Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 20-10-2017
The Minara Business Person of the year 2017 Riaz Haffejee says, he was surprised to win the award and is eternally grateful for the accolade.
Haffejee who has more than 20 years of combined industry experience in the automotive and telecommunications sector took the honours at the Minara Chamber of Commerce awards on Wednesday.
He is the CEO of Sumitomo Rubber SA which manufactures and sells Dunlop, Falken and Sumitomo tyres across 48 countries in Africa.
Under Haffejee, the 150 year old company, has been turned from an ailing brand into a R4 billion business owned by the Japanese Conglomerate.
Founded in KwaZulu-Natal in 2000, Minara awards focus on uplifting and promoting individual, family-owned and independent Muslim businesses with a vision and mission to bring them from the margins into the frontline of the mainstream economy.
Haffejjee says people should strive to achieve their goals whether it’s in their careers or entrepreneurship.
“If you have drive, if you have energy and if you have a hunger to learn things, and if you are inquisitive, if there is a real pursuit of a goal, that you have in mind, you shouldn’t let things that would otherwise come in their way to give you an excuse not to go after it.”
Haffejee says accountability, taking ownership and responsibility of situations including having a good support structure and healthy family life are the essential ingredients for a great leader.
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