WINNER | Hassan Nasir
INTRIGUE PUTS HASSAN ON HIS ENGINEERING JOURNEY
Intrigue about an electrical device that halted home power cuts in his native Pakistan set new Sainsbury Management Fellow Hassan Nasir on his way towards a career in engineering, enterprise and leadership.
Hassan, 28, is one of the latest awardees of a Sainsbury Management Fellows’ Scholarship as he studies towards an MBA at INSEAD in Paris.
He said: “I feel like I’ve always had that entrepreneurial spirit. It goes right back to when I was 14 when I created a platform to connect tutors with students. There were lots of challenges to overcome and I made lots of mistakes but learnt early on that I wanted to be innovative.
“I got into engineering to solve problems society was facing. The fact we had lots of load shedding problems – essentially lots of power cuts – in Pakistan had a lot to do with it. Unless you were very wealthy, you would be without power for eight or nine hours a day.
“My mum bought a universal power supply which was the biggest game changer. And because I wasn’t allowed to go near it, I became intrigued. I wanted to understand more about it and how it all worked. So, when the opportunity came up to go abroad and study, I jumped at the chance and with my grandfather being an engineer too, engineering was an easy choice to make.”
Progressing towards a leadership position was always on Hassan’s career journey map.
He added: “My broader career aspiration is to lead and shape the strategic direction of technology companies, either as a product leader or in entrepreneurial ventures of my own. Irrespective of my engineering background, an MBA was always in my eyesight.
“Innovation gets me excited. I’ll always be an engineer, but product managers are like CEOs of their own product – you are responsible for all the things that surround it.
“Whichever direction my career goes in, I’m confident I’ll always be connected to engineering. I want to grow as a leader and created something that adds value to people’s lives, ideally in the EdTech or MedTech space.
“I want to be the best version of myself. I love the people side of things, so whatever I do, I want to be a collaborative leader.”
And while he knows an MBA will give him the skills and knowledge to succeed, Hassan is also looking forward to being part of a strong, collaborative network and having opportunities to give back through being part of the SMF.
He said: “I have very high hopes of the network. This network will be instrumental in helping me achieve my future goals. It will allow me to connect with like-minded individuals who are further ahead on a similar career journey. The interactions will provide valuable insights, guidance and mentorship, allowing me to navigate the complexities of my career path.
“Throughout my career I have looked for opportunities to support the next generation of engineers, whether it’s through workshops for children in robotics or volunteering with James Dyson Foundation at schools in the UK. I hope to continue doing so through the initiatives set out by the SMF.
“I’m very excited about giving back. It’s very rewarding.”
Find out more about the Sainsbury Management Fellows’ Scholarship.