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A Success Story
Haitham M J Al Lawati just turned 30 last month but despite
his young age he has achieved success that take most people
many more years to achieve. OER chats him up to just to see
how he has accomplished such a feat
 Haitham
Al Lawati graduated from Al Yarmouk University, Jordan, in
2001, which was ranked amongst the top three universities in
the Middle East in the late 1990s, where he did his BCom in
Finance and Banking. After a couple of interviews he managed
to get his first trainee job in a bank in Bahrain. After a
short stint in Bahrain he went and joined Barclays Capital
in Dubai and then London in 2002. A year later, in 2003, he
joined HSBC Bank plc and stayed there until 2007.
He joined Al Qandeel group of companies in late 2007, his
first job ever in Oman. His position in the company at the
time was as an Assistant Managing Director and his job was
to restructure the current company and also create a group
of new sub-companies. The Al Qandeel Group of companies
include A Q Construction, Tamayez Architecture & Interiors,
Al-Teel Al Wataniyah, Bareeq Al Shatti Mall and Al Qandeel
Travel & Tourism.
“Being back in Oman and taking up my first job in a
different field and product category was a challenge for
me,” claimed Haitham and adds “But a challenge usually makes
you stronger in such a way that it broadens your views on
different scenarios.” Since he joined Al Qandeel, he has
successfully achieved his restructuring goal and in a matter
of just two years has earned the designation of Group CEO of
the company.
When he first joined the business he used to work close to
14 hours a day, “This was not as bad as it seems when you
consider that I used to do those same hours in the UK. Also,
when I started work here, in 2007, I was still single and
didn’t have many commitments.” He has since married and is
blessed with a daughter, on November 9 this year, just one
day ahead of his own birthday. “So now I am a happy father
and since we are no longer two anymore, but three, it means
more time spent at home with my family and more dedication
to my job because it is my bread and butter.”
Love for travel, sports and rocks
Haitham shares a love for travelling and venturing out to
new countries. Among his favourite destinations are
Switzerland and London, primarily because he has spent a
large portion of his life there. Also, like most Omanis he
shares a passion for football. Table tennis and cricket are
also among his list of favourite sports and at the age of 14
he was a part of Oman’s national table tennis team. One of
his greatest and most unique passions is the marble and
stones company that he is in-charge off. “Stones are not
only a hobby to me now, they are major part of our group of
companies’ daily business, they are a true passion for me. I
had a love for stones even before I joined Al Qandeel.” He
is a person willing to go anywhere around the world to see
quarries. He has been all over, from China to Jaipur, Italy
and Spain visiting quarries. If things look favourable he
will even be visiting Latin America next year all in the
love of stones.
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January - 2010 |
| Cover
Story |
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Striking
the right note
Moulding the manpower
matters with simple solutions has never been easy. But with the ministry
getting into the act to set Omanisation in order, businesses have
to buck up. A report by Visvas Paul D Karra |
Editorial
Emerging markets emerge winners
As one looked forward to a relaxed Eid holidays, came
the shocking news of Dubai World asking its creditors for a standstill
agreement till May 2010, for restructuring debt worth $26bn. The developments
affected sentiment across the globe – stock markets across the world
fell by five per cent on fears that this could delay the economic
recovery for much longer. Moody’s and S&P immediately cut their
rating for Dubai-based government related entities and placed them
on credit watch. In a world where perceptions matter more than reality,
the crisis has given a body blow to the emirate’s reputation as a
destination of choice for tourists, investors and capital. The ramifications
of the problem goes much further than what meets the eye. |
| Other
Headlines |
|
Sand Castles
The Dubai debt crisis has put a question mark on the sustainability
of the emirate’s build-and-they-will-come development model. Mayank
Singh reports |
|
The coming rise in interest rates
If the US Federal reserve decides that inflation is its
greatest threat and decides to stop the pumping of cash into the banking
system then the 1994 history could repeat itself with a vengeance
in 2010 |
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Competitive regional hub
MOROCCO provides an excellent platform for reaching a
wide range of international markets due to its geographic location
and cultural ties |
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Understanding different cultures is very important
Abdul Rahman Busaidy is probably the only Omani, who looked
east by landing a top position at Jet Airways, an Indian company.
But then boundaries have never been a barrier for him, writes Visvas
Paul D Karra |
|
Simplicity begets success
Taking charge of a mobile reselling company which is on
a roll is by no means an easy task, but Joakim Klingefjord, CEO of
renna, has his task cut out, finds out Visvas Paul D Karra |
|
The Yemen Question
It has become clear to GCC officials and international
observers that the collateral damage from conflicts cannot be easily
contained within Yemen’s borders |
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Emerging markets – way to go
David Bloom, Global Head of FX Research, HSBC, was in
Oman to deliver his annual address on currency movements and the outlook
on the world economy in 2010, recently. Mayank Singh catches up with
him on the sidelines of the event |
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GCC’s extraordinary hydrocarbons resources
The hydrocarbons sector largely stands behind GCC’s financial
capability. Latest estimates put the value of sovereign wealth funds
of GCC states at $1.5trn |
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A school with a difference
Professor S Sundararajan, Dean, Gulf School of Business,
shares with Mayank Singh the roadmap of the institute and how it will
contribute in fostering better management practices in Oman |
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A lifestyle statement
David Crickmore, CEO, Amouage speaks to Mayank Singh about
the brand’s foray into leather goods, its retail strategy and his
aspirations about being on the same table with internationally reputed
luxury brands like Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton |
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Pre-eminent position
OER became the first of the media to catch up with Omar
Adli Al Sharif and congratulate him on becoming a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers
Oman |
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A Success Story
Haitham M J Al Lawati just turned 30 last month but despite
his young age he has achieved success that take most people many more
years to achieve. OER chats him up to just to see how he has accomplished
such a feat |
| Regulars |
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