Early life and education

I was born in Sharjah and spent much of my life in the UAE. It is my first home. My father was an expat for over three decades. We lived in the old part of Sharjah city, very close to the Rolla area. We are a close-knit family, and as the youngest of three siblings, I was always the pampered one in the family.

I studied at Sharjah Indian School till Class 6, after which I moved to India for three years before returning to Our Own Indian School, Sharjah. My parents, first-generation expats, stayed in the UAE until my father retired from the Bank of Baroda and settled in India. Currently, we live in four continents – my sister is in London with her family, and my brother lives in Toronto. Although we live far away, we make it a point to talk to one another every day. My parents have always ensured that – we have always stayed connected and shared every special moment with one another. We used to see each other at least once a year, but COVID-19 stopped it. In fact, I haven’t seen my brother for about five years.

I took the Science Stream while in high school but was unsure what I wanted to become. Like any teenager, I picked up new ambitions every now and then. When I went to the doctor, I wanted to be one; and when I encountered some other profession, I switched allegiance.

All this changed in 2000, when I visited my sister in London after her marriage. A relative I met there was pursuing aeronautical engineering, and talking to him about it spurred a fascination in me on how aeroplanes are built and what goes into them. From then on, my path was clear. I got into an aeronautical engineering course at Queen Mary University College, in the United Kingdom.

HVAC, however

I earned a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and was ready to start my career. However, the industry was still suffering from the aftermath of 9/11, and there was much uncertainty. The mood in the industry forced me to think about how to move forward. I even considered becoming a pilot to stay in the industry. Though I met the eligibility requirements, I dropped the idea as it would have meant additional years of study and more expenses. The wisdom was in changing careers, which meant having to leave my passion behind.

Fortunately, my degree offered me more than one career path. I could get into electronics or mechanical engineering, and eventually, I chose the latter.

My first job after graduation was with Colt International, in 2011, working on car park ventilation and smoke extraction systems. Surprisingly, I was offered the opportunity to work in Dubai, which was a chance to come home, and I gladly grabbed it.

During my tenure at Colt, I learnt a lot about HVAC systems and worked on many significant projects here. Some of the outstanding projects I had the privilege to design include the JW Marriott Marquis, the Emirate Park Tower Hotel, the underground car park around the Burj Khalifa across Downtown, Mall of the Emirates, Ikea (Dubai Festival City) and the World Trade Centre in Dubai.

During my five-and-a-half-year stint with Colt, I learnt and became passionate about HVAC technologies and their role in keeping living spaces safe. One of the most important projects I worked on was the 128,000-square-metre parking space for the General Organisation for Social Insurance (GOSI) in Saudi Arabia; it was hugely inspiring.

In 2009, the financial downturn caused many projects to grind to a halt. Budgets were cut on most ongoing projects, and lean management became essential, which gave immense importance to downsizing and also consultancy. There were no exceptions. I decided to go into consulting, which was an eye-opener, mainly because I understood the MEP  technologies’ massive impact on building design.

Even though working as a consultant for the HVAC industry was short-lived, it impacted my career. Shortly after leaving WME Consulting, in 2014, I was offered the opportunity to drive Greenheck’s business in the MENA region.

Road to Ziehl-Abegg

Working at Greenheck, a leading manufacturer of air-moving solutions for the commercial and industrial sectors, was like reconnecting to my first passion for materials and engineering. By now, I had already worked on both sides. I started my career as a systems and solutions engineer. I moved to the structural aspects of building as a consultant. Eventually, I learned about the production side of the HVAC systems at Greenheck.  Working as an Application and Sales engineer gave me a good understanding of the products that serve the regional market and its dynamics. In 2019, I took over as Managing Director of Ziehl-Abegg Middle East and currently manage all business in the Middle East and Africa region for the company for Ventilation and Drives (Elevator) division. Today, I am no longer involved in building climate control, as we are in numerous industries supplying equipment for ventilation and cooling systems for data centres, stables, industrial plants and clean rooms. An end user may not know us or recognise our brand the same way as a refrigerator or TV brand; yet, we play an essential role in making their homes more comfortable and secure.

Another vital industry I am proud of being a part of is food chain. With supply chain disruptions following COVID -19 and other issues, many countries in the region — especially the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt – are investing in ensuring food security and are building high-tech cow sheds, poultry farms and greenhouses. I am very excited to work on these projects, which provide good ventilation and a comfortable environment to them. Due to the harsh climate, any facility built in the region must be well-ventilated. It is also important to ensure that the animals aren’t mistreated; their welfare in these facilities is crucial. It is my privilege to be involved in these initiatives.

Small steps to success

When Ziehl-Abegg opened its regional business, in 2017, we didn’t invest in a big, swanky office. We started with a small office and then expanded the warehouse space as we started to build the business. Within two years, we had to move to a much bigger office. I can relate to this ethos of taking small steps to success and staying away from the culture of excess. That’s my mantra for life and business. I identify with having an end goal, but instead of leaping, I believe it is important to take calculated steps to reach it, keeping in mind the risks. This is very important for sustenance.

This philosophy has helped me grow, and I see Ziehl-Abegg taking a similar approach; this is why the company has survived five economic downturns and thrived.

Unity in the face of adversity

Within a few years of my joining Ziehl-Abegg, COVID struck, and there was great panic among our team members. My role as a leader suddenly changed from growing the business to making sure our team felt safe and that we provided them with a safe place to work. The challenges were not only about the business but also about how we live our lives. Many of our staff are the sole breadwinners of their families, and we needed to ensure we were there for them.

I felt frustrated with readjusting my family’s whole life because of the pandemic. I was worried about my parents and my siblings, who were living far away. So I understood what our team was going through. We took the initiative to create awareness and organised mental health events just like any other organisation. Most importantly, we made sure that we were there for one another as colleagues. I have an open-door policy – my team can come to me with any problem. This has helped us overcome the challenges of the pandemic. I am proud to say that to date, not a single employee has left us, and our team has remained the same.

I believe that our work relationships are not just about business; they are also about basic social contacts. I always try to maintain a friendly relationship within the group and among the subsidiaries.

Contributing to the HVAC sector

Globally, each region has its own HVAC specifications. Still, in the Middle East, there is a mix of all the different specifications available worldwide. The industry here is as fragmented as the demographics. The various stakeholders bring best practices from their market, and sometimes these are less viable than intended. The question now is, ‘How do you get to the point where you do something suitable for the region?’ That’s the role I try to play as I work on different projects. Having spent most of my life here and also having spent time abroad, I am able to use my local knowledge to give feedback to international manufacturers on what is needed locally. But I have noticed that with most products, it is difficult to adapt them to the region.

I align my contribution to the sector with Ziehl-Abegg’s promise of delivering efficiency, and have always tried to make a change by improving the efficiency of every project I have delivered.

If you look at buildings in the Middle East region, especially the old ones, contractors had rarely given any importance to ventilation; the onus was on cooling. That has changed in recent years – every building has had to improve its Indoor Air Quality and efficiency. Newer building requirements focus on efficiency, which is where our products come in. As we expand into other industries, they, too, will see the benefits of these products, and I see great potential for manufacturing units in this market.

Nothing short of a factory

The pandemic is slowly waning, but global supply chain challenges remain. Although we managed the challenges well by stocking up on necessary items to support our customers, my dream is to set up a regional production facility. As I said, this market has enormous potential, and demand will only grow. The UAE is already one of the leading countries in tourism, and other industries are also being developed; we see this in Saudi Arabia, as well. Both countries are investing to boost the services and manufacturing sectors, including the HVAC industry.

I believe we, as a company, are in the right place at the right time, and things can only get better. All these are the perfect conditions to set up production here. When I look at some of our subsidiaries in other regions, I see they started with a small office. Then, they moved to a warehouse and a factory. So, my goal is to do so much business that I can justify the investment in a regional factory here in the UAE. That would be my greatest legacy and a tribute to this country I call home.

Inspiration

I take inspiration and life mantras from some of the exceptional leaders of the world. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Steve Jobs are my favourite personalities, as is Sundar Pichai. Since all these leaders are great speakers and effective communicators, it comes across as compelling when they make a statement. That’s what I admire about them. I have learnt a lot from them about how to get your message across to the other side.

Stopping to smell the roses

I strongly believe in taking time off. It is essential because your productivity suffers when you’re constantly working. So, I switch off occasionally, and when I do, I usually travel with my wife or friends. In what was a memorable experience, my wife and I took a road trip through Europe, travelling six countries without a map and exploring some extraordinary places.

Another memorable experience had to do with a chance encounter with legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar; I was working at Lord’s Stadium during my student days, and I got to shake his hand. That was like, ‘wow’! I am a big cricket fan, and so you might be able to understand why meeting with Sachin was so memorable.

I play the game, as well. I primarily play league games in the UAE. I also spend my free time connecting with my family. As I said earlier, we are a very close-knit family. My father, Ramesh Patel, is my mentor and first teacher. He always taught us to be persistent in whatever we are doing. My mother’s name is Dharmistha. I have missed them a lot since they moved back to India. I live with my wife, Surabhi and my daughter Pehar, who’s only two years old. I hope she grows up and develops into a responsible person.