CEO Insights Magazine

The world needs powerful leaders who inwardly volunteer and take the initiative to drive progress, and make positive things happen within the organization and outside. Anil Nair, CEO, National Concrete Company is a stalwart who believes in empowering others and leading them to organizational success. He has around three decades of exclusive experience in the cement & concrete industry. The diligent leader began his professional journey with the third largest cement company in the world, Ultra Tech Cement.

From the very beginning of his career, he has been willing to shoulder additional responsibilities. This attitude toward his work has made him instrumental in playing key roles in the organization & achieve success for its products. He is a success oriented leader who excels in diverse verticals like Profit Centre Management, Turn Around Operations, Budgeting, P& L Management, and Strategic Planning. Anil is a well rounded leader who has an inspirational capability of providing guidance & inspiration to everyone around him. His leadership style is made up of a positive attitude to foster his team members' qualities & create a work environment where they can be open, honest, and productive. He possesses a growth mindset and is always focused on the organization's common goal and mission. Let's hear it from him.

Define National Concrete Company as an organization. Also, what keeps it ahead of its competitor in the market?
National Concrete Company is a diversified company providing ready mixed concrete, hollow core slabs, blocks pavers kerb stones, marine sand, washed sand & trading. NCC has invested in the best technologies & plants from Germany the UK & other world leaders in their respective fields. I am a firm believer

that it is not only the plant that contributes to a company's success, but it is also the people who manage the plant. So, we have hired the right technical managers and engineers to run these plants. We have been steadily gaining market share and currently enjoy a leadership position in most of the fields in which we operate. I am thankful to my Chairman Mr. Farouk Almoayyed and our Managing Director Mr. Yousif Almoayyed for their constant support in helping NCC to achieve leadership position. NCC over the years has created a platform for sustained competitive advantage through a customer centric focus and continuous process improvements aimed at providing value to stakeholders. The company's achievement is a result of the untiring efforts put in by the team and the support of our customers & suppliers.

How do you define yourself as a leader?
I lead by example. I believe in setting benchmarks for myself so that the employees and the subordinates under me learn from them. Throughout my journey, I have set a very high benchmark in both integrity & hard work and I strongly believe that as a leader both of these aspects are responsible for the success of an organization. Moreover as a leader I have always tried to surround myself with the right people & hire people with the best skills.

What are some of the most captivating challenges you have encountered so far in your professional journey? What did you learn and how did you overcome those challenges?
As a leader, the toughest challenge has been to inculcate a growth mindset in my team and be able to make my team take the right decision. To succeed, a leader must

constantly unlearn to learn from challenging situations. I do the same. I overcome challenges by presenting my team with a clearer roadmap of our goal & making sure we have clarity of the purpose & the vision. Understanding the purpose helps me and the team to take effective decisions. During the process, I have learned to be humble and honest in my business operations.

Based on your strong professional experience, what advice would you give to the upcoming leaders in the same industry?
My advice for young leaders will be to stay abreast of the developments in the business & technological fields across the world. I would also advise young leaders to be confident & humble. It is indeed one of the most essential characteristics of leadership. Also when you are in a leadership position, fear can hamper your decision making ability. Hence you must own yourfear and deal with it effectively.

Anil Nair, CEO, National Concrete Company
Having an MBA in Marketing Management from KJ Somaiya Institute of Management & BE(Civil) from VJTI, Anil has a wide experience in the cement & concrete industry. As a leader he is an influential mentor & coach who leads many teams and finds pleasure in guiding them towards their goals. His ability to strategically tackle complex situations in businesses is his foremost driving force. He leads a disciplined life & gives great importance to staying fit.

Hobbies: Reading, Swimming
Favorite Book: The Art of War by Sun Tzu and Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance by Michael E.Porter.
Favorite Cuisine: Indian/Chinese/ Sushi
Favorite Travel Destination: Switzerland/South Africa

Awards & Recognition: Recognized by the Outstanding Achiever Award & the Young Manager Award at an organizationallevel