Spiro Murr is a seasoned executive with years of experience in the construction industry, specializing in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. He is the CEO / Managing Director of Obermeyer Middle East, a leading international consultancy firm that provides comprehensive engineering, architecture, and planning services.
With a track record of delivering innovative and sustainable solutions, Spiro Murr has played a key role in numerous high-profile projects across the MENA region. He is known for his strategic leadership, exceptional problem-solving skills, and ability to manage complex projects in challenging environments. Learn more about Spiro Murr and his company through our interview below.
How did you start your entrepreneurship journey? Do you have some advice for beginners?
There is always a first time, and for any startup, the first step is considered difficult but not impossible. I grew up in an entrepreneurial environment because of my ancestors’ business background. This attracted my interest and became passionate in construction, leading me to pursue architecture with a different perspective to become a ‘master builder.’
I was curious to explore all disciplines in design, engineering, and construction. I had the opportunity to start my career in Saudi Arabia with a tier-one contractor on a project for Saudi Aramco, which provided me with a strong foundation in complying with international codes and standards. The opportunity of rotational roles granted by my former projects’ leaderships helped me excel and master most construction departments processes; building confidence in engineering consultancy. I was fortunate to have a mentor and a business godfather who gave me the opportunity to pursue my passion.
For beginners, my advice would be to follow their passion for what they are starting up, persist in setting achievable goals, and love what they are doing. I have a personal mantra that says: “If no one has done it before, then I can make it happen. If someone else has done it, then I can do it better”.
What do you believe is the most crucial part of continuing business seamlessly?
Honesty and integrity are the most crucial parts of continuing business seamlessly. I believe that it takes years to build a self-sustainable business, but it can take just one wrong day to cause it to collapse. We must do what is right and reinforce our business relationships in order to protect our reputation.
We see that you are active as a leader in multiple companies. What are your goals through your companies, and how do you plan to help individuals with them?
In companies, it is important to manage the work properly, but what is even more important is to manage people properly. Each company has a unique culture and background, but the common asset between all is the qualified and talented resources. Investing in resources will provide a good return on investment to the company and improve its competence. My way forward is through team building, and my goal for growth is individual career development.
Describe yourself in one word.
Ambitious
Does employees’ energy and enthusiasm have a hand in business success? How do you plan to motivate your team to go the extra mile?
Energy drives productivity, momentum is key to efficiency; and enthusiasm is a catalyst to cut down on costs.
Giving employees roles, responsibilities, and accountability allow them to act and prove themselves. Training, recognition, and rewards contribute to providing motivational incentives to employees.
Moreover, to go the extra mile, one must lead by example and give credit to those who overachieve.
How would you describe your leadership style?
There are different types of leadership, but I prefer a hybrid leadership style that leans towards democratic, mentoring, and coaching leadership. This involves a strong decision-making process by engaging leaders and managers with three layers of decision-making.
Making decisions is important, but explaining those decisions through coaching and knowledge exchange is also wise to create future leaders.
Did you face any challenges during your career span? If so, how were you able to overcome them?
In a career, every day presents a new challenge, and every night, individuals should look at themselves in the mirror and be proud of how they overcome those challenges. They should always be prepared for the next challenge, never back down and remain result-oriented.
A quote from Henry Ford summarizes this idea: ‘When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the aeroplane takes off against the wind, not with it.’
Are you adapting to digital transformation? How is it helping your business?
My career advancement has led me to promote the motto ‘transforming while performing.’ This adage involves adapting to digitization to cope with emerging technology and ensuring that the company is a pioneer in its services and endeavours.
Do you use innovative ideas to be unique?
Being a unique consultant means providing added value to its deliverables; For this reason, innovation is a tool, and sustainability is our journey. We often repeat project cycles in design and engineering, but in our organization, we learn from our lessons and strive to do better with every project.
Innovative design is our race and success is the prize. Success is not final although failure is not fatal.
Where is your leadership going? What benefits do your clients get from your company in this competitive world?
Under my leadership, we don’t wait for the future to come to us, but we go to the future. Through extensive research and development, backed by our passion for innovation and sustainability, we deliver products with such competence that instills high confidence in our clients.
We are proud of our track record of receiving repeat orders from prominent clients. We strive to maintain a balance between quality and quantity, being selective so as not to jeopardize our quality. Our goal is to deliver good quality services to our clients in this competitive world, where winning is based on competence.
Connect with Spiro Murr on LinkedIn.
Find Obermeyer Middle East on LinkedIn