I am motivated by challenges… Coming from Dr Baby Sam Saamuel, it is clear that that is a rule which he follows to the letter than an exception that he relies on to find a groove. He is equally motivated by action and purpose and has his business sensors honed to focus on projects where he can make a difference.
Acting as the General Manager of the IT solutions firm InterTech LLC, in addition to his roles as Business Consultant and Business Mentor, he has mastered the art of engaging in different projects in various capacities. As he explains, “I act as a business consultant offering an external eye and approach in Turnaround Management, Strategic Consultancy and Business Mentoring and have had diverse opportunities in this arena across domains like IT, design, services, etc. This is especially relevant for small start-ups.”
A student of management, he maintains that he began his career like any other fresh management graduate. However, in 2009 he got an opportunity to test his mettle as a Turnaround Consultant, and there was no turning back. He describes Turnaround Management as an arena within management where the aim of bringing around sustainable growth, productivity and profitability is both a worthy objective and a unique obstacle.
It is this appetite for management and the passion to excel that has seen him successfully donning multiple caps. He is the Chairman, Board of Directors of Indian Schools in Oman; Director of Knowledge Oman (KO); President of ‘Anjappam Charitable Trust’, a social enterprise organisation functional in India; and Business Designer and Organization Mentor for the publishing house Trifoil Advertising, among others.
His work with educational organisations provides him with the space to address challenges in basic education, higher education and entrepreneurship at the grassroots level while engaging with other stakeholders, such as parents, faculty, entrepreneurs etc.
But something that he classifies as his calling is social empowerment. Highlighting his role at KO and Indian Schools, he says, “A major emphasis of my work as a business mentor is in supporting and promoting small enterprises, particularly those with potential for community impact, such as social enterprises. One such example is Anjappam, an economy restaurant where food is served free or at low cost to the needy.”
A researcher, an academic and motivational speaker, Dr Baby Sam, who lives in Oman with his wife, a regulatory executive in a pharmaceutical organisation, and their two children (a son aged 13 and a 6-year-old daughter), is keen to explore his passion for helping as many people as possible to realise and actualise their true potential. “I believe in the unlimited impact of a determined self-aware and self-actualised person. In whatever small ways I can, I would like to try to wake the need for self-actualisation and self-fulfilment that is lying dormant within people,” he adds.
On the business front, his immediate plans are to continue to focus on all the projects that he is currently a part of. “While the specific vision for each entity may vary, the overall goal is to grow and expand sustainably and establish each as the best in its field,” notes Dr. Baby Sam, a winner of the 2015 Golden Achievement Award for Business Consulting Services.
Additionally, he is keen to promote and establish social enterprises in Oman and in the region. In a few years time, he hopes to see a significantly altered social enterprise scene in Oman; one that will build a lasting community that works with each other, for the greater good of all.
The home I grew up in… Is in a small village in Kerala, India.
When I was a child I wanted to… Be a civil service servant like the famous movie characters of that era.
The moment that changed me forever… That moment in 2009 when I first began to realise my true passion and calling for transformative actions in business and society.
My greatest inspiration… Some special needs children I know – so innocently happy, thriving and content in life and their support network/care workers – who give so much and so effortlessly.
My hero… A mix of Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and Bobby Jose Kattikadu.
If I could change one thing about myself… Many things: like devote more time for health, or say ‘no’ more often. But I am a constant work in progress.
I dream of… More peace. More empathy. More human connections.
What I see when I look in the mirror… Hopefully, someone who is older and wiser than yesterday.
It’s not fashionable but I like… In-person talks rather than WhatsApp chats.
My greatest regret… Not reading more.
You may not know it but I’m no good at… Small talk. I am actually a very private, introverted person and small talk does not come easily for me.
You may not know it but I’m very good at… Counselling.
If I have time to myself… I would like to catch up on a very long reading list.
My house is… My haven. It is my fortress where I regain my thoughts, peace and energy for the next day.
My favourite haunt/holiday destination… I am a homebody and would like nothing better than to relax at home for a staycation.
I will not leave my house without… A to-do list, my phone and my wallet.
Things I like about Oman… The serenity; the political neutrality; the openness; the open spaces and order; and the relatively untouched beauty of the landscape and the people.
A book that changed me… Many, at different points in time, age and place.
On top of my wish/bucket list is… Spend time as a field service volunteer.
My success mantra is… Dream Big! Focus on the next step. And just get moving.
In 10 years’ time, I hope to be… Completely detached from existential chaos and be fully involved with society.