We got a chance to talk with Shakir Hussain, the Managing Director of Genx Systems LLC. He is a seasoned business architect with exceptional experience in Management Consulting and Systems Integrations.
Shakir Hussain has experience designing solutions for the Telecom and IT world, which is exceptional. He is a highly-focused individual working towards attaining both short-term and long-term goals of Genx Systems LLC.
The company is focused towards Networking & Security as well. They aim to be the best resellers in Dubai, UAE. The company also has social media presence on LinkedIn and Twitter. Through our interview below, we will learn more about Shakir, a passionate entrepreneur and Genx Systems.
What are your goals?
I define goals as short-term as well as long-term. In this way, I can be focused on short-term goals while simultaneously working toward achieving long-term goals. I believe the key to achieving goals in life is focus and dedication. For short-term goals, I ensure to add things I can achieve within 6 – 12 months. As an entrepreneur, I make sure that I engage myself on a new project every year. I am currently working on two projects to be launched later this year. Apart from this, I am also planning to expand my IT business, Genx systems, to the next level.
What do you feel is the biggest strength of yourself/company right now?
I would say ‘leadership’ is my biggest strength. I have been driving a team while overcoming the challenges faced throughout the years from when we started, that is, 11 years ago. Heading a business along with overlooking operations, management and sales are not easy. I look at each challenge with an open mind, believing that a person can find multiple solutions and decide on the best. As for me, I am a detail-oriented person with a curiosity to explore new ventures and the flexibility to adapt to any environment I am put into.
Talking about my company, the biggest strength is my team. Without their support, Genx would not be able to come to where it is today. I would like to thank each of them who is with us currently and has worked with us in the past. Due to their dedication and hard work, Genx is one of the leading resellers in Dubai – UAE.
What was the path you/your company took to get to where you are today?
In an ever-evolving world, especially since we are in the Information Technology industry, we are bound to adapt swiftly to market changes. Specifically, to meet the customer demands and provide them with the best products, we need to align with our suppliers and keep in mind and understand the customer demands.
To reach the position where Genx Systems is today, the key strategy we did apply was building customer and supplier relationships. We always follow transparency – be it with the clients or suppliers. We also serve the customer with sales support and even after-sales support, if any. Throughout the years, we have been able to build trust between the customers and achieve the highest sales volumes for partner products.
Why did you start (or want to be the head of) this company?
I wanted to be an entrepreneur, and I have worked towards achieving this goal since I started my career. Furthermore I like to try out new ventures and new business models and have control of what I do. I enjoy mentoring, and I think I am good at it. PS: My team proves it!
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In recent years the biggest challenge I faced was the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, we are also facing the repercussions of it. The business plans had to take a 360-degree turn to embrace and overcome the crisis. As an entrepreneur, I had to take care of my team’s health, safety and wellbeing while also focusing on the business. This was the biggest challenge I had to overcome in the recent past.
In addition to this, we are also facing product shortages in the market, and it is taking longer delivery time for the manufacturers to manufacture the products, which in turn is challenging us to deliver the products to the customer on time.
Give us one word that describes you the best.
Passionate – Whatever I do, I make sure that I do it passionately so that even if I face failures, I can overcome them rapidly and find a better solution to overcome the crisis.
What makes you excited about Mondays?
I always consider Monday as a fresh start since, by nature, we all hate Mondays. Why? That’s because we do something we are not passionate about. If you really think about it and are passionate about cricket, you end up watching a match until the game is over, and you don’t get distracted.
In the same way, we all need to be passionate about our work as well. What I do is plan my week ahead in terms of the tasks to be completed. I try to complete the hardest task as early as possible so that I don’t have to think about it anymore. The more you delay the work that needs to be done, you start thinking about it, and you end up having no mental peace. Push yourself and achieve your goals!
What do you value most about your culture and vision?
Genx’s dynamic culture has enabled the team to work as a family. Team bonding activities are organized every month to make sure everyone gets a break from work, and this is something which is essential to keep the mental health and wellbeing of a person.
Our vision is to be the best resellers in the UAE region and expand our operations in the rest of the countries in the world.
Tell us about a project that forced you to be innovative and creative.
In the business industry, we need to be innovative and creative is a must to survive in the ever-evolving competitive market. So, I believe in surviving in the industry. You must have both these qualities to stand out from the competition.
What are your company’s strategies, and how do they stand unique from your competitors?
Our strategy has always been customer-oriented, and I believe that makes us stand out from the competition. As a company, we believe that the best customer service builds loyal customers around us, leading to more customers through word-of-mouth references. We deal with hundreds of customers a day as a company. Hence, building the customer relationship and strengthening it is very important.
The other major factor which contributes to being unique is my team. They go over and beyond to attend to the customers’ needs, be it anytime of the day/night or even during the weekends. This leads to excellent customer satisfaction and support.
What are the key values which helped you to overcome the roadblocks/challenges in your career? Tell us something about your memorable incident in your leadership?
I would say entrepreneurship and challenges go hand in hand. The more you are challenged, the more you become experienced. For me personally, the key values that have helped me overcome the challenges are Resiliency – where I adapt to the situation and recover from it quickly.
Some other values that have helped me are the ability to prioritize, the ability to stay calm under pressure, communication, and patience. Most importantly, when I am challenged, I take a step back and think about how I can overcome these challenges without making any sudden decisions and regretting them later.
As a team, we face challenges daily due to our industry. Be it from the customer, suppliers, or procurement. We must face those challenges and overcome them to retain a relationship with the customer and supplier. As a leader driving a young and energetic team, every day is a new challenge, and we enjoy what we do!
How do you see the company changing in two years, and how do you see yourself creating that change?
I have defined my goals, and the team has set their goals too for each year which keeps us motivated and focused on achieving the set targets. In the upcoming 1 to 2 years, I plan to expand the business to other IT product verticals by partnering with manufacturers and distributors in the UAE.
While also expanding the business on new lines, we are planning to increase the sales volume in the current portfolio of products, and the team is working on new strategies to overcome the current challenges.
Where is your leadership going? What benefits do your clients get from your company in this competitive world?
Driving an entire set of people with different characteristics focused on one mission is somewhat challenging. I always make sure to have casual chats every other day with my team on a personal note and a team level and discuss how they are doing, their personal life changes etc. This makes them feel they belong and know they can come to me for any advice or help. They can directly come and approach me.
A big advantage of Genx is the fastest response time and low price comparatively in the market. And also, the team provides excellent customer service round the clock, 24/7.
What are your company’s services/solutions or products on par with the current industry standards? Tell us something about your upcoming products or services?
Genx Technologies is one of the enterprise IT solutions ventures which has been set up to provide industry-based IT solutions and consulting for Healthcare, Education, Hospitals, Government institutes, Entertainment ventures and Manufacturing companies. We currently serve the above-mentioned industries by providing customized ICT solutions that have optimized and transformed their processes.
As an entrepreneur, I am curious about my new venture, which I am currently working on – a comprehensive healthcare solutions platform called Medy. It’s a concept where a person can visit the website and fulfil their complete healthcare requirements being it ordering medicines from a pharmacy, doctor consultation, lab test booking etc.., where we have covered everything in just one platform.
Simultaneously we have launched the B2B ICT platform called ICT circle, dedicated to IT products and services where multiple distributors, system integrators, vendors and resellers worldwide can all come together in one platform. This product is already available in the market, and we have already onboarded 12,000+ clients.
Connect with Shakir Hussain on LinkedIn.