSINESS BUSINESS NEWS STAND Mergers and Acquisitions in Making‌

Euro Trade Will Start With Iran

MCB Bank and NIB Bank

In order to get more market access for products and business during scheduled visit of Iranian President Hasan Rouhani, Pakistan has decided to boost bilateral trade with Iran in Euros instead of US Dollars. Govt. of Pakistan already suggesting businessmen to focus on Iran for trade purposes.

Pakistan is planning to seek permission for road shows and exhibitions across Iran for agriculture, light engineering and value added textile products. State Bank of Pakistan already indicates that there is no issue whatsoever in establishing banking relations with Iran. Businesses are free and encouraged to trade with Iran. Ministry of commerce is formulating the comprehensive strategy to enhance trade cooperation between two neighboring countries.

Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB), the third largest private bank in the country, is in talks to acquire NIB Bank Ltd of Pakistan. Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) is the fourth largest private bank operating in the country would become third largest after the merger. Separate notices released by MCB and NIB Bank to Pakistan Stock Exchange.

Summit Bank and Burj Bank As per local media reports Summit bank is showing interest to acquire majority shares in Burj Bank - Islamic commercial bank. The application has been moved to state bank of Pakistan for permission to conduct due diligence of Burj Bank Limited for the said purpose and statement issued to Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). After the permission and fulfillment of requirements, Summit can carry out a comprehensive examination of Burj Bank to determine actual worth. The process previously completed by Bank of Khyber, National Bank of Pakistan and MCB Bank earlier but no price is offered to Burj Bank for acquisition. At present Burj Bank is operational with seventy-five (75) branches across the country whereas Summit nationwide branches in total are one hundred and ninety-two (192) as of December 31, 2015.

Telenor Completed Acquisition of Tameer Microfinance Bank Telenor Group has increased its shareholding in Tameer Microfinance Bank to 100 percent, which makes the country's first and largest microfinance bank a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Norway-based telecommunications giant.

Tameer's founder Nadeem Hussain told a local news outfit on Thursday that he and other minority shareholders, who collectively held 49 per cent stakes in the bank, have sold their shares to the Telenor Group.

As per Mr. Hussain, Tameer Microfinance will now manage Pakistan largest branchless banking solution Telenor Easy paisa operations with immediate effect after the acquisition.

Another facet of the move announced by Mr. Hussain himself that he will step down as President and Chief Executive Officer and he will be replaced with the new appointment by the board of directors. Reports said Mr. Ali Chaudhry will replace Mr. Nadeem Hussain as new chief executive of Tameer Microfinance Bank.

"Financial inclusion is fundamentally changed by Tameer in Pakistan. The model will serve as a global benchmark for years to come. I am very glad on this achievement and confident that Tameer will grow successfully." Hussain said.

LUMINARY | 12

Dell Announces New Data Center Solutions The new addition by Dell in data center solution aimed to build future-ready enterprises and workforce. Products of Dell help companies to keep up with the pace of dynamic environment and market demands. Local companies are seeking new technologies to gain a competitive edge and boost productivity. Harjeet Singh, the General Manager of Dell South Asia developing markets along with Mir Saadat Ali Dell General Manager and Director for Pakistan and Afghanistan said on the joint press conference, "Growth of IT industry in Pakistan companies are encouraged to use technologies that can enable the business to accommodate the market demands." They said Pakistan IT industry would be seeing a great transition in the next five to seven years and Pakistan economy is in takeoff position with a population of 200 million.

The ratio of computer penetration in the USA was 1 computer against 1.7 people, 1 to 17 in China while in Pakistan ration is 1 to 120. After the ratios, it is clear that there is great potential to sell machines in Pakistan. Dell was the first company to set up ten (10) service centers in Pakistan and enjoying early mover advantage. Dell will carry on investing heavily in research and development to support its long-term customer focus strategy.

Italian Companies Showing Interest in Pakistan A country with 200 million population is very attractive for our companies to do business with. A delegation of fifty plus business person from renowned companies of Italy will hold the business meeting in Islamabad and Lahore said, Pierantonio Cantoni. He is the international business development manager at Association Italiana Commercio Estero (AICE) who expressed his interest in Pakistan's market. The seminar "Doing Business with Italy" notified that Pakistan is exporting over 76 percent of its textiles and clothing products to the

European Union. The overall purpose of the event is to showcase Italian economy and opportunities to Pakistani businessmen. Stress was given on the point that expertise in the field of leather, machinery, marble, stones, and management is available with Italy which can be utilized for nation's benefit. The embassy of Italy will ease the visa process to boost business activity between two countries, said the consul general of Italy Gianluca Rubagotti.

Nestle To Invest More in Dairy Projects Managing Director of Nestle Pakistan, Bruno Olierhoek along with a delegation called on Chairperson Sindh Board of Investment (SBI), Ms. Naheed Memon last week. The discussion was carried on further investment in dairy farm products and new projects. Ms. Naheed Memon highlights various opportunities for products such as fruits, milk, meat and fish available in Sindh for investment which can be utilized through effective planning. She encourages members of the delegation to come forward and set up new companies as Govt. will offer incentives. Chairperson assured full cooperation on behalf of Sindh Government to the delegation.

July-February 2015-16 as compared to $139.337 million for the same period last year.

Textile sector is vital for country's economy and we feel that the demands of the textile industry need to be considered carefully with a view to resolving them as far as possible.

Coming to the demands of the Value- Added Textile Association, their request for immediate refund of all outstanding claims of sales tax, drawback on local taxes and levies and customs rebate is fully justified. The government has, of course, no right to withhold their claims for showing a better picture of fiscal position if their claims meet the standard criteria.

Exporter's spokespersons have not raised the issue of depreciation of the rupee at the meeting when the proper adjustment in the exchange rate is the most effective instrument of export expansion.

Growth Continues for Auto Industry Despite the Japanese domination heavy imports Pakistan automotive industry enjoys the boom. Past year was no doubt the great year for sales with the record number of 179,953 vehicles sold. Now it is expected the industry will beat that number till June this year with an investment of $5 billion investment. As of today models of some cars has expired and new models will be in the market for 2016 which will maintain the momentum of sales. At least one new car is the small range or one new model is expected to be introduced.

The market is not very potential for new entrants due to Japanese domination in new and imported vehicles.

Declining Trends in Textile Export Problems of textile industry are not new but yet unaddressed.

To look up the matter in detail, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Textile Industry led by MNA Khawaja Ghulam Korea met with the value-added textile sector's representatives on 27th January 2016, to discuss their demands. M.J. Bilwani, Chief Co-coordinator, Value Added Textile Association and Chairman, Pakistan Apparel Forum informed the meeting that the value-added textile sector contributes $11.43 billion (46 percent of total exports and 85 percent of total textile exports) to foreign exchange earning of the country and generates 42 percent of the total employment which also includes women workers. Country textile export records 8.76 percent decline during the first eight months of fiscal year. According to the figures released by Bureau of Statistics, raw cotton export decline to $74.427 million during LUMINARY | 13

BUSINESS

LOOK AT ROAD THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD, NOT THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR As a businessperson, you likely have many goals for your business this year. It may be raising capital, building awareness or passing a major financial milestone. If you have done this before, you have some idea of the planning, goal-setting, networking, delegating, marketing and countless other tasks that make up the hard work of building a successful business.

Whether you are new to this game or a serial entrepreneur, you have a dream of what you want to achieve. Yet a large percentage of entrepreneurial dreams -- estimates range from 40 percent to 90 percent -- never see the light of day or wither on the vine.

There are practically as many reasons business ventures and resolutions fail as there are wrecks littering the highway of entrepreneurial dreams. Instead of focusing on those, though, let’s take a look at what it takes to succeed in creating any kind of positive change. The key, whether your goal is to build a new business or boost your health, finances or joy in life, is to pivot, creating a new strategy to overcome the obstacles that stand in your path.

LUMINARY | 14

Whether you are dreaming of switching careers in midlife, starting a new business or making any kind of major change, the first step is get clear in your vision of what you want. To help people do this, we’ve created an exercise called The Windshield: An Introduction to Clarity.

Here’s what it’s about: Over time our experiences change the way we see things. Our relationships, impressions from childhood, emotionally charged moments; daily habits and content we consume narrow our vision. Eventually, we lose the ability to envision a path that’s different from the one we are on.

How can you look clear through your windshield avoiding the rear-view mirror? Here are six steps that can help you achieve clarity for your pivot.

1. 'Unbelieve.'

First, "unbelieve" myths that are keeping you stuck. This could be a general myth such as “pivoting is too risky” or a specific one such as “I’m no good at selling my idea to investors.” It could be the myth that you have to take

enormous risks and quit your day job. Pivoting isn’t about sudden, radical change. It’s about envisioning and creating a realistic path to sustainable change.

2. Let go.

Let go of the need to know exactly how your pivot will unfold. Preoccupation with a plan can keep you as stuck as focusing on the past. Realize that pivoting is a process, not a plan, and each step in the process creates the next step. Just because you can’t see all the steps doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

3. Face your fear.

Fear is the single biggest barrier to change, because it is a roadblock to deciding what we want and how to get it. Your fears might include “what if I fail?” or “what if I lose my money?” Such fears represent an emotional threat to change.

Fear stories can be like runaway trains that always arrive at a missing bridge.

“If I try to start a business,” we tell ourselves, “I’ll have to spend my savings. Then I’ll go bankrupt, be unable to pay my bills, lose my home,” etc. Fear is almost always based on unlikely extremes. So rewrite your fear story. Ask what is your most reasonable worst-case scenario. Face your fear, and decide to pivot anyway.

Almost all pre-pivot lives (and business ideas) share the common thread of inaction. The aspiring writer doesn’t sit at the keyboard and type. The budding artist doesn’t pick up a brush and paint. The would-be entrepreneur doesn’t make the phone call to find out the cost of building software, renting a storefront or manufacturing a product.

When you take the first step, you open up a world of possibilities. Not all of them are ideal. But something magical happens. The pain of not taking action becomes greater than the pain of acting. Suddenly to go one more day or one more second without taking a step toward your dreams becomes intolerable.

So, as you ponder your dream venture and what it will take to make it a reality this year, make a commitment to take an action that is so powerful that you must act. With clarity, the path ahead becomes so obvious, so inspiring and so empowering that taking action will transform from something you could never do into something you must.

By Elen Farina

4. Envision your future.

Even a clear windshield won’t help you if you don’t know where you are going. So how do you develop a clear vision?

First, let go of the “how” for now. The surest way to derail a pivot in its early stages is to start wondering how. Shift your focus away from the obstacles and toward what you want to achieve.

5. 'Enter the pivot phone booth.'

Your success building a new venture will hinge on your passion, so be sure you align your new business with your true identity. By true identity I mean what inspires you and calls you to action. I call this “finding your inner superhero.”

Most of us have been taught to believe you do certain things in life in order to have certain things in order to be someone others would respect as a result. Instead, focus first on who you want to become, and then begin acting based on that identity.

6. 'Big-D' decide.

A “Big-D decision” is when you come to the moment of clarity about the change you must make to achieve your dream. The stakes are always high and emotionally charged, and they always involve action. You will know you have made a Big-D decision when the idea of starting begins to take over.

LUMINARY | 15

MANAGEMENT

CUSTOMER CRACK THE TRADITIONAL CODES & BE A TOP CUSTOMER CENTRIC COMPANY IN PAKISTAN! Globally, Customer Experience is defined as the relationship between the customers has with a particular brand. It is made up of all of the interaction and experiences frequency, the Customer has had with a specific brand’s outlet or a sales channel, from the time the customer first made contact with them, up to the Present day!

To create customer success, an evolution of customer centric culture is required, first to be established and then consistently get measured. “Let’s look at the 80/20 rule (the Pareto Principle), 80% of business comes from 20% of your existing and consistent customers – if I describe it more, a small portion of your customers actually generates the major chunk of your sales revenue. Now that’s the implication of customer loyalty. That’s why acknowledging and respecting this 20%” valued customers is vital. After all, loyal customers are the biggest assets of any business, globally and nationally!

The Brands in Pakistan that are True to their ideas of Good Service as the new Battleground and are Successful in building that Emotional Connection, are going to be the successful brands win 2016 to enjoy the Cult-like Followers that all other brands will struggle to achieve. This time, the loved customers are going to be the loyal customers.

In fact, customer loyalty is an after product of a customer focus & centricity culture. The key determinant of a brand’s success. Yet many companies still keep focusing more on seasonal sales and spending funds on putting bill boards at prime locations in major cities of the country with “Sale up to 50% or 70% Off” Getting new customers is important, but are these companies actually working to bring them and then give them a great shopping experience and keeping them coming back on a regular basis?

LUMINARY | 16

A great Support and service with quality communications content is the most emotionally perceived factor for a customer these days. Now in Pakistan as well, the customer looks for acknowledgements and a fine purchase assistance.

They like to be valued. Even if they are surfing at your web, they like to be get assisted through online live chats. Though this was not a culture 10 years back but now more awareness and wide product choices have raised the standards of customer expectations as well as customer services standards in Pakistan.

A personalized buying experience with resolution of issues and problems quickly leads to the customer advocacy for your company. Remember customer advocacy is the most genuine way of increasing customer database and referrals.

Front end business to customers B2C or even B2B must have a customer advisory platform associated with them. As customer advisory groups or advocate communities share feedback, it’s important to actually listen, use it and then tell them how it was used.

Activating your brand advocates can be a delightful way to increase marketing reach and grow your business. Great companies are founded on an insightful knowledge of their customer’s preferences and they actually invest a reasonable budget on their customer service rather than placing everything for advertising which has rather a short term impact.

A GREAT FOLLOWS:

CUSTOMER

CENTRIC

ORGANIZATION

As a customer centricity specialist, let me share few of the important strategies which should be a part of every brand’s daily life, i f they want to excel in the current competitive

market: THE IMPACT OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND ITS BENEFITS FOR THE PAKISTANI COMPANIES: Through a recent survey conducted by Static-A which is Pakistan’s finest Customer centricity advising platform serving most of the top notch companies and brands in the country, the survey was conducted among the potential customers in between the age group of 18 to 65+.

This was observed that 90% of the happy customers has recommended a business to their family and friends, after a positive experience and 86% of them were willing to pay even more to remain connected with them as a customer.

See the power of loyalty!

However, the negative influence is also stronger as 87% discouraged a business after having the negative experience at any touch point and. Hence, this is very important to learn the experience insights from your customers to know what they are going through emotionally at our sales points.

DEVELOP THE CUSTOMER CENTRIC CULTURE AT YOUR ORGANIZATION: Through a recent market research study conducted in three larger cities of the country, it was indicated that 81% of customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. In addition, it was stated that: • 72% of customers stopped buying goods or services from a company after experiencing poor sales process and/or bad customer service • 64% of customers switched and made future purchases from a company's competitors after experiencing poor sales process and below average customer service at a specific brand.

These sobering statistics show that now in Pakistan, customers' perceptions have a profound impact on every organization's brand equity, customer loyalty, and revenue.

Therefore, I believe this should be one of the prime agenda in every brand’s annual strategy of Year 2016. Do you have a plan now? If not, then plan now or get an advice how to make your next move!

VOICE OF YOUR

CUSTOMERS

HOW CUSTOMER CENTRIC ARE YOU? CUSTOMER ADVISORY

BOARD/SPECIALIST

A GREAT

CUSTOMER CENTRIC ORGANIZATION FOLLOWS LISTENING TO YOUR

WEB

FRONT LINE EMPLOYEES

PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS

SOCIAL

MEDIA

CHANNELS

Remember Customer centricity is not a technology or a new job description for your customer services department, it’s the culture which a company should create by consistently prioritizing it from top to bottom with devotion and passion to serving their customers, delight them and a genuine wish to create WOW experiences for them. It’s equally important whether your company is on B2C model or B2B business model. I wish you good luck in achieving the customer centricity culture for your companies and realizing true business retentions!

Mr. Ali M. Malik

Founder & Consultant (Static A) ali@static-a.com

LUMINARY | 17

MANAGEMENT

WHY?

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT LIES

AT THE HEART OF THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF A COUNTRY?

There was the time when countries were considered to be rich once they extract geological materials from the earth including Coal, Silver and Gold but now Human resources development lies at the heart of economic, social and environmental development. It is also a vital component for achieving internationally agreed sustainable development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, and for expandi n g opportunities to all people, particularly the most vulnerable groups and individuals in society.

strategies must balance the demands of new employment sectors with the supply of required skill. Information and communication technology (ICT), “Green/Blue Economy”, and agricultural development, are among the most vital sectors for the socio-economic development in almost all countries.

The need to enhance skills for emerging sectors (i.e., green growth, knowledge econo-

Human resources development has been defined as empowering people by fostering the contributory capacities that they can bring to the improvement of their own quality of life and that of their families, communities, enterprises and societies. Over the years, the concept of human resources development has evolved from solely focusing on individual capacity to also building institutional capacity at the national level, through socio-economic policies and development plan and strategies. Human resources development is, therefore, regarded as facilitating the development of national human capacities to achieve sustainable, inclusive, equitable development and, at the same time, enhance the well-being of individuals.

As such, human resources development strategies are increasingly part of national development planning and are crucial to enlighten policy.

has

As global labor markets both shape and adapt to the emerging occupational structures of growing economies, human resources development LUMINARY | 18

m y , intellectua l property policy evaluat i o n a n d m a n agement, etc.) become particularly important in developing countries.

Now, living through 21st Century and its paradigm shift has given enormous opportunities to countries to expand its worth, wellbeing and economic stability through proficiency of right decision at the right time with the right resource in a right way. ‘Time of survival’ has taken as a negative connotation for many professionals but with the advancement of new emerging skills countries and companies is now dependent upon their internal wellbeing as well. High the demand of managing ‘knowledge inventory resource’ would certainly increase the probability of survival of companies in complex scenarios. In this century, the talent management is globally challenging and for reason diverse ‘workforce retention action plans’ are implemented and plays an integral part of human resource management to concerned authorities.

A comprehensive, cross-sectoral and integrated human resources development approach that is sensitive to gender considerations and attuned to specific needs of the vulnerable population should be adopted, incorporating multiple vital areas, such as population, health, nutrition, water, sanitation, housing, communications, education and training, science and technology, and employment.

Conscious e ff o r t s should be made not to confine these dimensions of human resources development in separate ministries.

Human resource s developm e n t a l s o h a s r e spect for fundam e n t a l human rights, the rights of workers, a n d occupational safety and health considerations.

Approaches that center on economic and financial policies are threatened by the recent economic and financial crises, so an international community paradigm which seeks the transformation of the whole society is needed. Furthermore, strategies for sustainable livelihoods must be grounded in local communities and governance structures, with full involvement of key representatives of civil society in transparent respect for unique geopolitical and cultural settings and diversity.

Sheikh Usman Ali Contributing writer sheikhusmanali96@gmail.com

NISHAT GROUP

LUMINARY | 20

NISHAT GROUP

Nishat Group of Companies Nishat group is one of the leading and most diversified in South East Asia and Pakistans best business ethical group with assets over PKR 1000 billion (US$ 10 billion) approx. Nishat Group of Companies having the strong presence in the Textile, Cement, Insurance, Banking, Financial Services, Power Generation, Hotel & Hospitality, Dairy, Paper Products and Aviation sectors. It operates in various countries across the globe including Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, UAE, USA, Honk Kong and Bahrain. Nishat also has strategic partnerships with Groups from UAE, South Africa & Malaysia.

Nishtat Group has also played an important role in the industrial development of Pakistan i-e the largest private sector employer, largest tax payers, largest textile exporter, one of the largest partner for foreign investors.

Financial Sector

Power Sector

Power Sector

Cement Sector

Others • • • •

Paper Production Hospitality Dairy Chain Of Textile Retail Outlets LUMINARY | 21

EXCLUSIVE PROFILE

MIAN MUHAMMAD MANSHA CHAIRMAN NISHAT GROUP

KING OF BUSINESS

POSITIVE FACE OF PAKISTAN THE FACE THAT MEANS BUSINESS PAKISTAN’S HIGHEST TAX PAYER BILLIONAIRE LEADING ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSIFIED BUSINESS GROUP IN PAKISTAN AND SOUTH EAST ASIA WITH OVER TEN BILLION US DOLLARS WORTH ASSETS Mian Mohammad Mansha started his career at the age of 24 as the CEO for Nishat Mills Ltd. At present, the business group is one of the leading and most diversified in South East Asia, having presence in the Textile, Cement, Insurance, Banking, Financial Services, Power Generation, Hotel & Hospitality, Dairy, Paper Products and Aviation sectors. It operates in various countries across the globe including Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, UAE, USA, Honk Kong and Bahrain.

Mr. Mansha has served as Chairman of MCB Bank since its privatization from 1991 till mid-1995 and then 1997 till date. Presently, he is the Chairman of Human Resource & Remuneration Committee, at MCB Bank Limited. Previously, he has been associated with Punjab Mineral Company (Pvt.) Limited, Civil Aviation Authority, Board of Investment (BOI), Punjab Board of Investment & Trade (PBIT), Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (Pvt.) Limited (PIDC), Commonwealth Business Council UK, Int’l Advisory Board, Babson

College USA, National Management Foundation, Textile College Faisalabad and Government College of Faisalabad. He has also served as the Chairman for All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) and APTMA, Punjab.

Mr. Mansha is also a committed philanthropist and provides regular support to numerous Pakistani charities and social causes. In the past he has lent personal support to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, Lahore Hospital Welfare Society, Mind Organization, Human Rights Society of Pakistan, Kidney Care Centre, the Citizens Foundation (TCF), Friends of Pakistan Institute of Cardiology Trust, Care Foundation, SOS Village, Lahore Model School Sant Nagar, Aziz Jahan Trust for the Blind and Altaf Mehmood Foundation among many others.

He was presented with Pakistan’s Civil Award, the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, for his contributions to industrial development, in 2004.

CV

NISHAT GROUP in numbers

Born 1947 Chiniot, Punjab, Pakistan 1971 Mian Mohammad Mansha started his career at the age of 24 as the CEO for Nishat Mills Ltd. LUMINARY | 22

1991 Served as Chairman of MCB Bank since its privatization from 1991 till date.

Directorships

Awards

• MCB Bank Limited • MCB-Arif Habib Savings and Investments Limited • MCB Leasing CJSC Azerbaijan

Sitara-e-Imtiaz

US$ 10 Billion

10

29

US$ 7,767 Mm

approx. assets

companies approx.

sectors approx.

MCB individual assets

LUMINARY | 06

LUMINARY | 06

EXCLUSIVE Q&A

Mr. Liu Dianfeng Chairman & CEO China Mobiles Pakistan

Mr. Liu Dianfeng graduated from Harbin Engineering University in 1991 with a Bachelors of Engineering in Navigation Engineering, completing his EMBA in 2007 from Cheung Kong graduate school of business.

Mr. Liu has an extensive experience working at China Mobiles spanning over 17 years holding multiple leadership positions of Chief Technical Officer & Chief Commercial officer Beijing Company, Chairman of the Labor Union & chief Commercial Officer at Jilin Company. He also has a diverse experience starting up his own business in China. His primary focus has been on network planning and online education.

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POWERFUL PLAYER IN TELECOM INDUSTRY Feel the difference with Pakistan’s Fastest 4G Network ZONG

Luminary: What was your vision for Zong when you joined?

Mr. Liu Dianfeng: As a team leader of Zong, my first job is always to have a satisfied and a happy customer, so my first vision for zong was to be the most effective yet innovative telecom service provider for our customers, to make their lives better & faster, and technology bridges the gap between where we are today to where we want to be. But technology alone doesn’t serve the purpose, it needs a very strong enabler to make it effective. Our goal is to make sure we use the most advanced technology and enable it with human intelligence to serve our customers take a leap in a better lifestyle, which makes the Pakistani people compete in the global environment of Telecommunication.

Luminary: Does the word Zong mean anything?

Mr. Liu Dianfeng: Zong is the international brand of China Mobile Communication. The literal meaning is along the lines of “China’s Open Gate”, in local translation, it means “Say Everything”, or “Sub Keh Do”. This speaks to the openness our organization represents and the unlimited potential we offer to innovate and enhance the telecommunication sector of Pakistan through our customers, our technology as well as our experience.

Luminary: Zong has emerged as the fastest growing mobile network in Pakistan, to what do you owe this success to ?

Mr. Liu Dianfeng: There are many factors for this phenomenal growth over the last 8 years, I think the first is the mindset. Even though Pakistan has challenges in the corporate sector, our employees take all these challenges as opportunities, and this mindset makes a lot of difference, because then the gap between where we are and where we want to get more clearer, and if you combine this with a passionate and hardworking staff, there is no stopping to your goal. I also strongly believe that we may not had this growth on our side, without the support of our loyal customers as

well as our parent company China mobile communication corporation, which is the largest telecom service provider in the world, so I must say, we have an edge, we have a lot of skills we can, and we do leverage from CMCC, which makes a happy customer, and in turn gives us exponential growth.

Luminary: In a competitive market like Pakistan, how has zong managed to position itself so strongly in the last few years?

Mr. Liu Dianfeng: I think customer centricity is the key to this. We focus more on the customers than on ourselves, and on a daily basis, our engineers, our field technicians, our researchers, our commercial & customer care teams are working very hard to solve their problems and develop the best solutions possible at a fair price.

For every business, the most difficult part is to keep a balance in quality of product, timely service & fair price, and I think Zong has done a very good job in all 3 of these areas. Our 3G services are the best in the nation, our MBB (mobile broad band) has shown tremendous results in the first quarter of launch, our customer care statistics of complaint resolution are the best in the industry and we offer the most competitive prices of our latest technology.

At the same time, we have significantly invested in our nationwide network in order to expand and improve its overall coverage to create a new and unique customer experience, and this capital investment from CMCC is yielding great results for us !

So, if you do this balancing act for quality, time, price, the customer & the market responds, the only think you got to make sure is you don’t lose the momentum of this balance!

Luminary: Zong was the only mobile network in Pakistan to bid for 4G spectrum, do you think it has given you a competitive edge in the market ?

Mr. Liu Dianfeng: Absolutely! There is no comparison LUMINARY | 06 LUMINARY | 27

EXCLUSIVE Q&A to having the latest technology on your side when you think about market competition. We are proud to have 4G with us, infact, china mobile communication corporation is the world’s largest 4G traffic carrier. The dynamics of data traffic operations are very different than voice, and we understand this because CMCC has experience in data traffic. I think the more important thing is how do we use the 4G spectrum to Zong’s advantage and to our customers advantage, because that’s what really matters, our customers taking advantage of our latest technology to make their lives a better place on a daily basis. 4G is very successful in China, and the common people take advantage of it to learn, implement, lead and innovate. We want to leverage this for the people of Pakistan as well.

Luminary: Given the tough competition, how do you view the prospects of the telecom sector in the future and the challenges for the industry?

Mr. Liu Dianfeng: I think the telecom sector is probably the most challenging sector in terms of business in Pakistan. Taxes are high, competition is tough, and there are areas where market penetration and daily operations are difficult to manage due to the law and order situation. At the same time, all this leads to a big vacuum for innovation. How effectively we can place and sell our products to our customers, yet alone, how to sustain the changing market conditions is very challenging. And I must say, there are very capable competitors in Pakistan as well, which adds to the dynamic market situation. I strongly believe that having a strong competition is healthy, it pushes us towards innovation, creativity as well as how smartly we execute our ideas into practical actions for our customers. We love competition! In the future, it will be interesting to see how this new equation of fair & healthy competition re-shapes the local telco industry.

Luminary: How does zong differentiate itself from its competitors?

Mr. Liu Dianfeng: Technological innovation and how we effectively take care of our customers. The future of telecommunication in Pakistan is more on data than voice, and with Zong having the 4G capability, we are working with many other industries in Pakistan to innovate on this platform. For example, we are working with the electronic media companies to offer them 4G services to broadcast their news and information faster than any of our competitor. At the same time, we are offering MBB solutions to our students in Pakistan, for them to have quicker and a more reliable internet connection to open the doors of knowledge to them at an exponential scale through our 4G network, we are

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also penetrating our rural market with 4G services. At this point in time, we have the highest number of 4G sites in Pakistan serving 30 cities, and our 3G services covering more than 100 cities. To add to this, we have carpet coverage on the motorway with our 3G, which provides seamless coverage of our network to travelers on this route, through bus, car or rail. Being the only 3G & 4G carrier in the local market gives us a unique edge with our competitors and we are using it to the best of our ability and are targeting our direct and indirect channel in parallel to offer our 3G & 4G services in a unique way, which is the unparalleled in Pakistan for any other competitor.

In summary, I must acknowledge that we are a company beyond just technology. We want to compete with our competitors at a very different level. It is our core desire to improve the life style of Pakistani people, and we are confident we can because we have the right experience and background. We want to build a platform to support the Pakistani people, based on their own local requirements. For us, customer is # 1, service is # 1, customer experience and customer benefit is #1.

In the future, we hope and wish to contribute more and more to the Pakistani society through key initiatives and special projects.

FINANCE

DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A BETTER CFO?

Concentrate a lot more than finance

The job of chief financial officer (CFO) may sound like a nightmare assignment to technical entrepreneurs, but the tasks and skills required are key to every new venture.

In addition, if you are already a CFO, this position is a great springboard to the chief operating officer (COO) or even the CEO position in the startup, based on recents reports. Investors love to see a former CFO running a new business.

Twitter and GrubHub is just a couple of examples where CFOs have been asked to absorb COO responsibilities in the last couple of years. In the case of GrubHub’s Adam DeWitt, he ended up with a salary exceeding that of the CEO. Here are some key attributes normally associated with the CFO position that will maximize your value now and in the future.

1. MANAGEMENT OF FINANCIAL REALTIES In a corporate environment, you can leave financials to someone else, but not in a startup. Every team member, from engineer to CEO, lives or dies based on cash flow, so the more they can tune their activities to revenue and expenses, the more valuable they become.

2. CREATIVITY FOR FUNDING ACTIVITIES While the CFO usually takes the lead in finding professional investors, everyone needs to look for ways to reduce the burn rate and maximize alternative funding sources, including bartering for services, finding partners willing to accept deferred payments and talking to friends and family.

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3. BUILDING STANDARD OPERATIONAL PROCESS AND PROCEDURES As startups grow from development organizations to a sustainable and repeatable business, processes must be documented, employees hired and trained and customer support organizations built. The best entrepreneurs take the initiative on these rather than wait for a CFO to drive them.

4. BE A TRUSTWORTHY ADVISOR AND MENTOR TO OTHERS The fastest way to win a leadership position in a new company is to communicate value from your insights to other team members and executives. Don’t count on the CFO or CEO to be the source of all knowledge and direction in your business.

Leadership is earned rather than appointed.

5. COMMUNICATE THE RANGE OF YOUR TALENTS A good CFO has to be able and willing to tackle many challenges outside the financial realm, usually including creating legal documents, evaluating and signing vendor contracts and even human resources activities. With the advent of the Internet, you too can show expertise in any discipline.

6. CAPITALIZE ON YOUR PAST INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE As a CFO brings real value from previous financial experience and

training, every entrepreneur should work to highlight previous industry or technical activities and relate them to the task at hand. Great entrepreneurs are adept at applying things learned to a current context from a previous one.

7. DEMONSTRATE YOUR PASSION, COMMITMENT AND WORK ETHIC Investors know that the startup road is long and challenging. Thus, they look across the team of entrepreneurs for the ones who show confidence, resilience and dedication to efforts at hand. They expect to find it in all C-level executives but are always looking for the next executive team.

8. ABLE TO FOCUS ON STRATEGIC ISSUES AND LONG-TERM OUTLOOK Aspiring entrepreneurs seeking to position themselves as C-level executives must do more than perform day-to-day jobs well. They must immerse themselves in strategic and financial issues, just like a CFO. They also must sharpen leadership, collaboration and communication skills.

As you may conclude, the job of a good startup CFO is a hands-on role, focused not only on financials but also on the myriad of operational and strategic issues.

Thus, every entrepreneur can benefit from demonstrating the same attributes, leading from financial sensitivity. If your preferred career path includes running your own startup, it pays to pay attention to your CFO.

KEY SECRETS TO ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS Entrepreneurship requires many skills, from financial planning to human resource management, and it’s at times both intimidating and frustrating. Fortunately, if you’ve got a good idea and the commitment to making it work, most of these skills can be picked up along the way. Throughout the course of your business ownership, you’ll make mistakes, learn valuable lessons, and gain experience that teaches you these skills over time.

Unfortunately, this style of learning can sometimes come too late. Some skills need to be learned early on, or else their absence could spell a tragic fate for your business.

maximize your focus, and work on refining that ability as quickly as possible.

need to establish cross-communication channels within your organization to ensure there aren’t any hiccups.

3. CASH MANAGEMENT Cash management is vital for the first few years of any startup. Profitability is important. Earning more than you’re spending in ongoing operations sets the groundwork for a successful company. However, even profitable companies can fall victim to poor cash management, and poor cash management almost always leads to bankruptcy.

Without a stable framework of communication, any business is destined to fail. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to “teach” communication skills. The only way to get better is to practice, and the only way to practice is with other people. Attend networking events and hone on your interpersonal communication skills by working closely in a team setting.

As the entrepreneur, you’re responsible for ensuring that you have enough free cash to cover all your operating

If you’re planning on becoming an entrepreneur, or if you’ve just entered the world of business ownership, learn these five skills as early as possible: 1. RESEARCH Research is an important skill in the planning, launch and ongoing running a business. You’ll have to research the market, your competitors and problems as they come up. Even research your employees and clients to ensure they’re a good fit for your business. Researching is, both an art and a science, as there are practical rules to follow but also an instinctual element to success. Proper research can solve -- or prevent -almost any common problem in the earliest courses of your business development.

2. FOCUS Focus is as much a personality trait as it is a skill, but I list it as a skill because it can be initiated, developed and honed over time. Focus does come naturally to some people. If you’re one of those people, more power to you but for most of us, focus is difficult to achieve.

Without focus you can’t prioritize or maximize your productivity, making it next-to-impossible to get any real work done in your new business. Learn which environments and habits

expenses, including payroll, utilities, rent, and other operational costs. To do that, you’ll have to cut unnecessary costs, watch carefully for due dates, and follow up on invoices diligently to ensure timely payment. It’s not something you can bluff your way through.

This is a skill you can't afford to learn too late.

4. COMMUNICATION Communication is a foundational skill that applies to every area of entrepreneurship. You’ll need to communicate with investors and partners to ensure the business is on the right track, with clients and customers to sell your idea and build relationships and with your employees to establish direction and delegate responsibilities. You’ll even

5. LEARNING Learning itself is a skill, and it’s almost impossible to learn directly. Learning effectively takes practice to master the techniques that work best for you and to discern which resources are the most valuable in the acquisition of new information and skills.

Mentors are a major source of learning for new entrepreneurs, since they’ve done it all before.

If you don’t have access to a mentor directly, there are hundreds of alternative resources where you can develop yourself as a business leader. Attend networking events and public seminars, webinars, and take free online courses whenever you can. Read widely, including the news and nonfiction books. Commit yourself to a constant, uninterrupted stream of learning. If you can learn effectively and consistently, you’ll have no problem building the other skills you’ll need as an entrepreneur.

Without these five skills, you’ll have a tough time succeeding as an entrepreneur. Try to learn them well in advance of beginning your entrepreneurial journey, but if you’re already in the thick of things, simply prioritize them to make up for lost time you have lost.

The remaining skills you’ll need as an entrepreneur can develop naturally over time, so stay optimistic in the face of challenges and stay patient for your own growth.

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EXCLUSIVE Q&A

MICROSOFT AIMS TO LEAD WITH INNOVATION WHILE BENEFITTING ORGANIZATIONS & PEOPLE WITH EXPERTISE TO GROW MORE… Luminary: How did you start your professional career?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: In my point of view, career is nothing but a journey uphill and it touches the horizon and I’m still a Climber. I embarked my career 26 years ago. My first job was with The US Department of Commerce as I was fortunate enough to acquire the job just after graduating in the US. It was a proficient experience as the same job landed me back to Pakistan, so I started working with the prestigious consulting company, NESPAK. My further education ambitions took me back to the US from where I established my own entrepreneur ventures. I started a software company and this entrepreneurial experience enabled me to run shows at Country Level and thus I found my way back leading InfoTech as Country Manager Sales. From INFOTECH, I went to HUAWEI, managing the enterprise business distribution in Pakistan and the Middle East and freshly joined Microsoft as a Country Manager.

Luminary: How is your experience going on so far?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: I would call it magical. Microsoft offers exhilarating and challenging working position. I see promising growth and potential in my country, thus enjoying every bit of my experience. MICROSOFT is progressing with its global mission of empowering people and organizations to achieve more. Empower every person in an organization to achieve more”. With Pakistan as Target and growing market, I believe, Microsoft can achieve this mission and goals.

Luminary: How do you balance the long term versus the short term when thinking about innovation?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: I believe “Being Reactive” is not the strategy but “Being Proactive” is. Finding problems are easy but finding solutions and excelling with innovation is the key success factor. Undoubtedly, Pakistan is growing and a developing country where we can contribute in education, better governance, and healthcare and that …with technology and innovation. Pakistan youth is extremely innovative and talented. I believe Microsoft has a potential. Microsoft technology forms are the wide range from home / small office windows 10 to enterprise leading cloud offering “AZURE”.

Luminary: How do you encourage creative thinking and innovation?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: Microsoft is all about Growth and Expansion. This leads to creativity indeed. From our LicensLUMINARY | 32

ing offerings to Suites - From our Small offices to DatacenterFrom Software to Software-Defined Computing, Microsoft is all about innovation. You can say innovation is flourishing out of Microsoft headquarter to all worldwide offices. But how we encourage the same innovation and same strength in Pakistan? Let me just give you one small example. We have Microsoft innovation center, which is our developer experience program, offering free software tools, training, hand holding, and go to market strategy for all the upcoming startups in Pakistan. I think this is our contribution towards supporting the entrepreneurship in Pakistan and that innovation can lead Pakistan not only in the IT Map of the world but also encourages people to think and develop those applications softwares anywhere in the world.

Luminary: When an organization gets larger there can be a tendency for the “institution” to dampen the “inspiration & innovation” How do you keep this from happening? How you manage the sustainability as usually innovation requires huge cost?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: I think you need to optimize everything. You optimize operations and training. The Growth Mindset being embraced across Microsoft enables a unique culture. That culture is responsible for new innovations achieved through unbounded research, an insatiable curiosity about customers’ business needs, and the identification of new market making opportunities for Microsoft’s partners. So when you have Growth Mindset, you always start thinking where we can assist? Which industry vertical we can help? How can we increase the service level? How can we increase the different ways of goals? I think if you optimize with this growth mindset, I believe that’s how a majority of organizations can learn not only from Microsoft, but we can also share these experiences with them.

Luminary: How much you spend on employee development and training?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: If you look at a career perspective point of view, we have continuously encouraged not only our teams but also teams which are within our echo system.

Microsoft is dependent upon its partner echo system, so every dollar which comes from Microsoft solution, each dollar goes back in to economy that enabling our partners, expanding our foot prints and more solutions to organizations. That’s Microsoft’s contribution to partner echo system and economy. For that, we have our own teams. We also spend quite heavily on training but I think work health index

Nadeem A. Malik Country Manager Microsoft Pakistan

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Q&A is also another quite significant factor where a balance of life is very important.

Luminary: What do you do to live a balanced life and how do you manage your anger and stress?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: I believe if you sit down and start taking stress certainly it will bring you down. I mean what people call a problem, I name it opportunity. So when there is the opportunity, you go out and resolve it and this is the way to uproot the problem. In my practical life I always encouraged people and admonish them to start loving what they do. Once you start loving what you do, you never need a break. If you align your personal goals with your personal growth and organization goals, your career will flourish, your organization will flourish and you have a higher impact as well.

Luminary: What do you do for fun?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: Of course I love golf. It requires time, which I find very hard to find. But recently I have started to work-life balance as an improvement in my own personal motives.

Luminary: Anything other than Golf?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: I think that’s enough. You need to spend time with family as well and it’s very important.

Luminary: What other CEOs do you admire? Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: We all grow up with Microsoft. It may sound like a typical thing but we all grew up admiring Bill Gates and it’s not a secret. Even earlier in my life when I was not expecting this opportunity and role for Microsoft I always admired him and his contribution in Microsoft and now I admire him as philanthropist giving back to the community and not only any specific community but all over a world. I also have a great admiration for our current CEO in Canada. I had opportunity to have discussion with him and face him in a couple of engagements when we were traveling to the head office. I see him bringing the new fresh perspectives and the kind of the growth mindset he is bringing in is amazing and he is a wonderful person and surprisingly he loves Urdu poetry very much.

Luminary: Oh really he understands Urdu!

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: Yes, of course, I think his personality is bringing a high impact value to the organization. We sense it and we feel it and that’s why he is inspiring us so much.

Luminary: Which is the best advice you ever received?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: I always appreciate good advice. I believe learning should not be limited. I cannot say that only my teachers from school, college and university contributed in my character building, but my parents, my family, my friends and the people with whom I worked throughout career have contributed a lot in my personality. We should not bind our learning from a single corner. When I am sitting somewhere, any simple person can teach me things and why I said so, it could be inspirational people, the people we LUMINARY | 34

take for granted but they take it as an advantage and how they feel like growing themselves personally is an inspiration. So I take inspiration from every person I interact.

Luminary: What was your greatest missed opportunity?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: Nothing but yes, I could have done few things right in my life, like everybody else. But the trick question is what if somebody can roll the clock back for you.

I think no and I would probably do the same few things.

Luminary: What are your company ambitions for the future especially for Pakistan?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: Microsoft is not only enabling corporate sector and organizations, but also enabling them to utilize technology in a better way so that they can serve their customers well. As I have explained earlier that we have to perform a great role to the government that is better e-services to go, better governance, better justice, better health, but moving forward, I think the opportunity for our young generation is also enormous. Microsoft is opening the center of excellence in Pakistan. We are hiring virtuoso candidates. They are rationing local organizations as well foreign organizations. In our CSR PROGRAM, we are also enabling young generation and teaching parents and teacher’s about internet security. We have also signed an MOU with the government of MOIT while ICT for girls program, in which we will train the girls under the supervision of Bait-ul-mal.

Luminary: What are a few resources you would recommend to someone looking to gain insight into becoming a better leader?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: I believe give your best to the best.

One should not set boundary if you reach for stars, you won’t come back with the hand full of mud. So go for it. I think no person has any deficiency. It is our own self-imposed and when we can get out of this, everybody has ability and there are opportunities. Have faith. Give yourself whatever you have and results will come out very positive.

Luminary: What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time? And to the younger generation of CEOs, managers, startups, entrepreneurs and business leaders?

Mr. Nadeem A. Malik: Honesty is the prominent key to success. The youngsters come with very fresh ideas. They bring bold ideas, so they are going to be the next. There was a time when I was young. I used to be apprised that you are the one. Now, I see them as the other one. They are what we call millennials, which are born in cloud socially integrated generators. They are connected. They have learned quicker qualities and abilities. They are the cloud sources, they take challenges, share things openly and they take criticism openly without any kind of hesitation. I believe that they are not bound by any typical social infrastructure. They are connected with the world. Opportunities are with them and so are the challenges. The upcoming generation has better life. They have better opportunities. All they need is to put their heart and soul in it and start understanding, what they are capable of and the way I see it is very positive.

TECHNOLOGY

WANT TO TRY HACKING PENTAGON JOIN US GOVERNMENT SO CALLED PROGRAM 'HACK THE PENTAGON' Pentagon will soon invite hackers to break into government security systems The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced on 2nd March that it plans to launch the first "cyber bug bounty program" in the history of the federal government.

The so-called Hack the Pentagon program, which is slated to begin in April, will allow vetted hackers to find weaknesses in the department's public websites, applications and security systems, according to defense officials. Participants could win money and recognition for their work, they added.

Bug bounty programs and hackathons are common in private industry.

Google, Facebook and Microsoft already use them to expose gaps in their own software. Additionally, these programs can help prevent disruptions in service and reduce the, impact of cyberattacks on companies and government agencies, according to cybersecurity experts.

"Bringing in the best talent, technology and processes from the private sector not only helps us deliver comprehensive, more secure solutions to the DoD, but it also helps us better protect our country," Chris Lynch, director of the DoD's Defense Digital Service, said in a statement.

Participants in the government's Hack the Pentagon program will be required to register and submit to a background check. Once vetted, these hackers will participate in a controlled, limited-duration program that will allow them to identify holes in a predetermined network system, according to the Department of Defense. Other networks, including the department’s critical, mission-facing systems, will not be part of the bug bounty pilot program, defense officials said.

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The new initiative follows the administration’s Cybersecurity National Action Plan, announced on Feb. 9, which prioritizes near-term actions to improve cyberdefenses and lists a long-term strategy to enhance cybersecurity across all branches of the U.S. government.

"I am confident this innovative initiative will strengthen our digital defenses and ultimately enhance our national security," Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said in a statement.

More information about the Hack the Pentagon program can be found on the Department of Defense's website.

Details on the requirements for participation and other ground rules will be available in the coming weeks.

How TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP YOU MANAGE BUSINESS AT THE SPEED OF YOUR PEOPLE

There’s a school of thought that says the best leaders hire great people, and then get the heck out of their way. But that’s a management philosophy that’s far easier said than done.

Bringing the best people on board and getting them to do their best work involves including the flexibility to innovate and a collaborative workplace culture where company vision and resources are designed to keep everyone energized and aligned with business goals.

In working closely with dozens of CEOs and executives over the years, I’ve seen again and again how choices around technology are among the most important in creating this optimal environment for innovation and productivity. This is especially true in light of the high competencies and expectations today’s workers have around technology to begin with.

The current labor force is indeed bringing greater technical savvy and a more entrepreneurial spirit to the

marketplace than ever before. These folks are motivated to identify and solve problems immediately, and they use technology to do this whether they’re at home or at work.

Significantly, they expect employers to bridge these two worlds as well

and analytics boom, workers have gotten used to having more and more information at their fingertips. As a result, they are more productive on their own and less patient with IT-led solutions delays and other bottlenecks.

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY REDEFINED The fact is, technology in our personal lives has changed the way we work in the office, and business leaders who don’t recognize this reality risk alienating the best and brightest. In an era where we can communicate from anywhere and create our own apps as a weekend project, it seems like an invitation to check your creativity at the door when companies cling to rigid, outdated technologies and IT-centric bureaucracies

As a follow on to BYOD, now there is a “bring your own application” (BYOA) trend, where employees build their own apps to find technological solutions to business problems. In this environment, which includes everything from online software development kits (SDK, or devkits) and tools like Google Hangouts to send a quick IM or Dropbox to house intellectual capital, employees get what they need without waiting for lengthy process implementations or enterprise-wide technological support.

From the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) phenomenon over the past decade -- where people bring their iPhones, Androids and other devices to work -- to today’s self-serve apps

Creating this flexible environment may sound like a no brainer decision. But again, it’s easier said than done.

Implementing can be difficult.It may be scary, after all, for those in charge of

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TECHNOLOGY data protection and quality control to cede ground to business users looking to figure things out on their own. In an entrepreneurial landscape guided by BYOD and BYOA, leadership teams -- especially CIOs and their IT unauthorized technologies that may threaten their data and internal processes.

But with the appropriate governance, I’ve found that a flexible environment leads to a workforce of people who not only get things done, but also do so faster, better and often more economically.

A QUESTION OF CULTURE So, where exactly is the intersection of technology and governance? And how, as managers and leaders, do we foster an agile information environment while maintaining proper regulations and restrictions on our data and assets?

The answer involves establishing a management culture that both empowers your people to identify problems and also holds them accountable to find solutions. The key here is to establish company-wide buy-in for the technology mission and to take an outcome, impact-based approach to problem solving. These are central priorities when deciding how much freedom and flexibility to allow your business users.

Once you embrace that culture, pick the tools and technologies that best correspond to the agility and autonomy you’re hoping to create for your workforce. This means you will probably not reach for outdated, overly-complex systems -- be they enterprise-wide communication systems or bulky knowledge management centers -- that rely excessively on your IT staff or a corps of outside consultants to run things.

As managers, we are in a truly unique position to wed our technology with our company culture. I often say the key is to understand the “speed of your people” and to build on that energy by picking tools, technologies and internal controls that allow employees to focus on solving problems.

What exactly does it mean to run your business at the “speed of your people”? To me, it means we can’t put silos or potential roadblocks in their way. We must create an environment that mirrors the agility they’re used to having outside of work. We have to reinforce a business culture where our people have access to the tools and capabilities they need -- wherever and whenever they need them -- to solve problems quickly and efficiently.

The end result is a workforce that feels empowered and inspired, and that wants and is able to do more for the business.

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EXCLUSIVE Q&A

“Pakistan has everything

it needs to find tailor-made Pakistani solutions for Pakistan by Pakistanis…

”

Luminary: How did you start your journey?

Mr. Emil Wyss: I grew up in a small village in the heart of Switzerland. My father was a farmer and my mother immigrated after the 2nd World War to Switzerland. She not only found work but met my father and they were married for 63 years. In my childhood, I learned how to milk cows, work in our forest, and to swim in a river nearby.

After my education and some years of professional life, I entered the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs at the age of 30. My first postings were in Prague (former Czechoslovakia), the Swiss Embassy in London, and the Swiss Observer Mission to United Nations (UN) in New York. Switzerland became a full member of the UN in 2002 after a popular vote. I then worked at the head office in Berne for 5 years in the

Political Affairs Division before taking on my new assignment as Consul at Swissnex Boston.

Swissnex Boston serves as a Science Consulate and connects the greater Boston Area and its world class institutions like Harvard and MIT with Switzerland. My next assignment was at the Swiss Consulate General in Toronto. Before coming to Karachi, I was Head of the U.S. Interest Section in Tehran.

Switzerland entertains excellent bilateral relations with Pakistan since its independence in 1947. Over 20 Swiss companies are present, most of them are headed by Pakistani Managing Directors, and all of them produce excellent results. Swiss Companies provide through direct and indirect employment, food on the table for 1 million Pakistanis every day. Switzerland is consistent among the 5 biggest foreign direct investors.

H.E Emil Wyss

Consul General Consulate General of Switzerland in an exclusive conversation with LUMINARY LUMINARY | 40

LUMINARY | 41

EXCLUSIVE Q&A Luminary: Switzerland exports to Pakistan in large numbers. What are your thoughts on it?

Mr. Emil Wyss: Switzerland exports for about $300 million to and imports for about $100 million from Pakistan. Besides products like watches, dyes, chemicals and others, Switzerland is an important provider of high-quality textile machines. Pakistan uses these ingredients and machines to manufacture products for its markets at home and abroad.

These numbers are expected to increase in the coming five years as a result of the improvement in the law and order situation and the beginning boom in construction and real estate. The homicide rate in Karachi fell to 4 per 100,000 in 2015, while the world average is 6 per 100,000. The road to even higher security will be bumpy, but the latest numbers are very encouraging.

Luminary: How did you find people in Pakistan?

Mr. Emil Wyss: When I was offered to become Consul General in Karachi, one of the biggest cities in the world, I flew to Karachi and explored the city with a local travel guide. I immediately liked the colors and energy of this city. I traveled around by taxi, rickshaw, by foot, by boat, and enjoyed the food in tiny street restaurants.

All the predecessors I contacted consider their stay in bustling Karachi a highlight in their career and mentioned the unmatched hospitality of the Pakistani people. The level

highlights in this field was an Iftar Dinner for the blind at the Swiss residence.

Luminary: What are the gray areas you noticed in the system?

Mr. Emil Wyss: Like everywhere in the world, there are challenges to overcome and opportunities to seize. Education, good governance, eradication of corruption, employment opportunities for the youth, providing basic health services, and the empowerment of the less privileged are fields with large potential for improvement. The promotion of vocational training is another area where millions of young Pakistanis could find decent employment at home and abroad. Switzerland’s vocational training programs offer the possibility to choose from 230 professions and the very high-quality level of vocational training is one of Switzerland’s secret of being the most competitive and most innovative country in the world. In fact, 75% of the Switzerland’s youth chose this path and many of them become successful entrepreneurs. The Swiss-Pakistan Training Institute in Karachi, now 50 years old, still produces every year many hundred graduates.

Luminary: Any message to young entrepreneurs and would you like to guide them how and when one should start their own business?

Mr. Emil Wyss: As a matter of fact there is no specific age

SWITZERLAND EXPORTS FOR ABOUT $300 MILLION TO AND IMPORTS FOR ABOUT $100 MILLION FROM PAKISTAN. of Corporate Social Responsibility activities by companies and individuals is outstanding; fruits, vegetable, and seafood are abundant and delicious; Pakistan textiles are world famous and its Denim products are exported to countries all over the world.

On the 7th of June 2014 I had to travel from Karachi for another week to Tehran to make the handover to my successor. As you remember, the airport was attacked on the 8th, of June 2014 and only the heroic efforts of the Airport Security Forces prevented an ever greater incident. I then decided to plan a Pakistan-Switzerland Friendship Exhibition at both the domestic and international terminal. The exhibition opened on May 29, 2015 and was open for 100 days and night. I visited the airport every single night between midnight and 4 am during this opening period and interacted with travelers, facilitators, and the very helpful airport employees. Over 400,000 local and international travelers experienced a colorful and cheerful airport Karachi. The number of followers on our Facebook page Swiss ConsulateKarachi increased from 7,000 to more than 130,000.

Over the last 2 years, I visited many social institutions in all parts of the city. Whether in an orphanage, a Thalassemia center, a home for the deaf, elderly, or children with cerebral palsy, Pakistanis always welcome me with open arms and I return to the office fully energized. One of the many LUMINARY | 42

limit to start a business. We have the example of very young people starting becoming well-known entrepreneurs.

Similarly, people like the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken started his adventure at the age of 60 and KFC became a world brand. The best might be to start at a young age and to include experienced people in your venture. To encourage entrepreneurship, universities can include this subject from idea, setup, to financing in their curriculum.

It is always a pleasure for me to deliver speeches at universities and to interact with Pakistan’s bright students. They can compete with the best in the world. Just recently, Szabist University won the first prize at the famous Model United Nations Conference at Harvard University in Boston. This came to no surprise to me because I had the pleasure of attending Szabist’s UN Model Conference in Karachi a few weeks earlier. LUMS students won another first prize at an International Conference in Washington D.C. In March 2016, I delivered a lecture at LUMS in Lahore was impressed by its students, faculty and campus. It is good to see that an increasing number of Pakistan’s upcoming IT specialists are becoming entrepreneurs.

Pakistan with a population of 200 million exported in 2015 good and services for $23 billion. Considering the availability of all kind of natural resources, the low-cost labor force, the geographic location with important ports and large

neighboring countries, this number is not satisfactory.

Switzerland, a landlocked country with just 8 million people, without natural resources and a mean salary of $6,000 per month, exported goods and services for an amount $203 billion in 2015. Over 60% of Switzerland’s export goes to the European Union countries; excellent relations with neighbors are of utmost importance to keep exports at the highest level possible.

Luminary: What do you think about women empowerment in Pakistan? As recent research proves progressive and developed economies have more working women.

Mr. Emil Wyss: Women play a vital role in the development of any country. Many Pakistani women have a high level of education and do finally and unfortunately not enter the workforce. It is good to see that more and more companies are now actively trying to include women in leading positions or to empower them through company intern seminars. The Swiss Consulate General although organized women empowerment events in collaboration with LADIESFUND. Switzerland’s women got their right to vote in 1991 only.

Nevertheless, progress has been made and five out of the last 10 Presidents of the Swiss Confederation are women.

Luminary: What are your future plans as Consul General of Switzerland in Karachi?

Mr. Emil Wyss: The goal will be to bring as many people, business persons, company representatives to Pakistan.

They come here as tourist or business person first and often go back as ambassadors of Pakistan. Recently we have signed a MoU between the Swiss Business Council and Sindh Board of Investment and another MoU between the Swiss Business Council with the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade. As a direct result, Swiss Company SIKA will invest $4 million in a new plant. The Textile Institute of Pakistan signed a few weeks back a MoU with the Swiss Textile College in Zurich. The Swiss Business Council organized five fact -finding missions for Swiss companies in Pakistan and new agreements have been signed. And it goes both ways: a well-known Pakistani company is investing $6 million in a new factory in Switzerland.

Luminary: Do you have suggestions for Pakistan?

Mr. Emil Wyss: Pakistan has everything it needs to find tailor-made Pakistani solutions for Pakistan by Pakistanis…

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EXCLUSIVE Q&A

DRIVEN BY INNOVATION LEADING THE MARKET AS PIONEER

MILLAT EQUIPMENT LIMITED

IS AMONG THE MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED TRANSMISSION GEARS & SHAFTS MANUFACTURING COMPANY IN PAKISTAN.

Luminary: How did you start your journey?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: After completing FSC from Govt.

College I got admission in UET Lahore in Mechanical Engineering. Later on joined Fauji Fertilizer as a Training Engineer, and just after spending six month with Fauji Fertilizer got another offer from Millat Tractor Limited and I accepted the offer as Assistant Manager Quality Control at the age of 25 due to my love for the city of Lahore. During the job completed my Masters in Administrative Sciences from Punjab University. I spent good five to seven years of my early career in the various department of Millat such as production, quality assurance and industrial production division. Then I got a public scholarship for Masters in Business Administration from University of Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. I completed my degree with majors in Finance and minor in marketing. In 1998 I came back to Pakistan and join the same organization as Deputy General Manager Marketing for Industrial Products Division. Then for next ten plus years I served in, Millat Tractors in various roles like Deputy GM, GM Production, and Director Technical.

Afterwards, a new challenge was given to me to identify core competency of our organization and come up with a new product. After some thought and brainstorming identification of core competency was completed undoubtedly as “engine manufacturing”. At that time we were the only company manufacturing engines under a license. Then there was not stopping and we developed and introduced Generator Sets with engines for fifty (50) and seventy (70) horse powers. Later on added diesel generators, fork lifter’s and other pumping solutions. It was a great assignment to build new business unit within the organization.

Luminary: How do you tap cost oriented market of Pakistan in terms of quality?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: One thing is Certain we produce quality products the generators which we fabricate are the best by all means. Our major target market was industrial establishments and settlement having energy issues and looking for customized solutions. I remember the very first client we nail was Pakistan telecommunication authority (PTCL). We developed and supplied generators as per their requirement and specification to provide back cup for their exchanges. At that time, U-Fone was in launching phase. I feel cost is not such big issue to handle if you are providing LUMINARY | 44

customizes solutions with quality. We had good start initially and take off was great. Later on, we join hands for technical collaboration with Heli Fork Lifter which is a China based company.

Luminary: How do you balance the long term versus short term when thinking about innovation?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: To be very frank with you innovation is very critical and without it you are gone. You will be forgotten soon and will not be able to survive in market. I feel innovation has two facets; Short term and long term. In short term, we deal with all tactical level such as production, process efficiency, and operational procedures. While in long term, we have develop hydraulic pump, engines and tractors. During my time with Millat Tractors, we even develop Euro Compliance mechanism and engaged eminent professors from National University of Science & Technology (NUST). We manage to meet every deadline. I remember we produced 42000 tractors and also achieved other quality milestones. At present we enjoy almost 65% market share.

On the other hand, we are now taking advisory from NUST professors in equipment section as well. I feel Industry and academia linkage is very important. Knowledge and research are useless without application and practical implementation Industry-academia linkage are very important.

Sorry to say the attachment of industry and academia is not functioning as required. We have many brilliant people and a mammoth talent but regrettably that is not used practically.

But we should provoke beyond ourselves. We need to project the spirit to carry out a lot.

Luminary: How do you ensure your organization and its activities are aligned with your “core values”?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: Core values of any organization are basically operating systems and we consider them very essential here at Millat Equipment. Core values play a similar role in the organization as CPU plays in a computer. The parameters that govern the whole organization its direction and its values are very critical and we never compromise on them at all. I do not conflict with my core values and only encourage those values in the whole organization which I practice myself so that others can follow the trend.

Luminary: How do you differentiate your company from competitors in industry?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh Cheif Executive Officer Millat Equipment Limited

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EXCLUSIVE Q&A

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: Differentiation is different with respect to different criteria. Technology wise we are the only company in Pakistan at this level and capacity with production of such precise range of parts and consumables. There are two or three other companies but they are public sector organizations. Initially we were getting parts from them but due to some quality and delivery issues we start producing ourselves. Our USP is simple, for instance you walk in with a sample or reference item in hand, smaller or larger doesn’t matter and we can manufacture it for you. We can work with multiple ranges and kinds of precise parts and no other company can beat us. When it comes to professionalism we are the best in the industry. We always comply with all guidance given by SECP. You can walk around in the organization and feel the difference yourself.

Luminary: What are your company long-term environmental goals?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: Yes we are always concerned about the environmental goals. We have a separate department for energy management and we have also installed control fuel units all around in assembly plant to control fuel extraction. Most important is health of workers as well their working environment and conditions. We are very much aware of our obligations and following all regulations applicable to engines and automotive manufacturing concern.

Luminary: What other CEOs do you admire? Can you name a person who had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: Well, to idealize someone is essential in our life. Yes, I really admired two persons throughout my life and one of them is Jack Welch Jack. I never worked with him but watched his inspirational thought videos, lectures and clips over the internet and I like so much and consider him as my mentor. He is very compassionate and never compromise on integrity. He rightly said, if integrity is there but skill is lacking hire the person and he will improve but if there is any doubt on integrity than don’t bother.

Second is my chairman whom I report Mr. Sikandar Mustafa Khan. He is such a great person with amazing management skills and unique philosophy. I admire him to the higher degree.

Luminary: How you manage stress and maintain work -life balance?

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Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: Stress is a situation that you have to be cool you have to be calm and quiet you have to be witty and you have to be breezy and tranquil as well. In my case, I crack few jokes and stay quiet for some time. I can’t stay for a long time with stress and trauma and I have some inbuilt mechanism which helps me get out from that phase and gives me flexibility to cover my stress. To be frank, I am a sensitive person. Basically, I love nature and manage somehow to visit North Pakistan twice a year. I really like north side of Pakistan and visited almost all parts of it few I would like to mention here as Ata Abad lake, Hunza, Naran, Kaghan, Deer, Chitral, Waha Trail, Shandoor Top, Landscape Chanarbar, Bhunda, Astoor and Kalash Valley and I am also a life time member of adventure foundation of Pakistan. We are the only people in Pakistan who have travelled through river from Lahore to Karachi in 1985. These types of activities make me alive.

Once a year I also plan visits aboard to spend more time with family so far one of my favorite international destination is Hawaii a worth enjoying place Langkawi in Malaysia is also good. I feel affection for nature. That’s why I would love to go there again and again. I heard lot about Rio but didn’t like it much.

On top of everything and like every second business leader I am golfer too. Is not just a game and I am playing from last eighteen years. One can get great company, peace of mind and spare time to chat with friends. I am also fond of reading magazines and economic pages like Dawn business and economics section and business recorder.

Luminary: What is one unique or quirky habit that you have?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: I am compassionate at time. On the expression, I am very authoritarian but at the inner side, I have malleability in myself.

Luminary: What is the one behavior or trait that you have seen derails more leaders’ careers?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: I think you cannot compromise and conciliate on merit. Leadership is building teams that how smart you are to build teams how courageous you are to give and deliver. Leadership is the quality which builds in you within time. It depends on Leader how one builds and encourages people. Being positive in a negative situation is not naïve. It is leadership. Leadership is an action, not a position.

Luminary: What was your biggest missed opportunity?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: I have no regret although I refused many good offers just to stay in Pakistan. Later on, the situation proved me right and I am quite satisfied with my current state and position. I have a lot of plans for further travelling. All I want to do now is travel, travel, and travel.

Luminary: Would you like to share your achievements?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: Once your reach on a good position you have to pay back to the society. Education is the most powerful tool which you can use to change the world.

We as the group of seven friends started collective effort with the name of Progressive Education Network (PEN) and running schools in more than ten major cities which is accommodating around 25,000 students. A complete chain of this system is there and it was not built overnight. We are not running this organization with own names. It is very professionally run and managed by us and we perform the role of rotating CEOs. We control it as one board and have some industrialist and some known leaders as well on the board. I feel this is the only way Pakistan can survive and prosper. You may consider it an achievement or not but I think it's a humble service from my part to the country. I think we all have to go one day and this is what left behind the good work and footprints.

Luminary: What was the most critical decision you have made so far? How they contributed to the company success?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: We work on a strategy to make additional ten percent (10%) profit. To execute this strategy we struggle a lot to boost sales. We didn’t achieve that in the first place we struggled for it. Then we look it the other way and work on cost side. We make 10 percent profit easily by improving operations and through optimization of resources. We save in our purchases and achieve next level of efficiency. I believe this become the reason of second extension in my tenure. The chairman and board are happy with such performance.

Luminary: What’s your leadership style and how you manage your subordinates?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: I believe in my people and trust them. I strongly believe in Development of human capital.

When you give freedom and trust to people, they deliver better. I always give them fresh air and at the same time stay vigilant. All information stays with me all the time. That is why my team never disappointed me so far. I don’t like to control them because leadership is all about building teams.

How smart are you to build teams. How courageous are you to give authorities. Leadership is about giving and sharing, it is a complex thing to learn and comes with time and no one can learn it overnight.

Luminary: What steps have you taken for training and development of your staff?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: We do send people on individual training and as well we organize in-house training sessions

for them by inviting different speakers and trainers. We have good facility here for training. Recently four of my team members came back from Germany after completing their training. Without further training how can one improve skills and come up with new ideas and products? We allocate yearly budget for training and development activities regularly.

Luminary: Your advice to people becoming leaders for the first time?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: The lesson which I have learnt from my life leads to forgiveness and forget these are the best practices to lead a good life. If you don’t forgive you cannot forget then there will be much agitation in your mind. The same principle we should follow because if someone makes mistakes we should realize him but on the other hand we should forgive him and lead him to avoid and repeat the mistakes. To err is human and mistakes lead us to a great goal. Give the space to the people to grow because through their mistakes they can proceed further. “If you don’t forgive you’re not a leader”.

Luminary: Would you like to give any message and share few resources for upcoming young professionals and entrepreneurs?

Mr. Ahsan Imran Sheikh: Young ones have to work very hard as business environment is much more competitive than of before. There is no alternative to hard work and noting can be achieved without it. Intelligence is good but hard work and consistency is the key. I would say spend your time in reading and comprehending business journal, articles such as Harvard Business Review. Attend marketing and management association seminars and lectures because listening to marketers will boost your brain to think more we also send our technical staff members on such seminars and on contrary management staff to attend technical briefings. As this way they will be enriched with the knowledge required to succeed.

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PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION NETWORK Progressive Education Network

EDUCATE A CHILD WITH PEN

30 % cle don of s an ’t h cho wa drin ave ols te kin r g

PEN: A NETWORK We exist to herald the pracPr tices of progressive pedim 46 ar % agogy and to connect y o do sc f h educators with one fu hav n’t oo ls rn e another to share itu re ideas, practices, experiences.

We host national conferences and support regional gatherings to help Progressive Education Network teachers get together. We are teachers, administrators, school personnel who believe in the power of progressive practice.

2 Pr 4% S im of do cho ary te n’t ols xt ha bo ve ok s

50 stu % o d f ou en prim t ts a cla bef dro ry ss ore p 5

The Progressive Education Network exists to herald and promote the vision of progressive education on a national basis, while providing opportunities for educators to connect, support and learn from one another

SCHOOL

Head Office: 57-Tipu Block, New Garden Town, Lahore, Pakistan.

Tel: +92 42 35842554 Fax: +92 42 35837333 Regional Office: 27-C, Sunset Street 1, Phase 4, P.D.O.H.A., Karachi.

Tel: +92 21 3588347 Fax: +62 21 35881947 Email: info@pen.org.pk URL: www.pen.org.pk Facebook: www.facebook.com/penpk

PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION NETWORK Progressive Education Network

INTRODUCTION Progressive Education Network is a non-profit company with a mission to provide quality education to less privileged students in Pakistan. Presently, Progressive Education Network is providing education to over 23,000 students across Pakistan and plans to reach 1 million children by 2025.Progressive Education Network was founded by a group of professionals, businessmen and educationalists who wanted to alleviate the education emergency in Pakistan.

OPERATING MODEL In Pakistan, the public school system is the largest school system which caters to the low-income strata of the society. Unfortunately, public schools lag far behind the private sector in terms of student achievement. With the goal of maximizing its impact in the education sector, Progressive Education Network adopts under-performing Government schools through a public-private partnership and then works to improve the schools’ infrastructure and quality of education. The rationale behind this model is that by adopting under-performing public schools, PEN can leverage the existing infrastructure of public schools to focus on the quality of education delivery.

IMPROVEMENT OF ACADEMICS Primarily, PEN is focused on improving academics in its adopted schools through the following interventions: Training of teachers to develop their pedagogical skills Hiring additional teachers to reduce class-size Enrollment drives in local communities around its adopted schools to increase student enrolment Providing free notebooks and teaching aids Establishing computer labs and hiring computer instructors Developing syllabus breakup and lesson plans to aid teachers with their instruction

IMPROVEMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE As most public schools lack basic amenities, PEN carries out the following improvements to the schools’ infrastructure to create an environment conducive to learning: Construction and renovation of classrooms and toilets Provision of clean and cold drinking water Providing student and teacher furniture Provision of electric fixtures, such as ceiling fans and lights in the classrooms Setting up playgrounds Hiring of janitors to clean school premises twice daily

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Co-curricular activities are a main component of PEN's intervention in public schools. PEN conducts debate, SCHOOL creative-writing, and sporting contests to foster character development and confidence among the students of its adopted schools. It also collaborated with student organizations of elite universities in the country to provide mentoring and career counseling to disadvantaged children.

Head Office: 57-Tipu Block, New Garden Town, Lahore, Pakistan.

Tel: +92 42 35842554 Fax: +92 42 35837333 Regional Office: 27-C, Sunset Street 1, Phase 4, P.D.O.H.A., Karachi.

Tel: +92 21 3588347 Fax: +62 21 35881947 Email: info@pen.org.pk URL: www.pen.org.pk Facebook: www.facebook.com/penpk

INNOVATION

VOICE TO TEXT THREE REVOLUTIONARY MOBILE APPS There are hundreds of apps that let you search, write emails, take notes and set appointments with your smartphone. But, for some people, the small size of a phone's keyboard or touch screen can be limiting and difficult to use.

If you have trouble seeing the small type, have a lack of finger dexterity or just think better out loud, you might benefit from a tool that allows you to convert spoken words to written words. Here's a look at three different speech-to-text apps that can help you get things done with a lot less hassle: 1. Dragon Dictation This app has only one button. Simply tap it and start talking. Dragon Dictation handles the rest. The text appears after you finish dictating, so it might take a little getting used to. But once you get the rhythm, you can process lengthy emails and other documents with a high degree of accuracy in one of 30 different languages or dialects.

Once the app has transcribed your speech, you can send it out via email or copy and paste to another application.

You can also post directly to Facebook and Twitter, or save your text to use later on. Best of all, the app is free for the iPhone and iPad but it does require a network connection to work.

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2. Evernote for Android Evernote was designed to help you keep track of ideas and inspirations.

You always could use the app to record audio notes such as lectures or meetings, but now it also allows you to turn those audio files into text.

Unlike Dragon Dictation, Evernote saves both the audio and the text file together so you can use the app's search ability to find a recorded note.

The app can be a handy tool for recording all your thoughts at the end of each day. Say what's on your mind,

then sort through the data later.

The app is free, but because Evernote uses Google Android's text transcription service, you do need to be online to use it.

3. Voice Assistant This newly redesigned app has a fast access feature that makes it even easier to post to Twitter, Facebook or email. Switch on your preferred option and Voice Assistant converts your transcriptions to the proper format without additional clicks.

Use the auto copy feature to send your transcriptions to other apps such as Google Search, YouTube, Evernote Pages. You can also send your transcription straight to a wireless printer.

Voice Assistant uses intelligent speech recognition so it learns with every use. It also has grammar correction and on-screen editing with suggestions for corrections.

The app costs 99 cents and is available for the iPhone and iPad.

Cynthia Boris Contributor

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INNOVATION

WHY THREE APPS EVA, ONEHIVE AND BESOMEBODY Just Might Take Over Facebook Every once in a while, we come across technologies that change how common people live and act.

Facebook changed the way we communicate with our friends and family. LinkedIn took business networking to another level altogether. Dropbox revolutionized the way we store and share our documents. The list is too long to be repeated here.

Every once in a while, we come across technologies that change how common people live and act. Facebook changed the way we communicate with our friends and family. LinkedIn took business networking to another level altogether. Dropbox revolutionized the way we store and share our documents. The list is too long to be repeated here.

technologies have reached and touched the lives of common people.

The best part is that these disruptive technologies are not restricted to a select few -- from parents using Facebook to keep an eye on their children to children and teachers using Dropbox in the classroom, these

Eva is a new video sharing app available in the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Belgium. Eva allows you to create videos using state-of-the-art video capturing and editing technology and share them to other social-media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp and others. It comes with 36,000 filters, so you can get only the best and the most relevant video content that matter to you.

In this article, we are going to see three apps that have the potential to do the same, yet again.

1. EVA

What sets it apart? The first thing that’s different about Eva is that registration is not mandatory.

Although this might seem like a small thing, it just goes on to show how confident the makers are about their platform. Co-founder Aziz Muza says that users are encouraged to try the app first, and if they like the content and wish to engage, they can go ahead and register.

Another thing that sets it apart is that it is purely video-based as opposed to text. Of course, all your videos are stored on the cloud, so you don’t have to worry about your precious memory and storage being eaten into.

How will it affect the day-to-day user? With information overload that is happening on social media left, right and center, it is just a matter of time that a cloud-based video platform that interacts with other

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social networks that matter to you will be welcomed wholeheartedly by the world.

The app is available on iTunes for users from the UK or Europe, if however, you are not from this part of the world, just keep your fingers crossed and hope that Eva will be launched in your region soon.

2. ONEHIVE We have too many tasks and collaboration apps already.

So when I set out to try OneHive, I was not really looking for anything exciting or new. Thankfully, I was proven wrong. OneHive is a simple checklist application that allows you to create, share and review to-do lists.

You can make time-sensitive lists like daily, weekly, monthly or annual lists.

What sets it apart? Unlike other apps, OneHive is free. You can create unlimited checklists and share them with as many people as you want. But the most important differentiator is the transparency it brings to daily tasks. Instead of lumping all the to-do lists in one huge project, it allows you to take one day at a time and understand what you have achieved at the end of the day.

How will it help people? It has a superb clean interface and is built on minimalism, which helps the average user to master it quickly. Moreover, it allows users to track their own progress, which motivates and challenges them to improve their productivity and performance. The overall transparency encourages users to use the app on their own accord. This cannot be said for many of the apps, which are abandoned by teams after a short stint. The app is available on both iTunes and GooglePlay.

3. BESOMEBODY

their passions so that it becomes more than just a hobby for them. Go download it from the iTunes store.

The success of an app depends on a lot of factors other than its core idea. At the heart of it, all these apps have high disruptive quotient. However, they are still new, so we have to wait and see if they become as big as Facebook, Dropbox, Pandora, and their cousins -- or fade away in the tides of time.

Pratik Dholakiya Contributor Co Finder of E2M & MoveOApps

Besomebody is a social network app with a mission. It allows members to learn, teach and live their passions with others who share similar goals. Many people have used Besomebody to escape from their boring job, to share their passions with like-minded people or earn extra income by becoming a “passionary.” The app is available in selected places only, but CEO and founder Kash Shaikh is raising money to expand its marketplace.

What sets it apart? Instead of trying to be just another social network with a few more features, Besomebody breaks ground by helping people live their passions and find content related to their interests.

That’s why I said that it’s an app with a mission.

How will it help people? The benefits of this app are quite obvious. However, if I had to sum it up in a line, I would say it allows members to live, share and monetize LUMINARY | 53

EXCLUSIVE Q&A

Meet Mr. Abuzar Bokhari UNIQUE LEADERSHIP STYLE WITH FOCUS ON SERVICE QUALITY AND VALUES

Luminary: Please share your Professional background as how it all started?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: I started off my career in professional management which was construction related. It then very quickly turned into a trading and manufacturing business, which took me outside of Pakistan. It was a huge learning curve for me. I was managing, manufacturing and trading across three completely different environments within the North, South American and the Asian sphere. So, after about eight or nine years, I returned to Pakistan in the early 90's and decided to go back to study. I eventually got engaged into multiple consultative arrangements with people and ended up managing a very large textile manufacturing company in Pakistan. In the mid of the year 2004, the government of Pakistan decided to lower the customs tariffs on vehicles which sparked a casual conversation between friends and led to a serious proposal which has brought me up to this point.

Luminary: What other CEOs do you admire? Can you name a person who had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: Nobody in general. I have gained a lot from different people. learnt mostly from their failings and what they could've done better. The reason for which I pursued consulting was that I was actually learning by teaching people.

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Luminary: How do you balance the long term versus the short term when thinking about innovation?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: Innovation, while developing a product or a service plays a very important role in the company, however, innovation needs to be balanced because depending on the nature of the business there is potentially a threat that you can over innovate yourself outside of the market. When you're building a product or a service, you need innovation.

Once you have got your product or service done, you need people to catch up to that innovation, you need for that market to mature up. You have to take the basic premise of innovation to the full maturity of the business idea or full maturity of the marketplace.

Luminary: How you ensure your organization and its activities are aligned with your "core values"?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: The activities of the organization should be aligned to the core

Great ideas come from members of the entire company. The organisation must have the ears to process and debate those ideas and then implement them.

values that are necessary for the company to succeed. Those core values need to be clearly identified, clearly communicated to the organization team members and should be implemented in a way that ensures that the core values are the basis of the product or services of the company.

At our company, we have communicated those core values to the people and given them the appropriate training. We have also set up a consistent and immutable evaluation system which measures them on those core values.

Luminary: As an organization gets larger there can be a tendency for the "institution" to dampen the Inspiration.

How do you keep this from happening?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: As the organization goes larger the senior management which carries the initial inspiration becomes more distant. There are a multiple ways to keep the institution inspired by those initial aspirations by keeping a broader contact with the team. One, you can actually build processes within the company which instills that same inspiration, down streaming it so that the wider body of the larger organization continues to remain affected with the same inspiration. You can additionally have activities, processes and even, at times departments which ensure that the co-inspiration remains alive.

Luminary: How do you encourage creative thinking within your organisation?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: In our company we have a guiding principle where discipline and innovation based initiative is valued over, ability and loyalty. As it is a part of our evaluation process, it makes virtually impossible for any employee within the company to thrive without it.

LUMINARY | 55

EXCLUSIVE Q&A Luminary: Where do the great ideas come from in your organisation?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: Great ideas come from members of the entire company. The organisation must have the ears to process and debate those ideas and then implement them.

Luminary: What differentiates your company from others in the industry?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: Primarily, our focus is not on selling more cars. Our focus is to constantly enhance our value of service, accepting of our failings and to turn them.

This, of course, is supplemented in great deal by the company that we represent, which is the leader in high-performance cars and that makes our job much easier to do.

Luminary: How important is sustainability in the company's strategy?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: There are two ways; one is to build on the strength and the other way is to conserve that strength. I prefer the former over the latter.

Luminary: What are your company long-term environmental goals?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: Porsche Intelligent Performance" is more than a slogan. It is nothing less than Porsche keeping pace with the modern automotive landscape and the company's need to dramatically lower emissions, get greener and save fuel.

Porsche has succeeded in reducing the fuel consumption in its new cars, and thereby also CO2 emissions. Porsche is the first and only company, as of 2016, to offer three plug-in hybrid models: The 918 Spyder, Cayenne S E-Hybrid, and Panamera S E-Hybrid. From development to after-sale service, it is a key objective of Porsche to minimize resource consumption and keep the impact on the earth as low as possible.

Porsche Pakistan is making a special effort to promote these energy efficient vehicles. Our policy is to develop our new facilities with the lowest possible carbon footprint.

Luminary: What are the company's biggest achievements to date?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: We, as Porsche Pakistan, have succeeded in creating a 700% plus growth rate in the last three to LUMINARY | 56

four years. We are also currently in the process of expanding our current infra-structure by developing a flagship showroom in Lahore and another state of the art facilities in all the major cities across Pakistan. Keeping in mind the socio-economic obstacles faced by the country at large, we feel we have achieved a great part in establishing ourselves as a leader in the performance automotive industry and have managed to create a wider demand for our product.

Luminary: What are the biggest challenges facing leaders today?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: The biggest challenge facing corporate and political leaders today are aspects of integrity. One sees and experiences that due to changing global trends, there is generally a serious erosion of standards in the aspects of integrity which need to be reversed. If this does not happen, global trade and capitalism may be viewed in history as a failed system.

Luminary: How do you manage conflicts in the workplace and to model solutions for complex multidimensional problems?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: If ever there is a conflict, there are multiple forums for people to express their grievances and to record their complaints. Additionally, we have a mentorship program which allows people to be represented by our senior managers on the event when they feel that their voice is not being heard properly. These round table committees have very clear guidelines in a manner that each conflict should come to its rational conclusion.

Luminary: What is one mistake you witness leaders making more frequently than others?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: Leaders make a mistake when they do not take ownership of their faults and failings and when they do not accept their bad decisions. If they will not embrace them or move away from them positively then it would lead them to a negative spiral, not allowing themselves or the companies to, move forward from those mistakes.

Luminary: What's the toughest decision you ever made? What did you learn from that one?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: There are multiple decisions that I have made in my life. No single one stands out. Each of those decisions, whether the outcome was right or wrong has made me a stronger person.

Luminary: What is the one behavior or traits that you have seen derail most leaders' careers?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: In a word, arrogance.

Luminary: What do you do for fun?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: I have a serious weakness for fine art and architecture.

Creative indulgences in that direction are the most fulfilling for me.

Luminary: What is one unique or quirky habit that you have?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: I do not like to have a conventional approach towards life. I follow my whims wherever they take me.

Luminary: What was your biggest missed opportunity?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: My biggest missed opportunity would possibly be something in the future and not in the past.

Luminary: What do you do to live a balanced life?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: I don't have a balanced life.

Luminary: What is the best advice you ever received?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: I have a historical tendency to disregard on good advice and possibly that has helped me more than it has damaged me.

Luminary: How do you manage your anger and stress?

Porsche Pakistan, have succeeded in creating a 700% plus growth rate in the last three to four years.

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: I always project the futility of carrying anger or stress forward.

It helps in diffusing it. Sometimes I do hold on to anger, in cases where a certain amount of sustained competition is required, for instance in terms of individuals or companies which might be held back upon a negative competition and you keep that anger alive inside of you. It then becomes a constructive useful emotion to keep the edge in meeting them with/in reality.

Luminary: What are the most important strategic decisions you have made to

contribute towards the success of the company? Why so successful?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: One of the most strategic decisions was when the global economy took a major downturn in 2008-2009. We dealt with the challenges and continued with the expanded infra structure which could have possibly cost the life of the company.

Luminary: What are a few resources you would recommend to someone looking to gain insight into becoming a better leader?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: Build a great team.

Luminary: What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time, to the younger generation of CEOs, managers, startups, entrepreneurs and business leaders?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: Follow your heart.

Luminary: What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: By making new friends.

Luminary: What are your company ambitions for the future?

Mr. Abuzar Bokhari: Our future ambitions would be to allow the company to grow to its full potential in the marketplace.

LUMINARY | 57

HEALTH

EXCESSIVE

EXERCISE can have

Negative Effects

ON HEART

ACCORDING TO THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY EXTREME EXERCISE MAY BE TOXIC TO YOUR HEART Pushing your body to the max day after day can stress your heart and raise your risk for a type of abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, which ultimately can lead to heart failure or a stroke, according to the review, which analyzed 12 studies on A-fib in athletes and endurance runners.

But before you fall off your sofa laughing at the ambitious among us, note that not exercising at all is far worse for your heart than overdoing it, doctors emphasize.

As in so many aspects of life, moderation is key.

Myriad studies have established the heart-health benefits of moderate- and vigorous-intensity exercise.

Conversely, not getting your blood pumping can lead to clogged arteries and heart disease.

Moderate-intensity exercise includes movement that raises your heartbeat, such as casual sports, walking briskly, jogging, biking or swimming. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week to help ward off unhealthy weight gain and heart disease.

Vigorous-intensity exercise is the type that makes you short of breath and break out in a heavy sweat. This includes strenuous hiking, high-impact aerobics, long-distance running, or biking faster than 10 mph (16 km/h).

People can do 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise weekly instead of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, the CDC says.

Both of these types of exercise lower the risk of atrial fibrillation. In people with A-fib, blood can pool in the atria, the two "top" chambers of the heart that take in blood and pump it downward to the left and right ventricles. This incomplete pumping can stress the entire cardiovascular system. The most common causes for an A-fib are high blood pressure and heart disease affecting any of the four heart valves.

LUMINARY | 58

Extreme exercise is loosely defined as several hours of vigorous exercise nearly every day — the type of exercise expected from elite athletes and endurance athletes. This much exercise could cause atrial fibrillation, according to Dr. André La Gerche, a sports cardiologist at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and the author of the new review study.

All available drug therapies aimed at treating A-fib have a dose-response relationship in which benefits diminish at high doses and the risks of adverse events increase, La Gerche said. So, then, it is logical to assume there may also be a dose-response relationship between exercise and A-fib — and that "overdosing" on exercise may be toxic to the heart, he said.

Research that questions the benefits of exercise is often criticized, La Gerche said.

The new paper explores "the often questionable, incomplete and controversial science behind the emerging concern that high levels of intense exercise may be associated with some adverse health effects," he said.

La Gerche's earlier research, published in 2011 with colleague Guido Claessen of the University of Leuven in Belgium, found that patients who were admitted to the University of Leuven Hospital with an atrial fibrillation of unknown cause — that is, not due to hypertension, heart disease, obesity or diabetes — were four times more likely than the general population to have engaged in endurance sports.

A similar study by researchers from Denmark, published in 2009, found that athletes were about 5.3 times more likely to develop A-fib than were matched nonathletic participants (used as a control group for comparison). La Gerche highlighted numerous studies showing the risk of developing atrial fibrillation by midlife among athletes and endurance runners.

So, how much exercise is too much?

The science is simply not good enough" to answer that question, La Gerche said. "We have not conclusively proven that too much exercise is bad — although there are plenty of strong hints — and we are miles from being able to know where the cutoff point is.

La Gerche instead noted that studies have shown how the risk of death over a given period sharply decreases as exercise frequency and intensity increases but that these benefits begin to level off at an intensity that represents only approximately 50 percent of a well-trained athlete's capacity.

Other researchers say the heart benefits of extreme exercise outweigh the risks. Dr. Fabian Sanchis-Gomar, of the October 12 Research Institute in Madrid, has found that the benefits of high levels of intense exercise include lower blood pressure, lower body fat, a better ratio of HDL to LDL ("good" cholesterol compared to "bad"), improved insulin sensitivity and an overall lower risk of death over a certain time period.

By Sara G Miller

LUMINARY | 59

HEALTH

for

diabetes I

soflavones are a class of phytoaestrogens plant-derived compounds with aestrogenic activity. Soya beans and soya products are the richest sources of isoflavones in the human diet.

Isoflavones is an important biologically active ingredient of soya isoflavones.

High-class protein is present in soya that provides a defensive and remedial effect in heart diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis and alleviation of postmenopausal symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine whether a dietary supplement isoflavones affected insulin resistance, glycaemic control and cardiovascular risk markers in postmenopausal women with type-2 diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is a dominant endocrine disorder which is causing major health problems in many LUMINARY | 60

countries. It comes from devastation of the β-islets cells of pancreas, which reduce the insulin secretions known as hyperglycaemia, which is the basic cause of acute complication of diabetes. According to the available status, overall 6.9 million people in Pakistan are suffering from diabetes, whereas WHO has ranked Pakistan 7th on d i a b e t e s prevalence list.

Objectives The objectives of this research were to evaluate the effects of soya isoflavones on the blood glucose in fasting and random levels, kidney functions and liver functions of the postmenopausal diabetic women.

Methodology Data of 15 postmenopausal diabetic women was taken by the pre-survey for the selection of the subject. An equal quantity of 60mg/day of soya isoflavone

was provided to each patient in the form of capsules for a period of one month.

Subjects were taken (aged 40-60 years without a menstrual cycle for 1 to 2 years) with fasting glucose concentration ranging from 150mg/dl to 300mg/dl. Blood glucose level was checked after 2 hours of having capsule filled with soya isoflavone.

Subjects having history of stroke, coronary heart diseases, thyroid problems, uterine and ovarian cancer or suffering with other malignant diseases, taking weight reduction or fat lowering agents, long term antibiotic user or who had known allergy to soya were excluded. Anthropometric measurements, clinical assay of the subject (blood glucose, blood insulin, creatinine, urea) serum biochemistry (liver function test aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total blood total protein, blood albumin, blood bilirubin, blood globulin were assessed.

Discussion Intake of soya isoflavones was significantly associated with type-2 diabetes in all women. During frequent interval of studies, highest value of insulin (6.39±1.04) was found in post-menopausal diabetic women in the fourth week whereas lowest value (4.79±0.90) was found in the first week. A significant difference was seen in glucose values of post-menopausal diabetic women as insulin values. The mean glucose value of hypoglycaemic effect of soya isoflavones in post-menopausal diabetic patients was high (259.19±17.38) in the first week and the lowest in the fourth week (222.47±6.04).

Bilirubin for post-menopausal women consuming soya isoflavone varied significantly from 0.76 to 0.83. Results were non-significant for these tests: Liver function test aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total blood total protein, blood globulin, creatinine and urea, as isoflavone has no effect on them.

Conclusion These results showed that dietary supplementation with soya phytoaestrogens cause glycaemic control in postmenopausal women with type-2 diabetes.

Munazza Saeed, PhD (FT), NIFSAT UAF

LUMINARY | 61

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