The economy, efficiency, and effectiveness are important aspects in designing organization structures, developing heuristics, and dealing with external constituencies. The long-term consequences of the strategy performance interactions can be seen in the well-being of future generations, in the development of social welfare, and in the growth of social capital. “The art of communication is the language of leadership”, says Riya Margaret Zacharia, Director of Strategy & Performance Improvement, Secure Engineering LLC.

Holder of the UAE Golden Visa, this resilient leader has been with this firm for the last 12 years climbing-up the ranks from Human Capital to the Director of Strategy & Performance Improvement. She has created, designed, and implemented successful HR & OD programs for the development of Secure Engineering. Riya has a great deal of experience in developing and putting into practice policies and procedures for a variety of business lines and functions, including launching initiatives to raise employee engagement and values on a strategic and operational level. Here’s the highlight from our interaction with Riya Margaret.

Give Us An Overview Of Secure Engineering. What Are Some Important Features Of Your Expertise As A Business Leader That You Want Us To Highlight Through The Article?

Secure Engineering is a semi-government conglomerate based in Abu Dhabi with four subsidiaries that specialize in four facets of engineering. Our strengths are in construction, facilities, real estate & engineering. At Secure, every employee contributes to value-added performance. A diversified construction, infrastructure concession and services group.

I’ve worked with Secure for 12+ years and it has been an extraordinary learning journey; and I have had the chance to work with incredible leaders and individuals. Being a part of this organization has taught me to be resilient as well as cultivated my ability to convey complex ideas in an easy-to-understand manner while encouraging my ability to communicate clearly.

Take Us Through Your Educational Journey And The Prior Industry Experience That You Bring To The Table.

Even though I pursued Computer Science Engineering, management has always been an interest of mine. I worked as a management consultant in various industries before accepting full-time employment with Secure. In terms of experiences, diverse people, and situations, this job has taught me a lot.

Being a learner, I studied and completed my MBA during my job. I've also completed several professional courses and certifications. I am a certified NPL practitioner & coach, an EFQM Assessor and hold Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard Business School. I also embark practicing psychotherapy under my brand ‘Radiant Being’ specializing in holistic energy healing in addition to my professional career.

My personal and professional experiences are combined into a joyful, purposeful life as a part-time therapist. I believe all of us are born with a potential and we must trust our instincts when it comes to decision making & embracing and accepting new experiences.

What Are The Various Roles And Responsibilities That You Shoulder At Secure Engineering? What Are Some Of The Most Significant Milestones Achieved By The Company Under Your Leadership?

I currently manage five major segments: Strategy & Performance Improvement, Corporate Communications, Quality Environment Health & Safety, Customer Relationship Management, and MIS Management Information System. Apart from that, I operate the company in an executive capacity. Due to my years of experience in administration and operations, it is crucial for me to be recognized inside the business as someone who can be trusted and given authority.

"If you thought about it once, that means it already does exist in your reality, now the journey is to explore that potential"

This strikes me as a real accomplishment. For me, reaching this point and contributing significantly to the expansion and success of an organization would be the biggest accomplishment. The success of any organization is dependent on the clear communication of all important behaviours, such as involvement, trust, transformation, investment in people and ideas, and the creation of opportunities.

Tell Us About Some Of The Most Pressing Business Challenges That You Face In Your Current Role. How Do You Successfully Mitigate Them?

The COVID-19 epidemic, in my opinion, is currently the most important commercial challenge facing the construction and engineering industries. We are continually recovering and developing since. I’m happy to say that my team and the company handled the situation well. Construction sectors was identified as one of the vital sectors, so we worked every day of COVID-19, in sites & in offices; we had strict protocols and were available 24x7. An entire Business Continuity Plan was established parallelly to minimize and reduce the risk of business.

It was crucial and essential that we had to update plans to keep up with the market as during pandemic, it was not as per any set plan, but rather how fast can the organization react appropriately. We had to repeat our risk analysis over and over to think about probability and impacts. Be it with logistics, governmental regulatory, cash flow control- we learned the importance of having right systems in place since all businesses produce and rely on large volumes of information let alone use effectively.

In Your Opinion, What Has Been The Driving Force Behind Your Success As A Business Leader? What Are Some Guiding Leadership Philosophies That You Leverage?

My leadership style is based on a set of core values, principles, and passion. Staying devoted to your goals can increase your ability to inspire and motivate those around you. In essence, you are creating, living, and embodying your leadership philosophy My leadership views are a blend of transformational and strategic thinking.

I support and guide multiple layers of order; at the same time, I believe in the complete holistic development of people, including their self-confidence, abilities, and goals. My team is well aware that they must present me with potential solutions or suggestions in addition to the problem; this encourages them to think out of the box, grow and be confident.

Drawing From Your Experience As A Successful Business Leader, What Would Your Advice Be To Young Women And Girls Who Also Aspire To Become Business Leaders And Entrepreneurs In The Future?

‘Be confident, have passion, never stop learning, and never settle’. I would tell my young self to embrace reality and to live in the now. When we focus on the future rather than enjoying the present and appreciating our own development, we occasionally lose track of time. We miss out the beautiful aspects of ourselves this way. So be more present.

Read as much as you can and learn to negotiate. If you find something you love or are interested in, pursue it. You never know what you'll like until you try. Like I always tell everyone near and dear, ‘’If you thought about it once, that means it already does exist in your reality, now the journey is to explore that potential”.

Riya Margaret Zacharia, Director Of Strategy & Performance Improvement Secure Engineering LLC.

Riya has been with Secure Engineering for over 12 years. In her current role as the Director of Strategy & Performance Improvement she manages five major segments: Strategy & Performance Improvement, Corporate Communications, Quality Environment Health & Safety, Customer Relationship Management, and MIS Management Information System.