< PreviousCOVER STORY | MOHAMMED SHEIKH SULIMAN 30 C EO M I D D L E E A S T FEBRUA RY 202 1 could we improve in our existing opera- tions, or general suggestions that push us forward. At the end of the week we have a meeting to discuss and conclude those suggestions. I think the way we take each employee’s opinion into consider- ation makes an impact, both to us and to our team’s motivation levels. I can testify that thanks to this method and those suggestions, we have succeeded in making lot of improvements to our company during the past few years. What are three characteristics that every leader should possess? The characteristics of a good leader are wide-ranging and I don’t think that they can be put into just a few words, but I’ll give you three qualities that I believe are essential and that is being well loved, being creative and smart, and being seen as trustworthy. What’s your greatest fear in business? My biggest fear as a Chairman and CEO is starting a new month without making any progress or without having come up with any new initiatives and ideas from the month before. My fear has never been going back one step behind, but staying on the same pace and not moving forward. I believe that the opposite of failure isn’t success, but remaining ordinary. If you are seeking success, you must put in effort and extra progress that goes well above the definition of ordinary. You must look at yourself in the mirror and aim to be a better person than the one you were a month ago. That’s the main key for success in any field of work. What’s the best way to prepare for uncertainty? At every step of our journey, we make plans and these plans allow us to know where we currently stand and where we are going. Having a clear set of plans, defining your strategy, means you have a roadmap for how to get to where you wish to go, with the tools that are available to you. Our productivity map shows us what we need to do in case something unex- pected occurs along the way. For our company, it has never just been about taking a worst-case scenario and being ready for that, but imagining many worst scenarios! That’s how we reduce the possibility of any surprise factor. What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? Most people don’t know how hard it was to reach where I am today, how many hours of dedicated work I put in behind the scenes. I rely on myself for approval, and not anyone else in this world. I had many nights, where I couldn’t sleep, because of the problems we couldn’t solve at that time, but nothing beautiful comes with an easy path. I thank God for all those hard times that made me the person I am today. What’s one productivity tip you wish everyone else knew? A saying I was taught when I was a kid encapsulates this for me: “Whoever sows reaps; whoever walks on a path Amongst equines. A childhood spent growing up surrounded by horses has fuelled a lifelong pursuit of excellence No short cut to success. “Nothing beautiful comes with an easy path,” says equestrian entrepreneur Mohammed Sheikh SulimanF E B R UA RY 2 0 2 1 C EO M I D D L E E A S T 31 for you? Do you follow a routine or is each day different? I wake up every morning in time for early morning prayer, I pray, drink my coffee, and leave for work by 8am. I’m the first to reach the office and the last to leave. I put in work towards my health. I go to gym, train for an hour, and go back home and spend qual- ity time with my family. I usually go to sleep quite early at 10.30pm; that’s basically what a typical day of mine looks like. will arrive, whoever aims high works during the night.” You can never find a person who is successful with no pain or sacrifice; you must get tired in order to reach the top. Do you have a quote that you live your life by? “Two wings lift a person up from earthly concerns. Simplicity in intention, and purity in feeling” What does a typical day look like “I BELIEVE THAT THE OPPOSITE OF FAILURE ISN’T SUCCESS, BUT REMAINING ORDINARY”LEADERSHIP | JAMES LAFFERTY 32 C EO M I D D L E E A S T FEBRUA RY 202 1 THE FINER POINTS JAMES MICHAEL LAFFERTY, CEO OF FINE HYGIENIC HOLDING, DRAWS ON PERSONAL TRIUMPHS AND TRAGEDIES TO LEAD AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION VITAL IN THIS CHALLENGING TIMES BY JOLA CHUDY ine Hygienic Holding (FHH) is a world leading wellness group, and the MENA re- gion’s leading manufacturer of hygienic paper products. Fine pivoted into the manufacture of a range of reusable masks and gloves, and a new disinfecting product line which includes hand sanitisers and F LEADERSHIP | JAMES LAFFERTY surface disinfectants, reinforcing its po- sition as a leader in long-lasting germ protection. It was a remarkable year for the company which operates across the Middle East from dual headquarters in Dubai and Jordan, employs around 3,500 people and distributes to 80 countries around the world. FHH has gone from strength to strength and stayed ahead of the curve in the face of COVID-19 thanks to the leadership of its CEO James Michael Lafferty. FEBRUA RY 202 1 C EO M I D D L E E A S T 33 But we acted quickly and we adapted. Our supply chain team did a terrific job. Early in this crisis we started to build stockpiles of key materials, and we also expanded our supplier base to increase options. Of course, success brings pressure – there was a surge in demand caused by the popularity of our products. People trust our brand and it shows. To match this surge, we have operations in Jordan and the UAE that produce up to 30,000+ masks daily and around 6,000 pairs of gloves per day. We also diversified our produc- tion capabilities through an additional facility at JAFZA in Dubai. What are the most crucial leadership traits during times of uncertainty and crisis? The number one is the ability to stay calm and resolute. People cue off their leaders in tough times. They see you panic or A one-of-a-kind leader, Lafferty boasts a CV that includes Olympic coach, competitive athlete, journalist, philanthropist and college professor. As he reflects on a tough year, Fine launches two new products on the market – Fine Guard Pure- Hands sanitiser and Fine Guard PureSurfaces disinfectant. The New Year brings with it opti- mism amidst a legacy of challenges wrought by the ongoing pandemic. As countries brace themselves for further escalations with lockdowns and re- newed strategies in place, businesses must continue to recalibrate in order to succeed. What has been the journey of adaptation at Fine? Our world changed dramatically, and we are no different at Fine. But we have been fortunate in that we were able to look at the situation and diversify. We made big decisions early on, before many had even considered the dis- ruption that COVID-19 would bring around the world, and we adopted an agile approach to the situation. The launch of the Fine Guard mask line in February 2020 was a pre- emptive response to the pandemic. We worked with experts and partners to create a product that incorporated an- tiviral technology, scientifically proven to be 99.9 percent effective in killing the virus. We then launched a range of products including the Fine Guard Comfort version, a sports mask, gloves and a designer range called Fine Guard by Caroline, all of which are reusable rather than disposable. This is impor- tant to us as we have to consider the ecological impact of all of these masks, and respect the world that we are going to live in after the pandemic. We teamed up with other partners to create effective sanitisation products – Fine Guard PureHands and Fine Guard PureSurfaces which offer 24 hours and 21 days protection, respectively. Our change in direction has helped us to protect and serve the communities we operate in, and the markets have responded positively to our new range of products. What were the biggest challenge of the previous year? The biggest challenge was with supply chain. Staying in stock with all raw ma- terials during the lockdowns was a very difficult thing to achieve, as the supply chain was massively disrupted globally. “WE MADE BIG DECISIONS EARLY ON, BEFORE MANY HAD EVEN CONSIDERED THE DISRUPTION THAT COVID-19 WOULD BRING AROUND THE WORLD” Commitment Fine Hygienic Holding understands the importance of good governance practices as a driver for stabilityLEADERSHIP | JAMES LAFFERTY 34 C EO M I D D L E E A S T FEBRUA RY 202 1 lose it and they do the same. It is impor- tant in times like these that leaders hold it together, are reassuring, and clear in their focus and communication. At the same time, a good leader needs foresight – the ability to see around corners or predict the future. I had to make some big decisions last year and to essentially forecast a situ- ation that the world had never seen. I needed to stand firm, to lead the team and assure them that we were making the right decisions. We understood the threat of COVID-19 because we were well-informed and prepared. When there was a lot of questioning about the effectiveness of masks, we were talking directly with top scientists and made the decision to launch well before anyone else. Some in our organisation questioned the decision to launch the Fine Guard face mask, but look at how our market has reacted. It is the same with the disposable versus reusable debate. I could easily have gone for the option that would have made us more money and mass-produced disposable face masks. But the future of our planet is important to me and that’s why I stuck my flag in the ground and stood for reusable masks. Stand strong and a good team will follow. What in your past experience particu- larly are you drawing on at this time? I am drawing on the most adverse mo- ments from my past. I have been, fortu- nately or unfortunately, in much more difficult circumstances than COVID-19. I am not sure this situation is even in my top 10 most difficult situations. I went through a horrible suicide in my family when I was 17 years old that af- fected me forever. Nothing will be worse than that par- ticular day. I went through a very pain- ful divorce with my five children deeply affected. These were far more difficult situations than what I am enduring today. This keeps me grounded and Capacity Fine Hygienic Holding can produce more than 30,000 masks and around 6,000 pairs of gloves per dayFEBRUA RY 202 1 C EO M I D D L E E A S T 35 with clear perspective, and an ability to plough through. How do you encourage creative thinking within your organisation? I lead from the front. I am a dreamer, a creative person, a risk taker. Launching masks was a personal initiative, a whole new category of entry. On top of this, because I take risks, I encourage risk taking in my team, testing any idea under the credo of, “test and fail cheaply”. My people know they can come up with fresh ideas and try them, and even if they fail we don’t punish them. We know that when an organisation takes risks, they will fail from time to time. It’s okay. What advice would you give to someone going into a leadership position for the first time? I would tell them there is an old tru- ism, “It’s lonely at the top” and it is 100 percent true. There is a price to pay for being a true leader. It’s not all glamour. The visibility and pay comes with an enormous price. It’s lonely. And you cannot be, as a leader, just “one of the team”. You are the captain; you have to project the culture you want to cascade down into the depths of the organisation. What motivates you as a leader? I started my career as a youth track and field coach. I am still nothing more than a coach at heart. I love seeing people grow and achieve their poten- tial. No feeling is better than seeing a young, raw, talent emerge into being a world-class performer. How do you ensure your own personal development? I strongly believe in being a student for life. And I keep my education going in several ways. I still take on every new challenge and try new things. I move and take new assignments. I never want to stay in my comfort zone—when you are comfortable, you don’t grow. I also take risks, and I fail. I fall down. And in falling, I learn what I would do differently next time. I rarely make the same mistakes twice. And finally, I take each year a new course or new certification. This past year I did an intensive certification in negotia- tions from Harvard Law School. How does a leader encourage a growth and success mindset in him or herself and the team? It all starts with leadership by exam- ple. My team sees me taking courses. They see me trying new things. They see me acknowledge failures and learn. I have the courage and self-confidence to readily admit my mistakes. And this culture cascades down. We celebrate successes and learn from our failures. When a leader is a proverbial “Know-it-all” this is when a culture of close-mindedness can set into the entire organisation. And nobody grows in such an environment. “I AM STILL NOTHING MORE THAN A COACH AT HEART. I LOVE SEEING PEOPLE GROW AND ACHIEVE THEIR POTENTIAL” Social responsibility Fine Hygienic Holding believes that business growth and environmental stewardship go hand-in-hand36 C EO M I D D L E E A S T FEBRUA RY 202 1 PLEASURE REDEFINING THE LINE BETWEEN WORK AND LEISURE TIME STYLE WATCHES TRAVEL ACCESSORIES O ne of the ripple effects of travel restrictions for much of 2020 (and ongoing into this year) has been the accumulation of annual leave by employ- ees unable to take their usual vacations. With many offices returning to partial capacity and either requiring or encour- aging workers to be on site, one of the solutions of honouring surplus leave with ensuring continuity of business is to offer a workcation. This isn’t a new concept; it’s been around for a few years, and if the THE PAST 12 MONTHS HAS SEEN A COMPLETE REDEFINING OF HOW WORKPLACES FUNCTION, WITH PHYSICAL LOCATION BEING THE MOST OBVIOUSLY AFFECTED ASPECT. UNITING THE AMENITIES AND AMBIENCE OF AN OFFICE WITH UPSCALE LUXURY, FOUR SEASONS OFFERS GUESTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TURN WORK DAYS INTO ‘WORKCATIONS’ THE NEW FACE OF WORK kind of work your team engages in isn’t location-dependent, it can be a great motivator for those wishing to hunker down with a change of scene but without the loss of vacation days, such as for workers who have been denied the opportunity of their annual holiday and wish to spend an extended amount of time in their home country. The global COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the ways in which people live, work, and relax. With remote FEBRUA RY 202 1 C EO M I D D L E E A S T 37 “FOUR SEASONS OFFERS GUESTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO RELOCATE THEIR HOME OFFICES AS THE 2021 VERSION OF THE ‘WORKCATION’ TREND GROWS.” with any task. Occupying the top floors of the landmark Otemachi One Tower, the new Hotel offers unrivalled panora- mas including sweeping views of the city, the Imperial Palace and Gardens, and Mount Fuji in the distance. High-style design connects each guest with the destination in subtle ways, from Zen- inspired accents in the expansive guest rooms, to contemporary ikebana across the Hotel. The property’s management is ada- mant that Four Seasons operates with enhanced health and safety protocols through its Lead With Care program. Grounded in health care expertise and enabled by access to technologies and tools, the global program focuses on pro- viding care, confidence and comfort to all Four Seasons guests, employees and residents. In addition to the adoption of stringent cleaning and disinfection protocols, the Four Seasons App and built-in Chat service allow guests to seamlessly connect with on-property teams in more than 100 languages be- fore, during and after their stays, enabling both work and leisure-related services to be conveniently arranged and delivered in a socially distanced manner. working firmly established as an impor- tant part of the ‘new normal’, increas- ing numbers of people are enjoying the freedom to work from anywhere. As access to international destinations continues to evolve around the world, the ‘workcation’ trend has gained popularity as travellers pursue work-life balance. Ca- tering specifically to this growing market segment, several Four Seasons hotels have launched special packages, even repurposing guest rooms as inviting office spaces for those seeking a much-needed change of scenery. For executives who need to make their base in a foreign location, or for those whose offices are not available, hotels are wising up to a gap in the market. Luxury hospitality brands such as Four Seasons are offering alternative workspaces that offer a full suite of business facilities, with a five-star flair. In the UAE, executives have the option of a workcation in a suite at Four Seasons Hotel Dubai Interna- tional Financial Centre. The suite come equipped with an extensive desk and office space and guests can enjoy the use of a Smart Screen television, monitor, keyboard, mouse and printing facili- ties in addition to early check-in and overnight stay. The offer is inclusive of premium Wi-Fi, breakfast for one, busi- ness lunch at MINA Brasserie, unlimited tea and coffee, and access to all hotel facilities, providing the perfect opportu- nity to turn a typical working day into a relaxing staycation experience. The hotel brand has rolled out this offering to its properties in Morocco and Japan too. In Morocco the ‘Smart Remote Office’ package at Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca provides full-day access to a guest room outfitted with a range of contemporary amenities including a sleek hardwood desk, a modern reclining office chair, premium Wi-Fi access, and a phone to conduct any required calls. Each room features sound-proof walls, a minimalist design, and partial ocean or garden views, creating an ideal setting for working pro- ductively in peaceful surroundings. Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi in Japan is offering a special ‘Workcation and More’ package. Guests can benefit from several perks designed to support remote working in the capi- tal, including Hotel credit, daily break- fast, personal training sessions, and a late check-out option that provides the flexibility needed to remain on schedule Deadlines and dining time. Executives are being asked to manage their schedules in dramatically different ways. XXXXXXXX | ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ 38 C EO M I D D L E E A S T FEBRUA RY 202 1 DREAMING OF DRIVING? IT’S A POPULAR FANTASY, SADLY INFREQUENTLY FULFILLED, BUT BEING A RACE CAR DRIVER IN A BONA-FIDE RACE EVENT ISN’T AS WILDLY BEYOND YOUR DREAMS AS YOU MIGHT THINK. CEO STEPS INTO THE ADRENALINE-FUELLED WORLD OF ENDURANCE RACING WITH AUDI TO DISCOVER WHY OWNING YOUR OWN SPORTS CAR IS JUST THE FIRST STEP I t’s a little difficult to hear exactly what Chris Reinke, the head of Audi’s Sport Customer Racing division, is saying, but that’s because several members of Audi’s adrenaline-fuelled brand extension are tearing up the tarmac around the Dubai Autodrome; the double glazing doesn’t stand a chance against the roar of the Audi R8 LMS cars and their drivers, all vying for a podium finish at the Dubai 24 Hours Endurance event. At this year’s Dubai 24 Hours, one of the Audi Teams, WRT, finished in sec- ond place in their Audi R8 LMS, thanks not only to the skill of the drivers – Kel- vin van der Linde and Dries Vanthoor – but also to a carefully choreographed pitstop strategy and the fully-stocked Audi Sport service truck, which allows participants in events to have the reas- surance of a library of spare parts at their disposal. Debuting in the Middle East at the event, was the Audi R8 LMS GT2, a symphony of sporty planes, curves and surfaces expressing one of the most pow- erful and race-worthy cars ever created by Audi. “The expense incurred by drivers and teams is high, and racing there is not easy for amateurs and gentlemen,” says Reinke. “The new GT2 has the poten- tial to fill a gap. The new generation of GT2 race cars achieves even higher top speeds than a GT3 model and nearly identical lap times. This is ideal for gentlemen drivers: its longitudinal LIFESTYLE | AUDI RACING FEBRUA RY 202 1 C EO M I D D L E E A S T 39 in 2009, initially with the R8 LMS focussed on the growing GT3 cat- egory and is today one of the leading customer racing companies, present internationally. While the platform is equally popular with automotive companies such as distributors and retailers, it’s also an opportunity for enthusiasts, who have attained many successes in life, to express their passion, commitment and grow their talent in this exciting, competitive, dynamic sport. dynamics stands for a new experience with Audi and lateral dynamics does not put excessive demands even on amateurs. Plus, the new Audi R8 LMS GT2 visually and acoustically exudes fascination galore.” Owners of supersports cars and race cars can attend some of the hundreds of track days organised around the world, while those who form teams can eye up racing events, with the support of Audi. The programme was launched “THE NEW GENERATION OF GT2 RACE CARS ACHIEVES EVEN HIGHER TOP SPEEDS THAN A GT3 MODEL AND NEARLY IDENTICAL LAP TIMES” A NEW CLASS The Audi R8 LMS GT2 stands for several superlative features in Audi Sport customer racing’s programme. With 470 kW (640 hp), it is by far the most powerful sports car in the history of the customer racing programmeNext >