How do you describe yourself?
I’m a straightforward person, I listen a lot, I’m very curious, easy going and optimistic. I feel I have a surplus of energy. I don’t give up easily – I do not mean in business but in everything I do.
What do others say about you?
I think they say that I’m an honest person, approachable but maybe impatient and at times too serious.
Your greatest achievement in business?
Turning around the agency I run. Today we are are five times bigger than what we were the day I took over in 2007 and most importantly, I have a very happy, positive team. This year we were voted 7th in the Great Place to Work UAE listings.
What virtue do you admire most in other people?
Generosity, and by that I don’t mean gifting material things, I mean devotion and sacrifice. I think selflessness is the peak of generosity. When you give part or all of yourself, your mind and your time, without feeling that you have given or lost anything, that is a trait I really value in other people.
What is something most people don’t know about you?
I’m an early person and I exercise daily, I’m out of bed by 5:30am and I cycle for about 70 to 75 minutes every morning.
What’s one productivity tip you wish everyone else knew?
It is simple, everyone knows it, but not many do it, keep your smartphone away from you! With so much at our fingertips and the desire to constantly check it, our smartphones are our biggest distraction at work.
How do you make decisions?
I trust my people, often my decisions are made after consultation with my team, and also based on strategy, my experience and a bit of hunch and intuition, because no one can predict everything.
Who do you look up to? In life or business?
Bill Gates, not because he’s the richest man in the world, but the world’s most generous philanthropist. He transformed our lives through technology and he’s now saving the lives of millions of people through his foundation.
Quote to live your life by?
“The moment you stop trying to become a better person, is the moment you start to become worse than what you already are.” – Carroll Bryant.