10 Years at a Glance

As I complete my first decade with Scientechnic and the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, I look back at the past ten years with pride and great appreciation. My time has been filled with a lot of positive experiences and many negative ones as well, but one thing is for sure; I learned from each and every one of them, and continue to learn something new every single day. As time goes by, you start to realize that setting new milestones for yourself is a never-ending process no matter where you are on your journey, and all that matters at the end is the legacy you leave behind. 

I still remember the day I was summoned to our Head Office in Deira to meet my Grandfather. I arrived at the office not really knowing what to expect, but somehow had a feeling that it was going to be a life-changing moment. Turns out I was walking into an introduction meeting to be inducted into the family business. This was the ultimate responsibility I have always dreamt of, to play a role in the family business and work towards making my family proud of me and my contributions. I sat across my grandfather, only to find out that he has done his research of my discipline and work ethics in my role at the Siemens Dubai office. He told me: “I wanted you to rub shoulders with others in the real world, and learn that the world we live in is not a walk in the park” and went on to say: “Although I believe it is still early for you to join us, I know that I can trust you to learn fast, and prove to be an asset to this family and not a liability.” He ended the discussion stating what salary I would be starting with and told me: “Go... Finalize your arrangements, I want you to start at the earliest, I look forward to seeing what you will bring to the family.” I was filled with extreme happiness and honor, I kissed his head and hand, and thanked him for his trust in me. I walked out of his office with great excitement and a surprised face to cover it. I was in a state of disbelief that the moment I have always aimed for, ever since I started my higher studies, has actually arrived. It was now my time to prove to everyone, including myself, that I was worth the trust they had in me.

As I walked into Scientechnic on my first day in August 2010, I was continuously thinking of what changes were to be brought in and where to start, and the first thing that came to my mind was “People”. I needed to work with colleagues I trusted, and our first objective was to increase the number of right people in the company and reduce the number of wrong ones. This follows the “first who” principle in the book Good to Great, written by Jim Collins, which states: “If you begin with ‘who,’ rather than ‘what,’ you can more easily adapt to a changing world.” I realize today that this was the main pillar on which the company operates on today, and I am proud to be a part of a team which continues to evolve as and when needed.

It took me a while to learn about the company in depth, and I continue to learn a new thing every day, be it about our history and legacy, or our ever-growing capabilities. You come to realize that your limits, as a person or an organization, depend on your ambitions. We started as a small trading company in the early seventies, and today we are a full-fledged engineering solutions provider working with the industries latest technologies. This was possible due to the focus we had on certain fields, and the continuous belief and trust our stakeholders had in the company's vision, mission, and team. Another undeniable enabler is the continuous push and support I get from my seniors, who have made it clear from day one, that being related grants no special treatment when it comes to running the business, and that respect for hierarchy is an unconditional rule applied to everyone.

Looking back at the past decade, I reflect on many of our positive and negative experiences, we have come a long way and continue to learn from our achievements as well as our mistakes. I am proud to say that our team has tripled in size, we’ve broken many records when it comes to financial achievements, successfully completed complex projects in record time, and evolved towards establishing a new culture that is embraced by each and every team member. Our journey continues, and we look forward to celebrating countless milestones to come. 

Last but not least, I leave you with some teachings I have gathered over the years, and live by personally and professionally; Always remain humble, never forget your roots, and focus on doing the right thing, your work will speak for itself.