The importance of strategy for enabling growth in Pakistani companies

Published on: March 29, 2019

Unlocking growth mindsets is key for any company to thrive, says TPL Corp’s chief strategist, Ali Samir Oosman.

As CEO of TPL’s venture capital wing, e-Ventures, he’s a keen observer and stakeholder in Pakistan’s startup space. In this interview he addresses why this ecosystem needs nurturing (0:57); how the government can help (2:00); the importance of a strategy team (05:04); how to tackle HR challenges (07:06); and the importance of having mentors (11:39).

As a strategy specialist, Samir takes care to highlight the need for strategic alignment in Pakistani companies, which may play an important factor in unlocking their growth potential. He is an advocate for responding to changing business dynamics, and views ‘fluidity’ as the key to success.

In particular, he talks about the need to start looking at HR as a core business function involved in the highest levels of organizational planning, to ensure that employees are able to buy into their evolving roles in the business.

Having started his career at the Aman Foundation, Samir credits his mentor and first boss, Ahsan Jamil, for teaching him inclusive management – democratizing decision-making and keeping his teams motivated in rough weather.

Belonging to a younger cadre of business leaders, Samir relies on technology in helping him multitask, staying ‘always on’ for faster decision making. His ambition for his current role with TPL is to set an example in innovation and entrepreneurship to solve local market problems, and to attract foreign investment which will help Pakistani startups to scale globally.

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