Interview with Ahmad Malik

As part of career counseling and advice, BrightSpyre will now be regularly featuring interviews of successful Pakistanis who have made it big nationally or internationally. We hope that these interviews turn out to be inspiration for young Pakistanis and also help them in advancing their careers.

Ahmad Malik's Profile: Mr. Malik has been working for CIBER (A US$1 Billion dollar American company in Denver Colorado, USA) for the past eleven years as Director of IS Applications. As part of his job, he has lead numerous projects to implement, maintain and enhance Enterprise Applications (ERP, CRM, and Portals) used by CIBER to run its business. He completed his bachelor's degree in computer science from FAST Institute of Computer Science in 1994 (now called FAST National University), and an MBA in management from University of Colorado at Denver.

Q) You were in one of the first batches to graduate out of FAST Lahore. How was that experience?

FAST helped me discover myself. I was very glad to be educated in the field that I was planning to get into since my first visit to the computer exhibition at American Center in Islamabad a couple of years earlier (in the late 1980s). At FAST, we worked with very limited resources and to this date that experience helped me find optimal IT solutions for my customers based on the available resources.

Q) You have studied here in Pakistan and also in the USA. What is the major difference in the education that you have found?

As I answer this question, keep in mind that it has been 14 years since I graduated (from FAST in 1994) and just like anything else education has improved and vast resources are available to learn from i.e. internet, email, etc. In the US, we are required to perform extensive research to write papers or evaluate case studies. Team exercises are encouraged since it helps in the real life. Critical thinking, risk taking, and learning from mistakes is encouraged.

Q) What skills did you gain at FAST that helped you make the transition to the US institutions with ease?

FAST gave me a lot of confidence which helped me market myself to get admissions in the US institutions. Additionally, some courses that we took were advanced level as compared to Bachelor's courses in the USA. FAST helped me secure internship at IBM and job at Oratech which also helped me during my time in the US Universities.

Q) Is there anything that you would like to see improve among Pakistani graduates?

I am a strong advocate of having betters soft skills. Technical skills are very important and if soft skills are absent, technical skills are of no use. I recommend improving the following soft skills:

1. Resourcefulness

2. Organizational Skills

3. Problem Solving Ability

4. Customer Oriented

5. Honesty and Integrity

6. Thirst for Knowledge

7. Communication Skills

8. Good Attitude

9. Longevity

10. Goal Oriented

11. Hard Worker

12. Enthusiasm

13. Performance Trend

14. Fast Learner

15. Team Player

In the past I have delivered presentations in FAST with a title "Successful traits that make you valuable in the IT industry". Details can be found at FAST Alumni website.

Q) What is one of the major differences in work that you found between the USA and Pakistan?

I have worked only one year at Oratech before coming to the US and I was fortunate to find that the right management team that helped me gain more knowledge and insight to the working of IT industry. They pushed my comfort zones which was very good. There was a time I consulted for a few months in another organization in Pakistan. I found that people are technically very capable but they need to improve their soft skills.

Q) Do you miss your family back home? How often do you travel back?

Of course I miss them and they miss my family :-) I visit my parents at least every other year. They visit me when I can't.

Q) Given a choice, would you prefer working in Pakistan over the USA?

One can find passion to work at any place and make a difference. If I get a chance to bring the skills to grow a company in Pakistan, I would be glad to come back.

Q) You have transitioned well from a technical person to an executive. How did you manage that transition?

I would not consider myself an executive yet. However, it is one of my goals to be a part of the executive team to help the organization meet its business goals. IT can help every department in an organization to improve efficiency and productivity.

As far as the transition is concerned, these two simple approaches helped me in my career:

• Managing downwards (employees) or sideways (peers): Share/Transfer knowledge. This freed me up to learn new skills and take on new challenges.
• Managing upwards: free your boss's time. Take on some of his/her responsibilities. You will learn new things and at the same time prepare yourself for the next job.

These two simple approaches helped me to transition from a programmer to business analyst to project manager to program manager to IT Director. And I hope that this will help me to transition from VP IT to CIO to COO to CEO.

Q) Books are something that you love to read. What are some of your favorites?

Some of my favorites include:

• 7 habits of the highly effective people by Stephen Covey
• Good to Great by Jim Collins
• The five dysfunctions of a team by Patrick Lencioni

Q) What magazines and periodicals do you read on a regular basis:

• CIO
• Information Week
• Harvard Business Review

Q) What are the top two/three sites that you visit regularly:

• www.cio.com
• www.informationweek.com
• www.gantthead.com
  
  I also subscribe to the email newsletters from these sites

Q) Can Pakistani IT curriculum be improved in any way?

It has been a while since I have looked at IT curriculum in Pakistan to suggest improvement. However, I would stress the importance of having students work at least one semester as a part of their degree. As always, I would like that the soft-skill improvement plan be incorporated in every course. Simple things as making random team can help the students prepare for the real-life 'random' teams.

Q) What is one thing that you look into when you hire a fresh graduate?

I evaluate candidates based on the soft-skills listed above. Additionally, I follow the following statement by Dee Hock (founder of VISA internationals):

"Hire and promote first on the basis of integrity; second, motivation; third, capacity; fourth, understanding; fifth, knowledge; and last and least, experience. Without integrity, motivation is dangerous; without motivation, capacity is impotent; without capacity, understanding is limited; without understanding, knowledge is meaningless; without knowledge, experience is blind. Experience is easy to provide and quickly put to good use by people with all the other qualities"

Q) What is it that you would like to see more in Pakistani graduates when they get out of school?

One thing: Improve your soft skills.

Interview with Squash Legend Jahangir Khan

We met up with Legendary Jahangir Khan during the recently concluded World Junior Squash Championship 2004 in Islamabad. We chatted about many things in a candid environment at the Mushaf Squash Complex in Islamabad. Even though Pakistan’s Yasir Butt lost the Individual Championship Title to Egypt’s Ramy Ashour, he had words of encouragement for all. He explained that earlier in his career he too lost the Junior Championship finals twice in a row only to strive even harder to win many a tournaments later. Here is the excerpt from the interview.

Q) This year, Pakistan had a strong contingent of six players in the quarterfinals. However, we still lost the final. Your comments? Also, what is future of Pakistan Squash?

JK) Winning and losing is all part of the game. Every player works hard for the tournament. Overall if you look at the tournament, and performance of all the players, I would say Pakistan was better off than other teams. 6 Players out of 8 made it into quarters. Then 3 out of 4 into semis is only indicative of the fact Pakistan can win the title. However, some of the players needed to play with more confidence. I have seen them train and was sure that they can be victorious. They should be a bit more confident like Ramy Ashour who played in a more professional manner and did not come under pressure for losing a game or point and played to his potential. When a player can understand this difference, then his results are bound to improve.

For such tournaments, players come from all over the world and have worked hard to win it. And despite the fact that Pakistan did not win the final, it is still an achievement to get 6 players into the top 8. This indicates that Pakistan has more choices and talent than anyone else. It is not the end of the day if you lose one final. Through this tournament they must have learned about the quality of Squash players from around the world. All they need to do now is to convert the training and match practice into winning. And they can achieve that if they believe in themselves and are confident.

Q) You saw the Pakistan contingent play at this Championship. Whom do you see as the next prospect for World Champion in the future?

JK) If you look at the Championship, you will see that all the players played very well and are also very young (between the ages of 15-18). I had seen some of them play in India in 2002 Championship and I saw their game improve since then. But the most exciting prospect of this Championship was Amir Atlas (semi finalist in this years Junior Championships). He has the biggest advantage of age as he is only 15 years old and can play Junior circuit for a few more years. He defeated some of his senior players who were better than him and also more experienced and ranked higher. After defeating them in a confident manner, he must have known about the standard of his own game and can utilize this experience to win even more matches. He has been training hard for the past year or so and if continues to train as diligently and believes in himself he can win many a tournaments in the future. In fact, he can be the next top professional in the Squash Circuit.

Q) Currently, you are the President of World Squash Federation (WSF). Are there any steps being taken to include Squash in the Olympics?

JK) For the past many years, we have been trying to include Squash in the Olympics. In fact, there are many sports like Squash, Rugby, Golf, Karate etc that are trying to make it to the Olympics. According to the IOC, only a limited athletes in the designated sports can participate in the Olympics. It is not just a matter to organize and run a tournament but to have proper facilities including room and board, training etc are to be provided equally to each athlete. Due to such constraints, only 28 sports could be included in this year’s game with around 10,000 athletes competing in them. Traditionally, Olympics only had amateur players and professionals could not participate. Today, things have changed as many teams at Olympics boast professionals in their ranks and is therefore, open to all.

Today, WSF have over 150 member countries and 15 million registered squash players worldwide. We are a popular sport that needs to be given a chance at Olympics. The Olympic committee will deliberate on the final list of the sports for 2012 games in June 2005. We do hope that they consider the popularity of Squash and decide in its favor.

Q) Computer Analysis are now becoming common in almost every sport in the world. Is this an important aspect for winning today?

JK) If you look at the big picture, you will notice that the records in Squash were made earlier not today. And they were made without computers. In fact, if computers were really helping them improve that much than they should have broken all old records by now. These are all artificial ways of assisting the players move ahead. However, if the player is genuinely talented and has the natural ability than these things do not assist him much.

Q) What are the most important things for a youngster who picks up squash as a sport?

JK) Well, I would say, he should be clear about his goals. What targets he wants to achieve? The second most import thing is passion for the game. He should also be disciplined and have faith in his abilities and time that he is willing to spend on learning and playing this sport. Hence, hard work in a structured way is required for anyone to achieve his goals.

Also, one should not be satisfied and relaxed after winning a few matches or tournaments. That is not the end of the day. One should continue to achieve even higher goals. You are a complete player the day you retire from the game and not before that.

Q) You have been involved with the game all your life. Have you ever considered coaching youngsters?

JK) I have had numerous offers to train players or national teams, but I am not planning on that right now. However, in the long run, I would like to establish an academy for Squash and would like to participate regularly in its activities and will also try to involve other coaches and players that I have worked with in the past. This academy will assist in harnessing the abundant talent available in the country.

Q) There is hardly any Pakistani now in the top 20 of Professional Squash Circuit. What needs to be done beyond what is already done to achieve a higher ranking?

JK) I don’t see any improvement can be done to our senior players. They were top players in the Junior circuit but have not performed as well later. Their contemporaries in the under 19 level are already penetrating the top 10 list. I guess, our players did not utilize the facilities to their fullest potential. Take the example of James Wilstrop. He was a former world junior champion. Today he is ranked world no 8 in less than two years. Therefore, I would advice the Pakistanis to work and train even harder than the rest to achieve higher goals. That is the only way they can win some tournaments and bring glory to Pakistan.

Interview conducted by Atif Mumtaz

Interview with Mr Farooq Hasan.

An Exclusive Interview with Mr. Farooq Hassan
Head of Personal Loans, Standard Chartered Bank

Mr. Farooq Hassan’s dynamism and an innate astuteness make him the success story of today. A unique self-starter who believes in himself, he acquired a B.Com from Halley’s College of Commerce, Lahore and then proceeded to complete a grueling Bi-Major MBA in Banking and Marketing from IBA, Karachi. Fresh out of school, he became a Management Internee in 1994, which incidentally was also his first job. Sheer hard work, good planning and a consistently clear vision have made him Head of Personal Loans, Standard Charted Bank, a remarkable feat one must admit. Being very welcoming to new comers, he gave precious advise on how to climb the corporate ladder. According to him, be consistent and avail opportunities with an affirmed belief in your capabilities. This comes in handy especially during decision-making. Success is dependent on how pleasant your personality is along with your ability to discuss issues and involve people rather than merely giving them regimental orders. Most of all, never forget dedication, which with a tinge of good luck go a long way.

Mr. Farooq Hassan’s entire demeanour speaks of his philosophy having a calm, collected air about him, which exudes an aura of complete authority. As Peter Drucker mentioned, “One does not manage institutions but one must manage people.” Today’s fast pace global arena has changed the face of management itself. A leader is “how good one can manage his people” and management has become specialized as well with HR (Human Resource) playing a vital role. HR processes may engage lengthy procedures involving advertisements, which in turn lead to the hiring of individuals who then have to be trained inorder to fit into their required posts. BrightSpyre on the other hand is the best time effective Management System around, as it makes available to an employer, prospective candidates with best possible skills in the shortest span of time.

Let us begin with the riveting interview: On Brightspyre and Human Resource Management:Conversation started with the recent trends of HR in Banking:

What are the recent trends in terms of competencies required by banks?

Farooq Hassan:
In regards with the area of Personal Loans one has to sell so skills such as verbal competence, public presentation and knowledge about the market are very important. This area requires active interaction with clients so your attitude plays a very important role. You must have a pleasant, flexible conduct as this will retain potential clients and make a better work environment for your colleagues. The field is open to both Graduates and Undergraduates.

Q: Having possessed all the above qualifications what is the next step
Farooq Hassan: After hiring, we provide training programs to fully equip our sales force according to the specifics of their job. That being done, strategies are formulated and then implemented.
Q: While sourcing employees the profile may require either a pioneering, result-oriented spirit or influence and motivation perhaps even persistence and a steadfastness to follow policy and procedures. Which one is the most suitable that Standard Chartered follows?
Farooq Hassan:
Obviously for any successful organization all of these are implemented. One must be an initiator because a pioneering spirit is inspirational. At the same time motivation along with a solid influence at being persistent and steadfast is important to results. Infact, in order to get all the work done under the set policies and procedures, a high level of persistency and steadfastness from the first initiating step till the end result both are strong requirements.
Q: How do successful companies manage their people?

Farooq Hassan: Keeping Standard Chartered in mind, which is one of the most successful institutions in the international banking sector, we must remember that good people are an asset for any organization. We use the best management techniques available to train, develop and groom our people to cope with challenges in the changing environment, at times attaching them with seniors to get on the job training and then let them go for solo flights.
Q: It is often seen that what motivates one person does not motivate another and sometimes even the best motive can be counter productive if applied indiscriminately. How do you tackle this problem?

Farooq Hassan: Nothing can be perfect until it is improved upon by realizing the dynamics of the situation and nurturing the individual’s understanding of it. That is why the best possible management skills must be used to educate and understand people otherwise there is a chance of counter productivity.
Q: What measures do you provide to increase the profitable productivity of your people?
Farooq Hassan: We promote teamwork and stress-coping strategies. The Bank also offers remunerative packages and different types of events are organized where the Employee and the Management can interact and exchange views with one another to solve problems. The purpose of all these activities is to increase individual learning, build self-esteem and confidence both in the employee as well as between the employer and the employee.
Q:Specifically speaking about Sales Professionals, what are their skill requirements

Farooq Hassan: As Sales is the most important and most interactive area in business, one must possess excellent presentation skills along with an ability to communicate well. Self-discipline and a personal initiative go hand in hand in staying ahead of the competition both within the company as well as outside. An important factor that any Sales Manager should keep as high priority on his list when dealing with his team is to infuse verbal rewards in his repertoire as this boosts morale and leads to better output. Verbal rewards along with incremental benefits must be given to get better results.
Q: How often are applicants needed and what methods have been adopted to acquire them?

Farooq Hassan: We advertise through newspapers but that is a hassle so we tried switching to an online hiring solution, Brightspyre.com. The company is unique and exclusive in that it found us candidates best suited to our requirements and that too in very little time.
Any organization can benefit from cost effectiveness and time saving along with a focused and targeted audience. This is an impressive idea, being used all over the world and is highly recommended.