GET TO KNOW...
On the lighter side of things, we ask the
industry experts what makes them tick. . . .
Mohamed Helmy,
MD for SAP Kuwait
What would you describe as your
most memorable achievement?
My most memorable achievement was while
at SAP, my entire team was named in the
global SAP Winner’s Circle, which recognises
the top-performing sales and solutions teams
from around the world. Our team of 10 people
over-achieved our goals. Being part of the
Winner’s Circle was an incredible opportunity
to share best practices with SAP teams from
across SAP’s globe-spanning geography.
What first made you think of a
career in technology?
I’ve been interested in technology from a
young age, when my parents bought me
a Commodore 64 home computer in the
early 1980s. By designing early programs,
I found it amazing what could be created
with technology.
After studying at university, I realised
that I liked the business field and being
with people the most. So, I’ve used
technology as a vehicle to serve different
communities and support
our customers and partners
to leverage technology to
transform the economy,
society and environment.
I’ve learned something
new every day and often the
things that one least expects.
It’s important for organisations to
foster a culture of diversity and inclusion,
and include people of different backgrounds.
Innovation and development are part of
SAP’s DNA. At SAP, we provide a range of
professional development programmes that
are cascaded to develop talent, especially
young talent and millennials in Kuwait.
What do you think is the current hot
technology talking point?
Cloud is the dominating technology
subject in Kuwait and the Middle East. Big
Data and analytics are also seeing strong
demand, especially as organisations are
increasingly needing to turn their data into
real-time insights. Emerging technologies
such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine
Learning, Blockchain and the Internet of
Things continue to be major talking points
among CIOs in Kuwait. These technologies,
and Digital Transformation trends were a
major focus during our SAP NOW Kuwait
event, which brought together hundreds of
Kuwait’s leading c-suite executives.
Showing the strong demand for emerging
technologies in Kuwait, among digitally-
leading organisations in the Middle East and
North Africa, at least 70% are investing in
cloud, Big Data and IoT solutions, according
to the SAP and Oxford Economics Digital
Transformation Executive Study.
How do you deal with stress and
unwind outside the office?
My management style is
to encourage a culture of
learning. Over the past 30
years, I have realised that Outside of work, I try to
spend as much time as
possible with my family,
whether it’s simple
pleasures, such as having
dinner together, or going
to the mall or to the park.
I have three children: a
son who’s 10 years old, a
daughter who’s 18 years
old and a son who’s 22.
Spending time with my
youngest son provides a lot
of enjoyment, especially
when playing Xbox games. n
44 www.intelligentcio.com
What style of
management
philosophy do you
employ with
your current position?
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