Page 3 - Al-Rashed Newsletter September 2020

TÊTE-A-TÊTE

You are one of the senior most employees in Al Rashed, what made you stay that long?
When I joined Al Rashed, we were an extremely small team, so we all worked and motivated each other. Our scope of
work did not limit only to our desk. We were young and had the drive to learn and excel at our job. Also, the trust and
appreciation shown by the management and owners is an important factor for me to continue to work with Al Rashed
until today.

Accounts department is one of the most critical & significant departments in any company. What kind of
challenges you face on a day to day basis?
Al Rashed is one of the pioneers in the shipping industry in Kuwait. Like any other department, we too have our share
of challenges cut out for us. Dealing with customers who are not willing to pay or who don’t have the funds is one of
the main issues we have faced like any other business in customer service.

What is the most fun part of your job?
When you enjoy your work, every day is fun. Maybe you can ask me what keeps me motivated after all these years,
and again my answer would be when you enjoy your work and the daily challenges it brings, it does not seem like
work.

How you do you manage such a big team? What is the basis principle you follow in a team work?
The management has always been keen to encourage all employees to continue to learn and grow and we follow the
same in our department. We have categorically segregated and divided the duties amongst the various staff and we
are always there to overlook and guide them if they come across any hurdles in their day to day activities.

If you have to summarize your journey in Al Rashed, how it would be?
I thoroughly enjoy working here. Al Rashed is my second home. I probably would have spent more hours at the office
than I do at home. I have given half of my life to this organization and have seen it grow for a mere team of 30-35 to
over 500 if you include all the staff in our various offices in the Middle East.

The things that you do to unwind after a long and hectic day?
Once I reach home, I try and spend as much time with my family. I am very close to both my daughters, so we try to
do activities together. On the weekends, we go for dinners or outings with family and friends.

What are the major changes you have seen in yourself after working for decades in Al Rashed?
Its been a huge learning experience for me. I came to Al Rashed with not a lot of work experience. Whatever I have
learned today is all from the work and interactions with various staff members.

Lastly, after working for decades in corporate world, what’s next for you?
I am not the kind of person who plans life in advance. I take one day at a time. I believe in work life balance. As much
as its important to excel and be sincere at work, one should always devote enough time to their family. At present all I
can say is with the current COVID -19 situation, all I can hope and pray is that we all get out of this very soon and can
return to normalcy as before.

-Interviewed by: Naseema Khan
MR. RIYAZ AHMED
SR. MANAGER, MANAGEMENT
ACCOUNTS