Page 43 - ICE BUSINESS TIMES March 2020

business leader. One of the most leaders in our EO board and it has survive and need to balance it with make it unique. This includes organization of successful
highly rated Board Room Session been a wonderful experience goodness of life. We entrepreneurs gaining access to important places entrepreneurs. Since it offers a
was held with acclaimed business working with them. Each board love our work, and family is the and meeting global leaders, plethora of benefits, including local,
leader of Bangladesh, Mr. Sk. Bashir member is exemplary in their own most important thing in our lives. Networking with entrepreneurs regional, national and international
Uddin, MD of Akij Group. right and in their own sector of So we need to find harmony to enjoy spread all over the world, having events, and provides access to really
My second priority is to focus on the business. Hence leading the EO what we do, whether at work, with business development good resources, we are focusing
importance of social responsibility agenda has been a smooth ride. family or in the community. Time breakthroughs by gaining insight more on quality of service for the
for us business leaders and find However, one of the main challenges management skills, purposeful from sector leaders and personal existing EO members and we are not
collaborative ways. Business leaders is to manage the demand on our work, delegation and building teams growth through learning and promoting very aggressively about
are constantly looking to find time. Leading a business can be that work proactively gives us a lot experience shares. new member recruitments. We are
solutions to problems and hence it is tough and the role requires of flexibility. Leading EO does take One of the unique features of EO is only taking new members based on
also our responsibility to find round-the-clock dedication, and up a lot of time and volunteering my the forum experience. Upon joining, referrals from existing members and
solutions and to act in the best most times we are busy time, like many others in EO, have members are assigned into a forum, the current process takes about 1
interests of the environment and troubleshooting. As entrepreneurs been very rewarding and have been a long-term group of about 8-10 month including vetting from global
society as a whole. We have had a we feel there is no clock-out time instrumental in my personal growth. people who meet on a monthly basis and local board.
successful agreement with EO and you should always be working. to confidentially share the
Switzerland to form a working Obviously, it is rewarding to see the How does EO differ highlights and lowlights of their What is your
committee on how the EO members business we have built to grow, from the rest of the lives, learning and helping each expectation with the
from both countries can collaborate evolve and flourish. But a other through shared experience.
on social initiatives. Also the global systematic way of organizing work entrepreneurs These are not mentors, but rather a impact award
What motivated you scary at the same time. I felt the award event ‘Social Impact Business and life is very important and organization, say set of friends with businesses in ceremony?
Awards’ is going to be held in
Bangladesh is a land of
different industries, picked so that
knowing what is purposeful work is
to join EO? need to be with like-minded As a president what was Dhaka, Bangladesh. This is a matter important. different business and there can’t be a conflict of interest in entrepreneurs and social innovation
people with an entrepreneurial
After I graduated as Industrial mindset. I joined the business of great honor for us and EO In EO so far we have had 6 training bilateral chambers? the group. This is a unique learning and it was a justified choice of the
Engineer from USA and joined chambers, but realized that I your first priority? How member companies who have been programs already among various EO is the only global network experience that is intially guided global MyEO Engage team to choose
my family business in Dhaka, needed more than an much did you manage nominated from around the world groups of members in areas such as exclusively for entrepreneurs. An and moderated by EO. This access to Bangladesh as the destination for
the first thing that I wanted to association around businesses to accomplish during for their work in Social Impact strategic planning, regular and entrepreneur is not just about work, people with similar but different the award event. This event is
do was start new businesses and its policies. As I was talking your tenure? Businesses will be presenting their accelerated forum trainings etc. and it very much involves family, social experiences is something that you bringing in many foreign EO
while bringing sizeable changes to a friend of mine, he referred projects in Dhaka. all these sessions focus on obligations and community that we simply cannot not buy for any members to Bangladesh and also
to the existing ones. I completed me to Entrepreneurs’ Bangladesh being a fast developing teambuilding and how to work in a work in. Unlike the trading amount of money. putting Bangladesh on the map of
my MBA from IBA and hoped Organization (EO) in Toronto country, with a strong growing Did you face any structured manner, whether it is chambers, EO helps leading the EO universe. The global team
my knowledge of business and asked me to meet a few home market and with export making annual plans or even how to entrepreneurs learn and grow How are you trying to will be announcing four divisional
administration will help me members to understand what success as well, is causing a boom challenge being the conduct meetings among our EO through peer-to-peer learning, winners: Division 1 – Europe/Latin
reach my entrepreneurial goals. they do. And that was the ‘Aha’ in private sector development. president? How did you members with the latest techniques once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and promote EO among America & Caribbean/MEPA,
I was full of ambition and moment for me. I was Hence, more and more balance between your and technologies. connections to experts. local entrepreneurs? Division 2- Asia Pacific/North Asia,
optimism. I tried, succeeded and introduced to a global entrepreneurial efforts are seen hectic business I, myself, have learned a lot from EO There are many attributes of EO that EO is a great, curated, global Division 3 – South Asia, Division 4 –
even failed in a few business organization that was all about across all sectors. It is often seen training on how to organize life and USA/Canada with one Hall of Fame
ventures. The whole experience Entrepreneurs and once I got to that large to small companies schedules and activities work. Work life balance is a myth. It winner and one Global Winner.
of being an entrepreneur was a see what they do, I was conduct businesses with silo of EO? gives a false notion that work is bad We are very happy to host the
bit wild and rewarding, as every convinced that this is where I mentality and the concept of We have a very dynamic group of and it is something that we need to Summit and Awards event in
place that I looked showed me should join. EO is an competition and secrecy hampers Bangladesh in March. Our extensive
the need and opportunity that organization that not just learning and makes the companies program will include panel
had businesses solution with its connects entrepreneurs globally static and not ready for growth. discussions on ‘Local Initiatives –
share of risks. It was fun and Hence a lot of entrepreneurial efforts Global Impact’ moderated by Brian
but focuses on the learning and fail after struggling for many years.
growth, and covers family and My first priority in EO is to instill Brault, past global chair of the board
society as well, which is an the value of learning for continuous of EO and current chair of the
integral part of entrepreneurial growth and focus more on EO-UN SDG working group, project
ecosystem. I joined immediately collaborative knowledge rather than presentations of the awardees, visits
and felt that I have met my the fear of competition. to exemplary local initiatives such
tribe. Even being members as So far we have had successful Brac and Sajeda foundation, tour of
entrepreneurs from different learning events with local and heritage sites of Dhaka for our
countries we acted, talked and foreign experts. The most successful foreign visitors, socials and
thought alike. It was very one was by Daniel Marcos who did a networking events. It will be a big
refreshing. That is how my workshop on “Scaling 10x Business celebration for the social change
journey with EO started and I with less stress”. makers from around the world and a
am happy that we are able to At EO we also have an informal and good recognition to their initiatives
bring the immense value of EO very private discussion session and will surely highlight the
to Bangladesh for our called “BoardRoom Series” which difference EO members are making
entrepreneurs. takes place in the boardroom of the Unbox EO Pride-Presidents’ Meeting locally and globally.

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