1. What is a small moment in your career that still makes you smile when you think about it?

I was working in Pakistan and genuinely loved the work I was doing. I felt I was contributing to real, meaningful change. Then, out of nowhere, I was offered an assignment in Italy. It still makes me smile because it was so unexpected and it turned out to be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life.

2. If you had to pick one thing that leaders think is helping, but often creates false confidence, what would it be, and why?

Organizational health assessments can be misleading, because people rarely express how they truly feel on paper. Strong leaders stay close to their teams, they listen, observe, and sense what people are actually experiencing, rather than relying solely on formal reports or surveys.

3. What is a value you try to lead by, even when things get messy?

Stay calm, stay focused, stay the course, analyze, and think through the changes needed to keep the organization together.

4. Who has had the biggest influence on how you show up as a leader, and what did they teach you (intentionally or not)?

The biggest influence on my life, and ultimately on the kind of person and leader I became was my grandfather. He held incredibly high standards and pushed me to think differently, to look beyond the obvious, and to aim for excellence. He always reminded me that we are lifelong learners with a global mindset which was a bold idea at the time, especially coming from a small country. That perspective shaped me deeply. It gave me the confidence to step beyond the familiar, leave home, and build a career across many countries, working with people from diverse backgrounds and taking on significant leadership roles

5. What is a lesson you learned later in life that you wish you had learned earlier?

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in life is that you should never sacrifice your connection to family. No matter what you achieve, it will always feel incomplete if you lose touch with who you are, where you come from, and the people who shaped you. Staying close, staying together - that ultimately matters more than any accomplishment

6. Post-M&A integrations can get messy fast. What’s one integration lesson you learned the hard way that you’d pass on to leaders now?

Post‑M&A, the devil is in the detail. You often start with high‑level data and assumptions that turn out to be incomplete or inaccurate, which naturally leads to mistakes. The key is staying humble, flexible, and ready to adjust as you learn more. Keep the leadership team aligned, work as one team, and accept that your initial strategy will not be perfect. What matters is how quickly you adapt as the real picture becomes clear.

7. What is something people often assume about you that is not true?

People often assume I am very reserved, but that is not really the case. I am just careful about how I connect with others. Once I get to know someone, I form very close and meaningful friendships.

8. Outside of work, what do you love spending time on, and why does it matter to you?

It is evolving, but over the years I have realised that the most important thing you can do is take care of yourself. At the end of the day, everything from your presence, your responsibilities, and how you show up for others, is tied to your own wellbeing. Lately, I have been spending a lot of time resetting, focusing on my health, and taking care of myself so I can be more present and effective for my family and friends.

9. What should Supply Chain Leaders be careful about when brining AI into the world of operations excellence?

The most important thing to remember when bringing AI into supply chain operations is that AI alone is not enough. It only works when paired effectively with human judgment. Leaders need to strike the right balance between leveraging AI’s insights and executing with human expertise, a line many still struggle with as AI evolves so quickly. It is also essential to set realistic expectations. Instead of promising everything, we need to stay grounded in what AI can truly deliver today, and focus on how humans and AI can work together to elevate performance.

10. If you could invite anyone, dead or alive, to a private dinner party, who would it be?

I would invite my grandfather. Even though my life turned out quite differently from what he imagined, his influence has always stayed with me. I have had a fun life, but I also did many things he advised me not to, and I do regret some of that now. Nobody is perfect, and I felt I needed to learn things my own way, to make my own choices and my own mistakes.

‍