CEO Insights Magazine

With international companies constantly working on expanding their businesses across the globe, the demand for coun­try managers has been experiencing unprecedented growth over the years. A country manager is instrumental in managing and oversee­ing the successful execution of organization opera­tions in a foreign country or region. A leading tel­ecommunication service provider across the globe, Numbase Group offers a wide range of telecom prod­ucts and value-added services to various industries around the world. At the helm of its operations in the Southeast region is Khedir Yaakub, an accomplished industry leader with over two decades of extensive experience in the Telecommunications sector. As the Country Manager Telecommunication, Khedir lever­ages his extensive industry experience and inspir­ing leadership to efficiently manage the firm’s entire business operations in the Southeast Asia region.

In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights ASIA, Khedir sheds light on his professional background, his leadership approach, and much more.

Could you give a brief account of your professional background and experiences?

After completing my graduation with a major in Tel­ecommunication Engineering from The University of Kuala Lumpur in 2001, I started my career in the Tel­ecommunication sector as a Sales Support Engineer. I have steadily progressed through the ranks over the years while holding various leadership and sen­ior leadership positions across organizations. Later, I also worked with the business team. Today, with over two decades of extensive experience in the industry, I also possess the expertise to manage both busi­ness development and operations efficiently. I am currently working as a Country Manager Telecom­ munication at Numbase Group, taking care of the firm's operations in the Southeast Asia market.

As the Country Manager Telecommunication at Numbase Group, what are the key responsibilities you shoulder at the firm?

As a leading telecom service provider, Numbase offers a wide range of telecom services and solu­tions to mobile operators around the world. The firm is also a licensed partner of FIFA. So, during the World Cup, as per the mobile operator's de­mands, we also provide a wide range of custom­ized FIFA-related services for end users. As the Country Manager Telecommunication, my respon­sibilities include taking care of the firm's opera­tions in the Southeast Asia market. While I am in Kuala Lumpur, the rest of the team is located all over the world, especially in Beirut and Lebanon. So, for me, it's pretty much been a one-man show in the Southeast Asia region.

My other responsibilities at the organization include managing the multiple mobile value-add­ed services portfolios. One of my primary tasks involves establishing strong relationships with mobile operators and aggregators. Apart from the business development, I'm also taking care of the daily operations.

Tell us about your leadership approach. What are the guidelines or methodologies you follow as a leader?

Being leaders, we are trained to evaluate our team members. So, you need to have a thorough under­standing of your team's capability as well as their limit. One of the most important aspects of leader­ship is transparency. As part of my work assign­ment with Huawei, where we were working on pro­ject basis, we used to do a performance assessment of the team at the end of every year. Being a part of the management team, I have always transparent in my assessment of their capabilities while giving credit when credit is due. At the same time, nurtur­ing them how to manage their potentials not only for the assignment at hand but their future under­takings. As a leader, you must take care of the team for the present and also for their self-development. Another important aspect of my leadership skills is to ensure and educate them on perfect work-life balance.

You need to have that chemistry with your team that is built on trust. At the end of the schedule, you have to ensure the completion of all the tasks, which can only be achieved through effective team­work. I also strongly believe in equal treatment and appropriate level of compassion.

How do you keep yourself up-to-date with ongoing industry trends to steer your organization towards the future? Going ahead, what future plans do you have in mind for yourself as well as for the organization?

One of the most efficient ways to stay updated re­garding the ongoing market trends is to build a strong and active network with industry players. While you can research the internet or various industry-related articles to update your knowledge regarding the latest trends, meeting and discuss­ing with people across all levels helps you stay abreast of the current practice. For instance, if the mobile operators want to develop and enhance the cyber security for end-users protection, as the ser­vice provider, we need to ensure that our proposed solutions complies with the mobile security regu­lations. With this approach, I aspire to be at the forefront of the industry.

Coming to the future roadmap, I want to grow fur­ther as an industry leader while giving back both to the organization as well as the society. You need to constantly challenge yourself and go beyond your limitations. However, irrespective of your po­sition in the industry, you always have to maintain your professional network. There's no point in be­ing at the top of the ladder while being a thorn to others. I strive to create an environment where I am not only developing my legacy and be an inspi­ration to others.

Khedir Yaakub, Country Manager Telecommunication, Numbase Group

An accomplished business leader with over two decades of extensive experience in the telecommunication industry, Khedir Yaakub is well acquainted with the local mobile operators and content providers in the Southeast Asia region. In his current role as a Country Manager Telecommunication at leading telecom service provider Numbase Group, he is taking care of the firm's operations in the Southeast Asia market. A transparent leader with a proven track record in managing both business development and operations efficiently, Khedir has done his graduation with a major in Telecommunication Engineering from The University of Kuala Lumpur.