Time and Knowledge Nazrana

Anil Sayani was assigned to Kampala, Uganda; Bujumbura, Burundi; and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania with the Industrial Promotion Services (IPS), an entity of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), as head of marketing and products for eight months.

 

Anil brought nine years of management and professional experience at TELUS Communications in Toronto to assist in the launch of Smart Telecom, a sister company of Roshan in Afghanistan.

 

Anil first visited Uganda to establish and manage the data services portfolio of Smart products such as home, business, and mobile internet. His role soon expanded to include developing product roadmaps, creating marketing strategies, managing budgets and organizing marketing communications (public relations, advertising, digital marketing, event marketing etc.). Then, being proficient in French, he assisted with Smart’s launch efforts in Bujumbura, Burundi, by applying his learnings from Uganda. Finally, Anil was asked to go to Dar es salaam to assume the role of head of marketing and products for Tanzania for the remainder of his assignment.

 

While at Smart, Anil trained and mentored several young team members, many of them new graduates, by encouraging a culture of collaboration and cross-pollination of new ideas. He also established processes such as holding regular team meetings and documenting project post-mortems to capture and share learnings.

 

Leaving behind his family and friends in Canada for a long term assignment was not easy, but Anil truly enjoyed the opportunity to live and work in other countries. He adapted to new cultures and environments where English was not always the primary language. He met new people, made great friends, and learned how things work in other countries.

 

Inspired by Smart’s innovative spirit, Anil chose to explore an entrepreneurial career path upon his return to Canada.