Full Name: Mariam Abdullahi
Position: Telecommunications industry lead, SAP Africa
Main Activity of the Company: Enterprise software solutions
Date and Place of Birth: May 18, Nairobi, Kenya
Education: Computer science and business studies, Brunel University, UK
First Job: Delivering newspapers to homes and businesses
Career History Prior to Current Position: I started off my career in the services industry, outsourcing information technology services to Ford Motor Company and its affiliates (Landrover, Jaguar, Aston Martin and later Volvo) in Europe. I also had a year in an Internet start-up in the UK before moving to the Dubai, where I joined Brightpoint, a company that specialised in the distribution of wireless devices and providing customised supply chain services for the wireless industry, as head of Africa business development. I then joined Zain, a Middle East and Africa telecommunications service provider that operated in 23 countries, as head of group customer operations. When Zain sold its Africa operations, I did consulting work with Du, of Dubai, before moving to Africa to join Microsoft and, recently, SAP
Size of First Pay Packet: £5 – paid in cash every week in a little envelop
First Job with Present Group: Africa telecommunications industry lead
Value of Assets under Your Control: Not stated
Number of People under Your Leadership: I am part of the SAP Africa leadership team, which leads a region of 600 employees across the continent
Management Style: Democratic, strategic and transformational
Personal Best Achievement: Helping my seven brothers and sisters graduate
Professional Best Achievement: Choosing the tech industry
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My mother
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Mike Darby, my first boss in the tech industry
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Rwandan President Paul Kagame
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Indra Nooyi, chairperson and CEO of PepsiCo; Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments and current chairperson of the board of directors of DreamWorks Animation
Philosophy of Life: Work hard, always be humble and be open to learning
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Living and working across many regions and cultures – Europe, the US, the Middle East, Asia and finally relocating back to Africa at such a critical and disruptive time
Biggest Ever Disappointment: None
Hope for the Future: That Africa takes its rightful position in the world economy
Favourite Reading: The Greatness Guide, by Robin Sharma
Favourite TV Programme: Scandal . . . actually, anything by Shonda Rhimes
Favourite Food/Drink: Water . . . okay, I lie, but I need to drink more water
Favourite Music: I have extremely varied music tastes
Favourite Sport: Walking . . . that is a sport, right?
Favourite Website: https://www.linkedin.com
Hobbies: Pretending to cook, walking, buying far more books than I actually read and spending quality time with family and friends
Car: Hint hint: ‘Das Auto’
Pets: None
Miscellaneous Dislikes: Inauthenticity, disrespect and arrogance
Favourite other South African Company: The one that invented Appletiser
Favourite Foreign Company: How can I choose one when SAP serves and exposes me to practically every industry and every company on the planet?
Married: Not yet
Children: Not yet
Clubs: Tipwa Tipwa – an exercise and running club in Nairobi