A talisman in the industries he has ventured into, Ahamed is the managing director of LuLu Financial Group, Tablez and Twenty14 Holdings.

Under his leadership, LuLu Financial Group has grown to encompass a network of more than 235 branches in 11 countries. These, along with the company’s proprietary digital solutions, serve nearly 10 million customers across the GCC, Indian subcontinent and APAC markets. The holding company’s investments manage more than $10 billion worth of transactions a year.

The financial future

For Ahamed, the financial services industry has been one of the best playgrounds for innovation over the past few decades. “From paper trails to the more contemporary shift towards technology-led systems, the sector works on a tight leash of regulation,” he explains, adding, “This requires it to adapt and adopt faster than others.”

While he says most of these changes have been invisible to the consumer, primarily taking place at the back-end, global digital transformation is bringing tech-driven innovation to the fore. “Suddenly, the many pain points along the user journey have the potential to be a business unto itself.

“Fintech players and even traditional incumbents are focusing on the user experience aspect of the business, and this is giving rise to numerous possibilities, each of which are being tested and rolled out faster than ever before. The want for innovation is 100 times higher than previous decades, and I predict that the disruptive element will come from the change in mind set of companies, to build products and improvise existing processes keeping the consumer’s minutest of needs at the heart of all things new.”

No regrets

Reflecting on his professional journey, Ahamed says it’s hard to single out one particular mentor. “I’ve been fortunate to have had various people shape different stages of my life, right from my father to the many leaders under whom I worked early in my career, as well as my father-in-law, who has had a profound impact on me.”

Asked what he might do if he had the chance to turn back time and be 18 again, Ahamed says, “I would want my 18-year-old self to walk the same path, learning from the choices in front, whether right or wrong, and growing one step at a time. Each individual goes through a distinct life journey, and I have come to realise that the spontaneity of life has helped me dictate the pace of my learning curve rather than the other way around.”

Adeeb Ahamed on… his philosophy of keeping an open mind to life

“The world is full of possibilities, and to be restricted in thought would only deprive me of the joy that comes from the many small successes along the way and the learnings from the failures.”