He started his professional career with SAP practice in Bangladesh’s market. SAP is a German multinational software corporation and Mr. Muiz made his way up to making himself the Associate Vice President at Ernst & Young in just three years.
He started out by conducting the “SAP Practice” model in markets at Ernst & Young, and abruptly moved up the ranks to become accountable for all businesses looked after by Ernst and Young in Bangladesh at present.
Ernst & Young (doing business as EY) is a multinational professional services firm headquartered in London, England, United Kingdom. EY is one of the largest professional services firms in the world. Over the recent years, as a firm, EY has shifted its historical business focus from traditional audit profile towards consulting.
Mr. Muiz holds the drive for cultivating value-addition to business development and the infrastructure sectors of the state through his on-going and future business decisional prospects.
Read on as he makes you rethink orthodox business roles.
1. How did you start your professional career?
My professional career started at an organization that was working for implementing SAP practice in Bangladesh, SAP is a German-based multi-national company that establishes corporation software for customer relations & business-operation management. I worked there as a Technical Analyst and Solutions Consultant. I was also involved in significant government projects; such as NBR VAT online project (IVAS) and acted as a holistic observer of SAP market practices.
I joined my leveraging venture Ernst & Young (EY) LLP back in 2016. EY is a multinational professional services rendering company focusing on innovation of work-place environment. I moved up to my current job position after being promoted to the Associate Vice President (AVP) position at EY (Ernst & Young) during 2018.
2. Did you have a mind-map for you entire career?
The challenges I faced in my formative years of school & college had impacted my career mapping. It is through incorporations into clubs that I learned how to diminish the communication gap and developed a sense of responsibility. I was president of the Notre Dame College science club while I was a student there. Thereby I acquired significant coordination and management skills that helped me understand end-to-end management better later in my career.
From such interactions, I not only acquired skills but also identified areas in need of improvement; for instance, the difference in speech & communication style of seniors and formal handling of procedures. All this spurred me to understand the significance of creating an impression and building an image that persisted. I didn’t have a mind map, from the very beginning. But I won’t deny that I didn’t think ahead.
Despite my father being the Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of TITAS GAS, and my mother a homemaker, I pursued a different route. I chose the private sector because the concept of creating a brand value excited me.
My involvement in the private sector doesn’t necessarily communicate my disinterest to state affairs. On the contrary, I do believe that I can play my role in state affairs from my respective position and my future plans already incorporate such measures.
3. How was your approach towards individuals you admired upon meeting them for professional purposes?
I had the privilege of meeting Ministers and Corporate Heads whom I had only seen on TV Screens and other forms of media before. Early on, when I interacted with them or presented ideas, I used to be ‘ready to impress’, I still am, but things have gotten a little easier now.
Knowledge gathering, problem finding & message delivery are keys to depict readiness. It’s also decisive to present the idea to the receiving end.
4. Who acted as a role model for your stellar career?
In many ways, my father acted as the building block of my career. Albeit I didn’t follow his footprint, his values are infused within me. I am still in awe of his work-life balancing capabilities. This induced me to add value in every phase of my life, be it a career, relationships or duties towards the country.
5. As a global practitioner of the private sector, how would you view the service sector of Bangladesh?
From my vantage point, the lethargic service sector can only be revved up by getting rid of certain malpractices.
Individual ownership, structured deliveries and an end to undue intervention are few things that can save the private sector.
“The clients need to know what they want, the requirements need to be fixed and the budgets need to be decided once the requirements have been fixed, not the other way around”
6. Could you please break down a few business acronyms (jargons) you use every day for us?
Well, I would love to!
Here are a few acronyms we love to use around the office.
Starting off with,
ROI – Return on Investment. In simple terms, nobody wants to invest money with zero return, the higher the rate of return, the more feasible it is to invest in a certain project.
RFP – Request for Proposal, conditioned as asking for permission before collaborating into a million-dollar contract.
EOI – Expression of Interest is the corporate way of luring in investors prior to the tender.
The expression of interest is shown by potential investors once firms issue a request for proposal in the market.
TOR – Terms of Reference, is a rigid set of conditions designed not to let the interested client/investor slip away due to availability of loftier ventures!
7. What motivated you to do what you have done for yourself so far?
I faced pressure on the surface from a very young age which stemmed from the urge of being financially independent. My family, though well-off, conditioned me to be economically self-sufficient. Thus, I pursued other activities aside from my academics partly because of my certain expectations of lifestyle, added in by the perks of being popular amongst peers and friends. But jokes apart, the utmost joy that derived from my financial sufficiency was the ability to do something for my parents. The delight I felt while gifting family members with tokens of appreciation seemed priceless.
I also felt the recurring urge to give back to my parents, country and society by becoming a source of value addition.
8. Being the foresighted persona you are, where do you see yourself in next 5 years?
As the readers know how fast-paced the business domain is, I aspire to provide business solutions to unpredictable challenges in the market-place. Thus, my goal is to evolve as a business solution leader for deciphering biz concerns for modern business leaders.
9. How is your organization living off the Global Standard of business environment?
I would say Ernst & Young is a name that portrays enhanced business and workplace environment.
EY is translating their Global Standards into fruition through the assurance of reshaped growth and risk management. EY believes in strengthening safe-guarded business environment through reshaping, reinventing and reimagining. EY would ultimately build systems and cycles that would regenerate the growth of global communities & businesses alike.
10. What if your definition of ‘being prestigious’?
I cherish an optimistic attitude, honesty and authenticity as catalysts to developing excellence. I myself treasure these values and thus believe in leaving behind such imprints wherever I go.
Accordingly, I hope The Prestige would influence the readers in a manner that would impel them to add value to wherever their heart resonates, be it, family, society, career, country or planet.
