EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

I come from a family of large landlords. We owned acres and acres of mango orchards and wheat farms in a small place called Khurja, in the Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh, in India. Khurja is a small city but is known worldwide for its ceramic art, a tradition established when the Mughals came to India. It has been a significant market for ceramic art products over the last 400 years.

My siblings and I – five in number – grew up in a house, which in my estimate, must be over a hundred years old. I have two older sisters, who are based in North America. I am the eldest son. My two brothers took the traditional path and are involved in pottery and also look after our mango orchards. Whilst growing up, as part of a close-knit community of 100 families, we followed the tradition of celebrating the Persian New Year, “Nowroz”, by exchanging mangoes. I enjoyed the minimalist life in the villages, where we would pick mangoes in the summer, bundle them in sacks and sink them in the river, which was our refrigerator to cool the fruit to a pleasant temperature. This ethos of simplicity is so ingrained in me that I follow it in everything.

Kamran Birjees Khan

After completing school, I joined Aligarh Muslim University, which was my home from 1977 to 1984, during which I earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Commerce. Aligarh was a transformative experience. It was there that I became an independent young man and also developed a love for cricket – I was a fast bowler. It was there that I met people from different regions and different backgrounds. University days changed my outlook on life – for the better. And for this, I am thankful to my mother, Fakhra Hameed, who was the first to motivate me to pursue a university education, as opposed to following the family occupation.

You see, in our family, most people would take up art or enter politics, because there is no dearth of wealth. My mother had other ideas for me. She inspired me to break away from the traditional feudal mindset and find my own way. She was the daughter of a policeman and was very disciplined. She decided that I needed an education.

She passed away when I was still in university. My father, Birjees Khan, stood like a rock by my side after her death. He pushed me to study further and take up a profession of my choice. My parents collectively inspired and encouraged me to chase the urge to prove myself and think commercially. On attaining my master’s degree, I started my professional journey, and my first assignment was as a sales and marketing professional in the fashion industry. I worked at American Export House and was based out of Kathmandu, in Nepal.

TRAVELLING TO DUBAI

In 1989, I travelled to Dubai. I was young and ambitious and wanted to see a new part of the world. In Dubai, I joined Al Futtaim and eventually started working in the Panasonic business of the company from 1991. We in India consider Panasonic to be a well-known electronics brand under the name, National Electronics. So, there was a certain history and affinity to working towards promoting the Panasonic brand.

In 1996, Panasonic Gulf established a regional sales office in the Gulf. I was part of the first team and worked as a sales manager with an extensive portfolio. Our job was to create the blueprint for the company’s growth in the region and in Africa. We had to build distribution networks, operations, sales channels and HR policies for the region. We worked with a certain zeal, knowing that Panasonic was quite a global leader in brown and white goods, be they air conditioners or home appliances.

At the time of setting up in the region, Panasonic wanted us to submit a business plan to them. I submitted a proposal that included a sales target that I would have been proud to work towards. Our team in Dubai and at headquarters, in Japan, thought the target figure was an exorbitant amount. But I had a vision, and I believed in it. My team and I left no stone unturned in our quest for the so-called elusive target. We followed the philosophy that Panasonic’s roots, just like Nia’s, is in uplifting people with solutions that improve their lives. This vision, and commitment to it, helped us achieve our target.

In 1996, when Panasonic decided to open “Panasonic Gulf FZE” in Jebel Ali, I had the privilege of becoming one of the few non-Japanese members of Panasonic’s leadership team and was appointed as VP for Panasonic’s operation in the MENA region. I also met Mr Matsushita, when he visited Dubai in the same year. The Matsushita I am referring to is the grandson of the founder of Panasonic.

My team and I welcomed the move of the regional headquarters and began working without any fuss whatsoever, even though our initial workplace comprised four porta-cabins – a feature that astonished the senior leadership no end. It is a matter of great pride to me that our team succeeded in our mission of expected business growth, even before opening the first Panasonic regional headquarter for the MENA region, called Panasonic Marketing Middle East and Africa (PMMAF), in 2001. We succeeded because we had a vast network of customers from all over the region and Africa.

MANTRA FOR SUCCESS

It is important to have a macro-level vision of where you want to go. And it is even more important to share that vision with your team. We saw the importance of having a vision and of relentlessly working towards it when we had to deliver results for Panasonic. It was an arduous journey. I was putting in 13-14 hours of work a day. Till then, I had no exposure to disciplines such as finance, logistics and HR. But then, there were situations where you would have to get things done.
The per capita contribution of the 27 team members – at the time – was enormous. We shocked everyone by achieving double- digit growth. This was only possible because the people who worked on the assignment could identify with the vision.

THE ROUTE TO NIA
I joined NIA in 2020 as CMO. In my esteem, NIA is a company passionately devoted to bringing solutions that promote wellbeing and sustainability. Today, it represents a growing list of some of the most exciting and industry-leading brands in the region.
In 2021, I was appointed CEO. The longevity and impact of NIA are testament to the things that make us special, including our team spirit, our culture of service and our pride in what we do. From unveiling our new identity, manifested by the logo of the company, to our new product portfolios and business structures, it has been the most incredible journey so far, and we are excited to continue pushing the envelope further.

TRANSITION TO HVAC

Growing up in India, I had never seen an air conditioning unit. Once in Dubai, I noticed that air conditioners are an integral part of life. And today, they are more than just cooling devices – they are part of sustainability and safety narratives. Today, we are talking about air filtration technologies, how air quality has become so important after the pandemic and how air conditioning improves lifestyles. Till my coming to NIA, I didn’t deal exclusively with HVAC solutions but with a broad product portfolio of solutions, of which HVAC was only one part. Panasonic, at that time, was more involved with decorative air conditioning. But joining NIA changed all this. I started working with Gree in 2020. NIA has been a partner of Gree, the largest manufacturer in the world of HVAC solutions.

I was fascinated by Brand Gree – its ethos of innovation, its global projects and its zero-defect policy. So, it was only natural that HVAC became my focus. Today, we have added HVAC as a central vertical in our focus on sustainability and wellbeing. Along the way, we added Blueair to our offering, purely because of its philosophy towards preserving a sustainable future while creating the most beautiful products of the highest quality.

We also feel responsible to encourage start-up companies that bring innovative products. We introduced the world’s first air conditioned helmet, manufactured by Jarsh Safety. The helmet increases productivity across industries. Today, I work with HVAC brands to understand how HVAC innovations can contribute to sustainability and provide comfort. Regarding HVAC innovations, I consider energy efficiency and air filtration to be the most critical areas. However, I believe that no matter the technology, if it is not affordable and accessible to the masses, it fatally damages its utility and effectiveness. So, the main goal is to provide value to the end user. That’s why I believe in Gree as a brand. We believe so much in Gree as a brand that we offer a 10-year warranty on air conditioners, which is unmatched in the region.

SPEARHEADING NIA’S NEW JOURNEY

As I mentioned earlier, we have launched a new identity for NIA, which is driven by our commitment to customer focus and wellbeing, while aligning with Dubai’s sustainability initiatives. We operate in three areas – home appliances, HVAC, and safety and wellbeing products. We want to evolve from a company that moves boxes to being a solution provider that supports the need for clean water, energy and security.

Nowadays, customers are aware and concerned about their health and the impact on Nature. My travels to expand and explore markets in Africa for over 15 years made me realise how important it is to provide solutions that customers want. That’s why I believe in immersive marketing that focuses on affordability and enables a better life. Innovation always attracts attention, which is why we also work with start-ups that develop innovative solutions, and give them a platform in Dubai, which you know always performs the best in ensuring sustainability.

If you are aligned with the SDGs, if you are aligned with the government initiatives and if you’re offering quality products to the customers, then you are a trustworthy brand. That is what our new identity stands for.

LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY

There is a Japanese concept, “Sunao Mind”, which means “listening mind”. I am impressed by how simply it expresses how businesses should work. So, I follow this concept and use the “outside-in approach”, instead of the usual “inside-out approach”. In the “outside-in approach”, you listen and take in what’s happening, you listen to your customers and partners and co-create solutions. This humbles you. I believe the time of transactional relationships is long gone. Today, we need to create mutual value for our partners and colleagues. If you have a great product but are not treating people well, I don’t think you and your company will be respected.

I always tell my colleagues that you should never have a preconceived notion of what a customer wants. Instead, you should listen, adapt and align. If you approach people with humility and solve their problems, you are a good businessperson. The currency of today is good relationships. This philosophy is profoundly also embodied in NIA. We are humble, despite our 40-year heritage. Another pillar of our ethos is to be grateful and have a sense of abundance. By abundance, I mean happiness. I want everyone in the company to find meaning in their lives and be purposeful. That is my mission.

We as a company have a collaborative team, and I don’t call the rewards as incentives or salaries but as dividends. That brings the team members closer to the goals of NIA as partners. Our business core must be to grow together as a community. Everyone, whether it’s me or the person at the store counter, is a leader in our own capacity.

CONTRIBUTING TO THE UAE’S SDGs

As a leader in our sector, I believe that our most important contribution to the community is our products, be they home appliances or HVAC solutions. Our ESG initiatives focus on contributing to the GDP by increasing our imports and exports and meeting the SDGs adopted by the government.
Another aspect is to improve the quality of work and to create jobs. That is why we support the Taqdeer Awards. We are committed to keeping any new initiative launched by the country’s leadership to improve employees’ quality of life and work environment. If we can deliver quality products to the healthcare, education and other sectors that benefit the community, we’re a responsible company.

MENTORS IN LIFE

I will say this much – life itself has been my greatest mentor. My life, from a young age with my parents, then university as a young man and travelling for my job… every single aspect has influenced me. You don’t necessarily need a physical form of a guru or teacher. But yes, there were a lot of people who influenced and motivated me. I met Robin Sharma – who is famous for authoring the book, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari – at a workshop in 2016, and I think he’s a great mentor. I follow all his mantras in my life.

I had the opportunity of travelling to Africa in the 1990s and the 2000s, when the continent was on the cusp of change. Those travels influenced me a lot. I visited villages in Gambia, Nairobi, Nigeria, South Africa and other countries. The travels made me realise that no matter how rich you are, you must remain humble.
I strongly believe in the power of now. I love to see the beauty of the moment. If you have a clear vision and are very committed, the universe will support you in achieving your goal.

MY FAMILY

I always encouraged my children to be educated and find their own way in life. I have a son and two daughters. My son, Shahbaz, earned his master’s degree in the United Kingdom and is a sports enthusiast. He was a fencer and a team captain at the University of Surrey. He was also part of the university’s rowing team and competed in the Royal Regatta. He did his bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences.

He may also have a bit of the family’s tradition in him and is doing his master’s in Political Science. But his focus is on post-war trauma rehabilitation in war-torn countries. He worked on a rehabilitation project in Bosnia. My middle child, Shahtaj has completed her education at Middlesex University and also completed a master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore. She’s got terrific business and marketing acumen alongside her real-world experience. She got married during COVID and now lives in Qatar, which thankfully, is only a short flight away, as we all miss her dearly.

My youngest daughter, Zara – short for Zartaj – is studying architecture at the American University of Sharjah. She’s doing very well, knows so much about design and is interested in pottery. She wants to be a young entrepreneur who designs fashion and studies architecture simultaneously.
My wife, Hina Khanum is a homemaker and the architect behind all our efforts. She’s spent her time bringing up our wonderful children and instilling the best values in them, and I’m sure I speak for every other member of the family when I say unequivocally that none of us could have accomplished anything had it not been for her.

I love to journal and read poetry, and I am an avid reader of books and poems by legendary poets in Urdu. Among my favourites, whose words guide my life are Ahmed Faraz, Allama Iqbal, Mirza Ghalib and Rumi. Sometimes, on the unrelenting insistence of my kids, I record these poems in my own voice. I believe it’s important for them to appreciate the nuances and perspectives on life. I also love the poems of Jaun Elia. I’m always looking for initiatives to improve people’s lives in my homeland. There’s so much potential in the country’s youth; at the same time, the cost of education is rising. I want to share my knowledge and contribute to their journey.

(As told to Surendar Balakrishnan and Nafeesa Mohammed)