Usama Barwani has worked up the ranks in the multinational MB Holding Company, even though it is family owned, and believes that Omani companies have what it takes to become global brands
These days everyone is pre-occupied with the global financial crisis and it is but natural that as Director of business development of MB Holding Company, Usama Barwani is engaged in making sure that his company is not caught in the cross currents of this financial tsunami that has mercilessly swept away many corporate giants across the world.
Barwani was not in his office when OER went to meet him, but on returning he explained the reason for being late. He informed us that he had a crises meeting with officials of one of the subsidiaries of MB Holding on ensuring that they are prepared for any eventuality. Barwani immediately comes across as a man who has grace and poise and this is perhaps one of the inherent traits that helps him in his weighty role as a business manager. Not surprising, then he has helped MB Holding in some major multinational acquisitions.
Barwani is deeply involved in two of MB Holding's Subsidiaries', United Engineering Services (UES) where he is Managing Director, and Jakarta based MB Century Drilling. The former is a manufacturing and trading company with operations in Oman and Germany, exporting components for the oil industry while the latter is a drilling company with offices in Indonesia, New Zealand, and Australia. Barwani revealed that UES's management have plans to make UES a major force to reckon with in the manufacturing and design by, investing heavily in technology, equipment, and people.
Barwani gives deep credit to the success of the MB companies to the quality of their senior management and employees. He stresses "The secret to building great business is finding the best people to lead subsidiaries and fill key positions, and making sure that they are motivated and empowered to drive business growth".
He feels that there are enough opportunities for companies who are selective in their investments, even though asset prices have come down, as long as you invest in companies with stable cash flows. Sound thinking. At 28 years of age, one would have expected Barwani to just take life easy and revel in his father's achievements instead of worrying about the global meltdown. But not him.
Creating MNCs
Barwani has a mission and a goal, towards which he is striving. As an unabashed believer in globalisation, he has a dream to make MB Holding a truly global brand and that vision motivates him constantly. "If we can have a McDonald in Oman, why can't we have the presence of an Omani company in all parts of the world?" This is the rhetorical question raised by Barwani. And this comment is well-founded because presently, MB Holding is a multinational corporation with operations and subsidiaries in more than 14 countries across the globe besides the Middle East in Europe, North Africa, South East Asia and Asia Pacific.
As the director of business development, Barwani's main mandate is to constantly scout for new companies and opportunities in order to expand MB Holding's empire by leveraging its core business strengths and values. He says "We look for companies with good management, that produce synergies and add value to our core business"
It was no mean order to reach this present stature as he gained it all through hands on experience by working in several of MB Holding's group companies and as director in many other companies. After obtaining a degree as a Petroleum Engineer at The University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Barwani came back to Oman and worked for Daleel Petroleum for two years before going to England for further studies and obtaining an MSc in Finance from City University's Cass Business School in London. Since then he has been a director in MB Holding.
Business acumen
Barwani is also the Chairman of Flexible Industrial Packaging Company SAOG (FIPCO) where MB Holding has a controlling stake. Under his stewardship FIPCO has fought hard to achieve a remarkable turnaround. FIPCO is currently implementing plans to expand production, and achieve scale.
Barwani is also a director in Taageer Finance and for the last three years has gained valuable learning experience as this is the youngest, but one of the most dynamic finance companies in the Sultanate of Oman. Barwani is also a director of the newly established Ahli Bank Oman, where MB Holding is the second largest shareholder behind Bahrain's Ahli United Bank.
Globe-trotter
Traveling around the globe consumes much of Barwani's time but he indulges in this activity wholesale. His preference is to take the road less traveled and go to the places which are less accessed by the general public. For him, traveling is a pleasurable business as it widens his horizon on many facets of life, not the least being that all people across the world share the same aspirations in life despite racial, religious and cultural differences. While in a new country, Barwani tries to devote as much time as possible to assimilate not only that country's culture and tradition, but also its corporate culture, the business environment, and laws even while scanning the place as a potential investment ground.
Talking about his leisure activities, Barwani says that he loves boats, especially speedboats like jet-skis, and other outdoor activities. The family, in fact, owns several boats. Call it boat-bonding or whatever, Barwani says that they use these boats for family unions by organising weekend outings for the family, as well as cousins and friends.
"My general feeling is that we need to enjoy our achievements, whether they are big or small. My parents achieved a lot in life and I think my siblings and me need to take things forward from there," opines Barwani while calling himself basically a people's person as he likes to spend time with family and friends whenever he gets the time. He also enjoys reading, tennis, scuba diving, camping and outdoor activities. His reading focuses on biographies of great entrepreneurs and achievers, as well as finance and management books.
© Oman Economic Review 2008
