Page 57 - ICE BUSINESS TIMES March 2020

with the global perspective of You are the CEO, you have When you started in the be the 50-year
technology and services. Internally I to juggle different kinds of corporate world, did you anniversary of our
would say that I was really inspired
by our current group CEO and work every day. How do do a kind of mapping, like independence?
President of Telenor Sigve Brekke, you make sure that it is a this is how you want to see There are a couple of projects that
with whom I worked very closely in productive day? Or how your life change? Did you we are working on at this point in
India. I have seen how passionately do you finish all of a day’s have aspirations that have time. As mentioned earlier, we are
he used to understand customer pain building an ecosystem, which gives
points and then linking them to work? brought you up to this the best data experience, where we
product & service development. Let Simply put, we translate our vision level? will be ready for 5G, IoT and things
me give you an example. I took him into a strategy, which in turn is My educational background was very future in pursuit of bringing in the
one day to a retail shop to show the translated into action. As of simple. In my early days, I was in modern digital services for the
kinds of products and services we Grameenphone’s strategies, there are Udayon school till up to class 1. urban people, particularly to the
sell in that area (Odisha). Eventually, very simple four or five pillars which Then I went to Kakoli High School. youth and the professionals. At the
what impact do we create? Let's take he came to know about a nearby all of our employees are aware of, Then I went to Dhaka College, same time, we at GP are committed
the example of the Internet. If slum with 1.5 lac people who were and there is clear action point out of followed by Abujar Gifari College and to reducing the inequalities in the
through an internet connection, a the customers of the products. To my all those strategies delineating our I was lucky enough to get admitted country. And there we have a couple
professional’s career gets changed, it utmost surprise, he wanted to go deliverables. A big company like ours into IBA to do my MBA. I have never of projects: one of them is to
geographic location well. It was my changes the generations following. there and understand what kind of has everything very structured which thought of, nor dreamt of working at empower the women in the deep
country, my people; things were When I become a better person, the product they may need. But there helps to measure whether we could GP as the CEO. But I have always rural setting. We are working to put
in place the right digital service that
deliver our goals in a day, we
already known to me. But when I next generation will benefit from it. was no road, it was too muddy and had an aspiration to lead a team and
went to India that tested me on how With our services and innovations, narrow, filled with huts. He then measure customer satisfaction, to work for something which ensures network coverage for
customer KPIs every day. You couple
deep-sea fishermen. We are working
to work with a completely different we can create immense ripples and instructed me to get a motorbike; he contributes back to society. I am
set of people: I didn’t know who was can change lives and communities. I drove the bike with me sitting behind that with a good monitoring system fortunate enough to have ended up on the innovation for the farmers’
community as well as on digitizing
and voila! You would know whether
CEO of a big company who, and whom to call, and how to would like to bring that narrative him. On our way, we talked with the your day is productive enough or in a technology company. In the education. So these are the four
customers, and in the evening we
and mindset in GP, with an even
process, what I learnt is that if you
basically get help. There I was
like this, how do you basically tested to demonstrate my better version. We are always good, built a completely new product, not. Now as for myself, if I look back, concentrate on your present, if you areas where we have started
confront the enormity? leadership skills because I was the our starting point was something like which was based on customer needs. you know, I worked as Chief market- utilize your time in the present, it exploring & progressed. On top of
that, we are basically preparing
ing officer for 4 years, 7 months and
This is not only a fact of the Head of the state. That phase of my back in 1997, when the current This incident changed the way I used builds your future, which is very
Congratulations on present time; this is what we have to be analyzed. The amount of job instilled in me the confidence Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh to think before ideating a product or 16 days– the largest time frame in simple. But we often miss that part, ourselves to understand on what
being at the helm of GP. dealt with over the last 23 years. data they generate every day can that I can take on a role, I can be a Hasina had democratized the telecom innovating a service. His customer the history of GP any CMO has we always think of starting to sort of project we can work in the
How does it feel to be the The credit goes to our good and be overwhelming, and to confront leader at any setup. When I was with multiple licenses. The vision orientation mindset I still follow served. I still have equal energy and prepare for the next. It is good that realm of public-private partnership,
to unleash the real potential of
passion to contribute and grow as a
while thinking of product develop-
you have a goal for the future, but
CEO of the company efficient workforce who has been that kind of bigness, we must leaving Karnataka, we actually shut was to spread connectivity in rural ment. professional. Because at the end of you also need to utilize your time digital Bangladesh. Because the
Bangladesh. One may recall the first
where you’ve been taking care of our subscribers, to prepare ourselves with the right down our business there and I tried campaign, where a village woman the day, I ask myself whether I have now to make the most of it. I have government has a very high vision
kind of skills and efficiency. Last
bring on innovation and keep
to make sure that all of my team
working at for so many creating values. But when you but not least, protecting our members were able to secure jobs. was featured with a phone in her When you have become a a strong & meaningful purpose in not thought of that I would come and they are investing in it, I think
there are opportunities to work
whatever I do. As long as the
years? talk about how I really confront customers’ privacy is also an And then only when I accepted a job hand. We have come across a long successful professional is purpose is achieved, I would consider here, but I did have the confidence together.
Actually I am very thrilled, the bigness, I think it is very important area where we focus on. in Oslo, I would say that was a way and still, a lot more needs to be there any challenge that my day to be a productive one. that if I did well with my present
overwhelmed, and at the same humbling: to have the confidence completely different setup, beyond done. So if we, as a team, can shapes you like a different then it would pave the pathway for a What are you really into
time humbled. Besides my family and trust of the 76 million When we are talking what I knew in the Bangladesh or understand it and feel it, then we better future.
and friends, the way the whole customers. You need to be very about a succession plan, India market. There I was basically will innovate, invest and do more in person? outside your work?
country has felicitated-in terms of down to earth, in terms of you have been serving trained on how to see the future an effective manner. I want to bring Success to me equals doing things Can we expect something I am a family-oriented person.
lots of good wishes, congratula- understanding your customer coming in, this digital distribution that mindset into GP in a bigger way. transparently, in the proper manner. extraordinary from GP Actually there is not much else that
tion messages, confidence, need, and serving them, to outside as well as inside taking place. That has had an impact You achieve something not via a considering that 2021 will you could do, other than to give
promise to support, makes me connect them to what matters the country. Which one to build existing Grameenphone for When you say you want to shortcut, or not by depriving quality time to your family, and
happy and grateful. At the same most. For us, it is important to do you think has the next, to modernize it. bring in change and keep someone, or not by cheating your nothing can be better than that. I am
time, it reminds me of our concentrate on a few things that impacted you more in innovating, are there any customers. When you do something now in a situation that within next
promises and the ability to deliver are very impactful. In the telecom Do you have plans to in a transparent way, and you can 2 to 3 years, my children will go for
on those. industry, you need to ensure very professional life? other global CEOs you develop a sustainable business we are building an ecosystem, which higher studies. InshaAllah. So apart
good customer experience, Different stages of my career change how things are look up to? model, that something to me is a gives the best data experience, where from work, I try to spend the rest of
GP boasts a subscriber because when it comes to data, it impacted me in different ways. done here at GP? You see I will probably not mark success. What shapes us as a we will be ready for 5G, IoT and things the time as much as possible with
my three kids and wife. And I have a
professional is a way we keep
base of 76 million. There is almost like, without data, we When you are in the early stage of I think we need to understand the someone outside at this point. I advancing towards our goals. My two W little passion to see whether I can do
future in pursuit of bringing in the
follow a lot. I read what Sundar
your career, there is nothing other
would stop breathing. Our day to
purpose of whatever we do as a
are a lot of other foreign day job is to ensure that we offer than working hard. When I joined team, as an organization. It is not Pichai from Google is saying. I read cents for the next generation and the modern digital services for the urban a little for our village in Sunamganj.
companies, for example, the right kind of experiences to the GP back in 2005, I was a sales only about the everyday what is coming from Microsoft, IBM, youth would be to learn how to think people, particularly to the youth and I try to visit the place twice a year
WeTransfer has almost our subscribers. Secondly, manager. I am grateful to that numbers–how many subscribers we Facebook, and small organizations transparently and honestly. The path the professionals. At the same time, and try to render help to anyone
who is in need. The act of giving
understanding the customer
might not be easy, but this is how
everywhere. I read like almost 14
stint because it enabled me to
80 million subscribers. behaviour, by which I mean how understand the industry, the sign up, how many data packs we different books last year to learn and one can go and secure the ultimate we at GP are committed to reducing back indeed brings immense peace
sell. Rather the question should be:
So when you are the they are using our services, needs customers, the country and the when we take a subscriber onboard, unlearn and keep myself updated success. the inequalities in the country. in my mind at the end of the day.
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