GIT CEO shares his secrets to success
January 4, 2019
German Imaging Technology’s (GIT) CEO, Dr Sassan Khatib-Shahidi, has been explaining how his business burgeoned into the successful establishment it is today.
In an in-depth interview with Game Changers, Dr Khatib-Shahidi described himself as a “normal person” and an entrepreneur, explaining that entrepreneurs tend to take more risks and adding that there is “a huge mindset difference” between being employed and self-employed.
Asked why he came to Dubai in the first place, the CEO revealed that the city had “a good vibe” as well as being “so vibrant”. He first came to the city in 1996 when he was still working as an attorney and said that something impressed him on that initial visit, leading to Dubai being his first choice as a place to start ups GIT.
At the time of the business’s inception, Khatib-Shahidi explained, remanufacturing was unheard of in that part of the world, which meant his business initially was not even able to be registered in the category – for the category itself did not exist.
As the interview progressed, Dr Khatib-Shahidi gave Game Changers a tour of the GIT factory, “where the magic happens”, and revealed both the remanufacturing side and the relatively new line of business the company has entered – the refurbishment of printers and copiers – explaining how serious GIT takes its circular economy principles.
Game Changers was also given a behind-the-scenes look at the GIT office, where Dr Khatib-Shahidi revealed the company’s award nominations and accolades.
During the interview, the CEO shared many of the secrets to his success, including how the business slowly grew, despite not being profitable in the beginning, and how they now use data and other “economic factors” to determine which markets to exploit.
GIT CEO Sassan Dieter Khatib Shahidi (Credit: Jeffrey E. Biteng)
When starting or developing a business, he advises seeking advice from the right sources, a practice he still follows to this day as GIT takes on an international presence.
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the company, as Dr Khatib-Shahidi explains in the video, but GIT has burgeoned to become one of the top 15 SMEs in Dubai and has also found a foothold in Africa, as the CEO described.
When asked about his plans for the future and if he has a successor waiting in the wings, the CEO explained that he now has a “very capable” deputy CEO whom he hopes will want to take on the role.
Questioned about the happiest moment in his life, Dr Khatib-Shahidi said that there “so many” and describes himself as blessed for having come so far, adding that he “believes in the power of now”. Among his happiest moments was his law graduation in Germany, as well as special family events, while more recently he had a “happiness outburst” in terms of business, when GIT recorded sales of 800,000 in a single day – their highest ever sales rate on a single day.
Asked how he defines success in business, the CEO said it is “easy to define” and includes setting yourself goals and achieving them; as for success in life, peace of mind is important, with Khatib-Shahidi saying “it doesn’t matter where you are – but you have to be at peace with yourself.”
Categories : Around the Industry
Tags : Business Dubai Game Changers GIT Growth Remanufacturing Success
