MD & CEO TUV Austria Bureau Of Inspection & Certification

Profile:

Rashid started his career from Daewoo Motorway project in 1993. He had just finished his B.Com at that time. He was one of the few selected Pakistanis to work alongside the Koreans and that was a great deal of exposure in its own right. He was lucky to have gone through this apprenticeship cum job. Then he joined Sigma Knitting Mills as Chief Merchandising Manager. During this time he was able to travel extensively to all of Far East Asia as most of the business was conducted through American retailers who had been there. He stayed with Sigma for almost four years after which in 1997, he formed a partnership with Moody International, (now TUV Austria Bureau of Inspection & Certification). He was committed with his vision to go ahead with this venture as quality, quantity, delivery & continuous improvement have always been the main challenge for our industry. Mehr decided to help the Pakistani industry to overcome the four essential and fundamental challenges quality, quantity, delivery & continuous improvement which enable them to do better and compete globally.

Blurb: 

Pakistani companies must digest the fact that Management System Certifications are not a voluntary adoption anymore but a requirement by retailers, governments, NGO’s, buyers who drive System Certification needs. 

Evolve: How successful has TUV Austria BIC been in Pakistan?

Rashid Mehr: TUV Austria Bureau of Inspection & Certification is a highly successful business venture of Austria in Pakistan with hundreds of clients across Pakistan and has proven to be extremely successful for TUV Austria Group, hundreds of its employees in Pakistan and the local shareholders. Statistics for the year 2013-2014 showed the interest of Austrian investors’ in Pakistan, particularly in oil and gas sector. It gives TUV Austria an opportunity to offer its unmatched and high quality services to the oil & gas sector in the area of Occupational Health, Safety, Environment, Technical Inspection, Construction Supervision Services & Technical Trainings. Moreover, TUV Austria wants to offer its internationally recognized certification services to the industry at large in the field ISO 9000, ISO 14000, OHSAS 18000, Food Safety Certification services. Management System Certifications from TUV Austria BIC have proven to be very helpful for the local industry to compete both internationally and locally. 

Evolve: Looking towards the future, what new developments can we expect from TUV Austria BIC?

Rashid Mehr: It is TUV Austria Group's vision to expand further in the region of South Asia particularly Bangladesh & Sri Lanka which are under embed of Pakistan.TUV Austria Group is a multi million euro company and is expanding aggressively into Asia. TUV Austria is very keen to further strengthen its position in Pakistan and wants to take complete advantage of the prospects that this country has to offer. Expansion both organic and inorganic is part and parcel of our future ambitions. To do all this we will have to invest in the tune of USD 500,000 to a USD 1,000,000 in next 2 to 3 years to achieve our expansion plans. We require technical manpower and professionals having relevant back ground who can be trained as auditors / inspectors. One of our targets is to set up a high level academy under the umbrella of TUV Austria with Austrian / German curriculum offering apprenticeship programs to engineers and other diploma holders who seek job opportunities within Pakistan & abroad especially the Middle East. Since the brand ‘TUV AUSTRIA’ is recognized globally hence our certification and apprenticeship program shall be highly useful for the relevant people. In five years from now TUV Austria Bureau of Inspection & Certification, shall be at least 2 times of its present size i.e. in terms of revenue, employees (presently 400 employees), market leaders and a symbol of quality, quantity, delivery and continuous improvement. 

Evolve: How do you manage a rapidly growing company while maintaining a focus on operations?

Rashid Mehr: The growth of any organization is not possible unless there is a collective goal that its employees believe in and want to accomplish. Goal enables them to have a unified focus. As a company we believe in palpable communication and in holding ourselves responsible where necessary. I feel privileged to have some very talented and self-driven people in my team who make it seem simple.  As our business grows, different problems and opportunities emerge that demand different solutions. On the other hand, it is important to keep up with the market requirements, to plan ahead and to remain energetic enough to adapt as per requirement.

Evolve: How is your industry different from other industries in terms of trends and challenges?

Rashid Mehr: Our challenges are the same as any other industry however our potential clients and Pakistani companies must digest the fact that Management System Certifications are not a voluntary adoption anymore but a requirement by retailers, governments, NGO’s, buyers who drive System Certification needs. It’s not a fashion or cosmetic need as they must see the number of companies complying with international standards in USA, EU, China, Japan, India, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Asia Pacific and Singapore.                                                                                                                                                           

Evolve: What kind of culture exists in your organization and how do you establish this tone?

Rashid Mehr: Delegation of power with sense of ownership and responsibility is the crux of TUV Austria BIC’s culture. Encouragement of organizational ethics is inevitable into our business routine by having clear cut ‘code of conduct’ creating supportive environment, demonstrating that we do not tolerate actions which are unacceptable and unethical through periodic awareness trainings and internal audits. 

Evolve: How can you prevent mistakes or do damage control?

Rashid Mehr: Here the role of leadership starts and being the CEO of a multinational company I think the following epithets are must to opt from CEO to officer.

• Patience
• Experience
• Consistency
• Lead by example
• Team Player
• Willing to learn from anyone
• Accept and take challenges
• Participative
• Should learn to handle anxiety
• Avoid speculation
• Experience and growth should be vital and not compensation 

Evolve: How is TUV Austria BIC contributing to society?

Rashid Mehr: We have been heavily contributing to prestigious and credible organizations like The Pakpur Foundation, who have effectively built and delivered custom made state of the art, clean and hygienic villages in Multan & various areas in Sindh province for the flood affected victims and the underprivileged. They have now embarked on a commendable journey of introducing mobile health unit by private sector for the first time in Pakistan. Additionally, we support The Trust School. 

Evolve: How is gender equality and a respectable environment for women maintained at TUV Austria BIC?

Rashid Mehr: We trust in providing equal employment opportunities. Most of our policies including sexual harassment and many others are similar to what we have in place at our company’s head office in Vienna, Austria. However, to empower women professionally it is important to provide them with a safe working environment where they are treated with respect, where the employer confides in them and they are provided remuneration equal to their male colleagues. It is also important to mention that we have a good transportation system developed as in the West so that a large number of female staff can respectably commute on time at both ends. Our main business centers in Lahore are Gulberg, Mall road, some parts of DHA commercial areas, Raiwind, Kot Lakhpat Industrial Estate & Sundar Industrial Estate. It is really very difficult for women to travel to these areas comfortably and being on time especially in situation when present mode of transportation is not respectable for an educated woman unless she belongs to a well to do family.

Evolve: Who are your ideals?

Rashid Mehr: I know this sounds clichéd but my inspiration comes from both Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) & Mohammad Ali Jinnah

EVOLVE: How do you define success and what is the best way to achieve it in the long-term?

Rashid Mehr: To me it is very simple. Accomplishment, Satisfaction and Profit

Evolve: How do you plan to build a successful customer base?

Rashid Mehr: I am very much clear about my goals and strategies. Those are

• Honesty
• Persuasiveness
• Delivery
• Active communication
• Understanding the needs of our clients
• Qualified Personnel
• Strong Marketing and Sales
• Retaining key employees for over 10 years and above
• Financial and corporate discipline 

Evolve: What is your favorite book?

Rashid Mehr: There are many books but I was inspired by Sunzi Art of war and Sun Bin Art of War, a 2000 years old Chinese classic translated into English. Additionally I love to read Khushwant Singh, one of my favorite writers who has unfortunately recently passed away. I cannot forget a novel like ‘Women & Men in my life’ written by him.

Evolve: What makes you happy?

Rashid Mehr: The company of my family

Evolve: Any message to readers of EVOLVE?

Rashid Mehr: Never give up on your dreams