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Vice Chairman and Managing Director's Message

Dr. Navin Valrani

Vice Chairman and
Managing Director

For as long as I can remember, my most impactful mentors have been our founders. I remember getting excited at every opportunity I received in seeing them work together to build a better future for the group. Today, I am thankful to them, and to the other senior members of the Al Shirawi and Valrani families, for entrusting me with the opportunity to shape the group going forward in a world that faces unprecedented challenges.

Amongst the many important lessons that I have learned from our founders, there is one that stands out for me as I take on the responsibility of Group Managing Director. Our founders often told me, “to do what I can to ensure that we remain ahead of our time.” It is this perspective that I wish to bring to every member of the Al Shirawi Group. Being the fortunate beneficiary of mentoring from two legendary individuals, it is now my duty to take this forward and spread their message across the group.

With the support of my board members, there will be a plan to work on the three key themes outlined by our Chairman: Unity, Hard Work, and Innovation. The development of each one of these themes is critical in ensuring that we navigate successfully through whatever challenges the global economy presents us with. However, I am also convinced that when these three themes work in tandem, it will allow our organizations to build a competitive edge that is near impossible to replicate.

If we are to develop this edge, we need to build an organization that is continually learning. Learning to do good, learning to do better, and learning to be lifelong learners. In an age where there is a plethora of information available at our fingertips, our growth will be dependent upon not only what we learn but how we learn. As leaders, we therefore must do what we can to ensure that every member of our 10,000+ strong family is a more learned individual at the end of every working day than when the day started. If we are able to build a knowledge culture that achieves this, our competitive edge will exponentially strengthen.

There are indeed exciting times ahead for the Al Shirawi Group as we welcome the future with open arms.