Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 48 | Page 83

GET TO KNOW... On the lighter side of things, we ask the industry experts what makes them tick. . . . Sahem Azzam, Vice President Middle East and Africa, Orange Business Services W What would you describe as your most memorable achievement? learning and working at the same time and this made my job more fun. From a career perspective, being promoted to lead a services business unit in the Middle East and being specifically asked to turn it around and grow the business was certainly one of the major professional challenges I have faced so far. It took me 18 months to achieve it and I learned a lot – that success is fuelled by many factors: having the right strategy, focus, the right combination of talent, calibre of people and the right leadership in place. We had successful sustained growth for four years before I moved to another role. What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position? What first made you think of a career in technology? Initially, I wanted to go to medical school because of my father’s influence and I followed this path until high school but then opted for communication engineering. I realised the impact of continually evolving technology and it’s future potential, so I started to do Microsoft and Cisco training courses to develop my knowledge and understanding and to be ready for the market place with the right skills. I did the training while I was studying at university and it gave my career a boost. I focused on emerging technologies such as VOIP and contact centres, and I enjoyed combining www.intelligentcio.com However, when there is little or no time for consultation or a clear consensus, I opt for a more directive style because ultimately, someone has to ‘call the shots’ when we have to act faster. So far, this combination – with an emphasis on the consultative approach – has proven to be very successful I have always combined consultative and directive management styles; I use consultative more often to listen to the team and gather different opinions to select the best option when considering an important decision, for example. In addition to creating consensus among the team, it’s an effective way to engage the team and to get them actively involved in making decisions. “ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING CURRENT HOT TOPICS. INTELLIGENTCIO 83