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| Saad
Al-Barrak, Managing Director and Vice-Chairman of MTC |
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he
man behind Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC)
and its remarkable expansion over the past three years is Managing Director
and Vice-Chairman Saad Al-Barrak. Dr Al-Barrak is a graduate of the
University of London’s doctoral program in IT Management. Here
he speaks of Kuwait’s telecommunications market and the driving
factors behind MTC’s growth.
The Kuwaiti market is
one of the most sophisticated in the region, not only in terms of penetration,
but also in technology. What is your assessment of the market?
Kuwait enjoys the highest penetration levels in the world. We also have
the latest technologies, being one of the few networks on the cutting
edge. Plus, through very intense competition, we have managed to secure
one of the most cost-effective mobile rates in the world, even amongst
Arab countries. Our prices are comparable to places like Egypt and Jordan
where the per capita income is a tenth of the Kuwaiti average. Perhaps,
this is why there has been a 1000% increase in mobile users in Kuwait
over the last five years.
How have you managed
to bring about such a radical transformation in the country since you
took over in 2002?
One of my slogans is that in order to succeed, you must be first, daring
and different. And this is exactly what we have done at MTC. We were
the first in the region to consider expanding our markets, and we were
pioneers in talking about a global vision, not only a regional one.
Our success has been, however, one of vision and implementation. It
is not enough to dream. If you want to be global, you have to be world
class. The agreement with Vodafone forced us to meet standards that
were much higher than those I was happy with at the time. I wanted to
expose MTC to this and use it as a shortcut to the future.
What inspired the 3X3X3
strategy?
I am the type of person who does not enjoy life unless they make quantum
leaps. I find it hard to accept the status quo, and business is a good
arena to use this energy. When I came onboard, MTC was starting to lose
value. It was a sleeping giant that needed to be shaken, reshaped, and
pushed in the right direction for the future.
What is your outlook
for 2005?
I have a 20/20 vision. I want the company to grow by 20% every year
and to return 20% to the shareholders each year. It is a very simple
strategy.
You are considered a
model leader by the press and by the regional business community. What
do you consider to be good leadership qualities?
If you can provide trust, hope and direction effectively, then you are
a leader. I always try to behave as a leader, and not as a manager.
Leadership means freeing people from obstacles, so if you are intervening
in their jobs it means you are sitting between them and their objectives.
I have always insisted on not descending to any level lower than a leadership
position as I have witnessed many others succumb to the devil of details
and to ego, trying to impose themselves on others.