Akzo Nobel Pakistan Limited

Inside ANPL
Employee Newsletter
Q3, 2014

Inside ANPL, Q3 2014

Contents
FEATURES

04

07

13

14
18

CURRENT ISSUE OF Q3, 2014

Editors Note
Business Update
Running Around the World 2014
What's the buzz at ANPL
Safety Day 2014
What's Happening
Food for Thought
Personal Front

2
3
5
9
12
14
16
18

THE INSIDE ANPL TEAM

Editor-in-Chief
Alena S. Amir
Design & Art Direction
Kashif Ashraf

EDITORS NOTE

Content Direction
Alena S. Amir

Dear Readers,

Publisher
Corporate Communications Office
AkzoNobel Pakistan
346, Ferozepur Road Lahore 54600

Once again, we find ourselves at the close of an eventful year and

the eve of a promising one. With year-end assessments looming,
it's a time for reflection here at ANPL. Whether we dread or anticipate it, this is infact a perfect time for us to set our intentions and
focus on what we want rather than what we do not.
You may agree that everything is accelerating; days merging into
weeks, months into years and at times, the polarity of disasters are
what we call miracles.
But this too, can and will pass.
We can, now, before the new year, fine tune what is happening in our lives, break the shackles
of conditionings and find a truth that strikes true for ourselves so that we may continue to
achieve what we already can; and then do much more! I am sure that no matter who we are in
the company, we can all look back at the good and the not-so-good days and see that the real
miracle lies in what we do, day in and day out; one day at a time.
I'd like to thank the communication reps for their timely contribution to the newsletter. It is by
their effort that we can for a moment, put away our not-so-good days and bask in the wholesome warmth of those wonderfully good ones.
Wishing you an enjoyable read.

COMMUNICATION REPS
The communication reps for each
department are as below:
Usman Hafaz
Deco
Arham Arshaq
Specialty Chemicals
Fatima Asghar
Finance
Furqan Najeeb
Supply Chain
Imran Shad
HSE
Khawaja Hammad Inayat
R&D

Best Regards,

Mashud Khan
Operations
Rabia Batool
Performance Coatings

Alena S Amir
Manager, Corporate Communications

Saira Soofi
Legal

Cover Photo Crystalline

A bright green conglomerate
glows defiantly warm and bright
inside a sharp and cold crystal
rock in what appears to be a
scattered winter landscape.
Be sure to glow bright and
keep warm this winter!

Inside ANPL, Q3 2014

Business Updates

Launch of ICI Hi Gloss Enamel

In order to increase market share in the non-premium enamel market, the decorative business
launched affordable superior quality enamel, ICI
Hi-Gloss Enamel in July.
The product has been launched to target enamel
users in mass market and to compete with all
available local brands in the non-premium solvent
based market. With the launch of ICI Hi Gloss

Enamel, ANPL expects to increase its market

share in the non-premium solvent based market.
On its launch, the decorative business carried out
in store branding at all targeted dealer counters
nationally by putting up posters and buntings.
The product has received positive response in the
short period since its launch.

ICI Dulux Media campuaign

With the start of the traditional painting period,
the decorative business has initiated its media
campaign to increase brand awareness for ICI
Dulux and subsequently help in strengthening our
position as market leaders and colour authority
in Pakistan.
The current campaign will build up on our
previous campaign Make a Colourful Start
and will be more product specific, focusing on
promoting our premium interior emulsion ICI Dulux
Pentalite Classic.

To help build up hype, the campaign has initially

been launched in three metropolitan cities of
Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, where billboards
have been put up at high traffic areas from
20th September.
The business expects that such a comprehensive campaign will not only help in increasing the
Top of Mind for ICI Dulux, it will also strengthen
the position of ICI Dulux Pentalite Classic as the
first choice premium interior emulsion for our
target audience.

New generators installed on

site in Lahore
For all the automotive technology enthusiasts,
the sites new diesel generators are a site to
behold. Delivering a net power output of 1,000
kilowatts, these twin turbo charged V-12 engines
are state of the art machines manufactured by
the largest engine manufacturer globally; MAN by
Volkswagen. But the true beauty of these engines
lie in their fuel efficiency compared to competing
brands, making power generation cheaper.
The two engines form a set of generators
which are governed by a state of the art control

system which intelligently manages the load

on the engines thus resulting in optimum
fuel consumption.
Previously our site was powered by a single
1000 KW engine in case of grid supply failure.
The changeover of supply from and to generator
was all manually executed; the new system is
completely automated requiring no human intervention. The new system is anticipated to accrue
significant savings in fuel costs owing to its intelligent operation.Installation and commissioning of

these generators was carried out in a very short

span of 4 days, the project team worked all 24
hours to ensure project delivery in this duration.
Over and above this the project team put in place
interim arrangements to provide power to critical
load areas while the project was being executed.
Project execution was completed with Zero safety
observations which is the greatest success of
the project team considering the high hazards
involved in the works. Hats off to the project team
for a job brilliantly done!

Ferrazone
This Iron Works.

Creating a healthier Pakistan

One should always strive to live a healthy life, free
of physical and mental ailments as was also
reiterated on our Safety Day in September 2014.
Getting sick or ill is certainly not an easy thing to
endure, as it affects our personal life as well as
our professional life, and a hospital bed is the last
place any person would want to find themselves
in. However, knowing that you are being treated
with medicines that were manufactured using
raw material provided by AkzoNobel Specialty
Chemicals, you can be sure that you are in
safe hands.
Unbeknownst to the AkzoNobel Pakistan family,
a major chunk of our upstream volumes is also
attributed to our Pharmaceutical business.
Currently, our business with the Pharmaceutical
industry comprises of three segments:
(1) Salt Specialties,
(2) Performance Additives, and
(3) Chelates.

Sanal-P which is AkzoNobels brand of pharmaceutical grade of sodium chloride, more

commonly known as table salt is offered
to manufacturer of intravenous (IV) solutions.
Moreover, we are the leaders in the market
for sodium chloride for IV application having
achieved growth in our business with major
customers, and developing business with new
entrants in the industry. No doubt, it is on the
sole basis of our superior product quality and
high product purity, that we have a huge chunk
in the market.
Ferrazone is our brand name for Sodium
Feredetate an iron compound used for the
treatment of iron-deficiency anemia and is
locally sold to manufacturers of iron supplements
(syrups and tablets). In fact, our brand of Ferric
Sodium EDTA is universally accepted as the
preferred iron fortificant to treat iron-deficiency
anemia, with no side-effects and only benefits.

Akucell is AkzoNobels trademark for foodgrade cellulose gums Sodium Carboxy Methyl
Cellulose, to be precise. Akucell is sold in Pakistan
for the purpose of binding and compression
of medicinal tablets. The superior thickening &
stabilizing function of our cellulose gum, along
with superior moisture retention, indeed make
Akucell the optimal choice for our customers in
the Pharmaceutical industry.
AkzoNobel has a diverse product portfolio
for the Pharmaceutical industry. In fact, our
Pharmaceutical product range also extends to
our Polymer Chemicals BU however, presently we are just touching the tip of the iceberg,
and have a long journey to go. Expanding our
local portfolio to the Pharmaceutical industry in
Pakistan will indeed help AkzoNobel Pakistan do
its part to create a healthier Pakistan.

Inside ANPL, Q3 2014

What's Happening
ANPLs 10th Audit Committee Meeting
and 16th Board Meeting

myCareer P&DD
Mid-Year Review

The 10th Audit Committee Meeting was held on August 27, 2014 at ANPL Lahore office. Some
members attended the meeting via telecom. Matters related to Accounts, controls and Internal
Audit were discussed in the meeting.

myCareer P&DD Mid-Year Refresher sessions

were held in Lahore. The North & south region
were covered through webex. The aim was
to refresh the understanding and usage of the
online P&DD system and help answer queries for
first timers.

The 16th Board of Directors meeting was also held on the same day at ANPL Lahore office. It
was attended by all the local directors of the company, including the Company Secretary, and by
the foreign directors via telecom except for Mr. Peter Tomlinson, who was given leave of absence.
The Chairman of the Board extended a warm welcome to Mr. Michiel Franse for coming on the
Board of ANPL as a member filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. James Thick,
the previous director of ANPL.

MyCareer P&DD Mid-Year Review was successfully carried out across the company. myCareer
Talent & Succession tool rolled out to people
managers with instruction material and guidelines.

Various matters were discussed in the meeting including approval of accounts of financial statements
and Directors Report for the quarter ended June 30, 2014.

Interim Financial Results

published of H1, 2014
The interim results of half year ended June 30,
2014 of ANPL were published. The interim report
includes financial as well as other information
as required by Companies Law, International
Financial Reporting Standards, and Code of
Corporate Governance.

Quick updates

HFM Project Update

HFM Project was postponed by the Global team and
go live date is now 1st November 2014. First parallel
run for August has been successfully completed in
September while the 2nd parallel run is planned for
September closing.

Job Descriptions was completed for all

permanent employees working at Akzo
Nobel Pakistan Limited in the month of
August 2014.

Employee engagement activities during the

month included a mango party by the canalside for all non-management staff to cool off
in the summer heat.

2013 WPPF payment released on time

High score achieved in Giarte Global IT

Satisfaction Survey. ANPL achieved a score
of 8.36 which was higher than the overall
average (7.33) of all AkzoNobel sites

Star performer again! (in BU A&AC reporting)

ANPL was once again awarded the STAR Performer title by BU A&AC (Automotive and
Aerospace Coatings) for May 2013 financial reporting. This award was only given to 2 countries
out of 28 and Pakistan was one of them. The criteria of this award include fulfilling all reporting
requirements ahead of schedule. Jawairia Hashmi, Zaid Khan and Waqas Shahzada were
instrumental in the achievement of this award.

Fresh air point provision at

packing area

ViewPoint Employee Engagement Survey

Packing activities performed in the single tank

filling area were observed to be less than ideal
due to lack of a fresh air point. This was contributing to fatigue, dehydration especially in harsh
weather and resulted in output inefficiency. An
available fresh air ducting unit capacity evaluation
was performed and a fresh air point was provided
from the old unit that had the available margin.

ViewPoint Employee Engagement Survey was

held from September 1-19 this year. To make the
survey even more meaningful, the AkzoNobelspecific questions in the survey are aligned with

The campaign reflected the AkzNobel belief

that all our employees should have a sense of
purpose and a degree of autonomy whilst
feeling connected, competent and completely

the new core principles and the new Values &

Behaviors. These changes have been made
to help us better align our personal and team
objectives with the companys strategic goals
and key priorities.

safe in their workplace.

The initial results showed a 91% participation
achieved in ViewPoint Survey (95% adjusted
for leavers).The detailed results of the ViewPoint
survey are due in November.

Bright stars in Protective Coatings baskets

The Protective Coatings team was successful
in securing a project, worth Rs. 7.8 million, in
Q3 14, for Chashma Sugar Mills. This project
centered on our High Build Epoxies and PU
Finishes System is tailored to match the specific
functional and aesthetic requirements of the
Sugar Tank Linings.
Our innovative coating solutions along with our
strong technical support proved vital in securing
this project. The project will provide significant
value to the business as they mature.
The Protective Coatings team was successful
in bringing another remarkable project worth Rs
2.5 million in Q2, 2014. International and local
coating systems tailored to match functional and

aesthetic requirements were recommended for

up-gradation of the Attock Refinery Limited. In
addition to this an order for around 1,600 liters
was secured from Pearl engineering for coating of
Pakistan State oil (PSO) tanks at Port Qasim, this
included local range of Red Oxide Zinc Phosphate
Primer and Camouflage Enamel, Epoxy Zinc
Phosphate Primer and Hi Build Epoxy Finishes.
The team also added a third success with
an order from Fabcon Design Company for
industrial coatings system for steel structures
of bridge package 16 ring road DHA phase
V. The order included local range of products
such as Epoxy Zinc Phosphate Primers and
Polyurethane Finishes.

Corporate SMS Portal updated

Cellular contact numbers for all employees in
the company were updated on the corporate
SMS portal.
Regular updates for events and activities are
sent through the SMS portal. If you are not

receiving these sms updates, you can share

your primary cellphone number and emergency contact number with Shahbaz Nawaz,
Admin and Security Manager. Please write to
shahbaz.nawaz@akzonobel.com

Inside ANPL, Q3 2014

ANPL takes leaps and bounds in

the run to the moon!
After its phenomenal success in 2013, Running
Around the World took on the challenge this year
to run all the way to the moon. With 384,000 kilometers to cover, RATWs Earth to Moon challenge
set a high bar indeed.
Taking in suggestions from participants from
around the world, RATW included a host of
different sports and activities that contributed to
the distance.
112 of the 4840 participants were from Pakistan
- placing Pakistan at 10th position in terms of
participants per country (based on total employees
per country).
Our top ten athletes engaged in healthy competition and a score sheet shared each week certainly
helped provide the motivation.
Despite heavy rain in the first two weeks of the
month, participants continued their activities and
steadily rose to end the month at 14th position out
of 52 competing countries.
Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad competed independently as active sites and Lahore took down
an impressive 10th place out of 852 participating sites.

Seeing the enthusiasm, healthy snacks were

distributed to employees to further encourage
the activity. Participants also got a special RATW
calendar to record their entries.
A 250m running track was utilized by colleagues
for walking or running after working hours and the
track was also used to hold refreshing team meetings. Appreciated highly on OneWeb and Yammer
amidst fellow athletes; ANPL won the award for
most Creative Event. Congratulations and thank
you to all participants! Here are the top ten athletes
from ANPL:

Top Countries,
Participating Atheletes

10th

Top Athlete
Pakistan
Global Ranking

Top Locations,
Participating Atheletes

Creativity Award
Best Event

10th

Lahore Site
Running Track Event

Our colleague in Karachi, Iqbal Ahmed

wowed us all by finishing RATW at 15th
place globally out of 4850 participants.
He entered a total of 521 kilometers by
swimming, squash, running and cycling!
We got in touch with Iqbal to find
out what makes him tick and all
about the games he plays.

A word from the star athlete:

"Initially, there was no concept of keeping fit in
my family, but that all changed when my father
underwent Angiography (stunts were applied to
2 valves in his heart) and afterwards the doctor
specifically told him and the family that to stay
healthy my father should be physically fit and he
could achieve this by walking on a daily basis. I
was naturally inclined towards sports from the
beginning and I urged my father to walk with
me, and I'm very happy to say that its been
almost 2 years now that together we both go for
a regular walk in day, and whenever we have the
time during the day.
During the course of time, I have been involved in
playing some of the tough activities in the games
category like Basketball, Squash, and Swimming.
Over time while i was regularly walking on a daily
basis, a realization occurred to me.I realized that
this activity alone is not enough for my age and

My aim is to keep
myself and others
around me in the
family to be
healthy and fit.

if I have to prevent myself from illness I need to

start playing one of the other games.
Luckily, while walking one day, I saw a squash
court in a rotten condition in our vicinity (Malir

Cantonment) and with the help of some energetic players, we renovated the court and now its
habitual for us to play for at least 2 hours atleast
3 days in a week.
When I see that squash was been counted in the
activity as well, I shared it with my fellow players
and we all agreed to play squash on regular
basis for a month at least. This year I initially set
a target of doing at least managing the double
from last years i.e. 625kms during the month but
I only managed to achieve 521kms. I am already
setting my bar higher and hope that AkzoNobel
would take the RATW initiative next year so that
I may be able to beat my own distance the next
year. My aim is to keep myself and others around
me in the family to be healthy and fit. I thank you
AkzoNobel for arranging this Running Around the
World initiative and I look forward to beating my
own score next year.

Inside ANPL, Q3 2014

What's the buzz at ANPL

Here, there and everywhere in Q3, 2014

Recruiting Rahbars
Team for TCF Rahbar Program discussing the
enrolment of counsellors from ANPL

Orientation session for Rahbar Program

Volunteers from ANPL attend an orientation session for TCF Rahbar Program to learn more about
how they can help change lives of TCF students for the better

Walk and talk

No better way to unwind than a refreshing walk with friends at the end
of a long day's work

Furthering the relief efforts for IDPs

Commodore Akbar Naqi discussing the IDP
relief efforts with CE, Jehanzeb Khan

Loading rations
The generous contributions of employees being loaded and transported
for the welfare of IDPs in North Waziristan

Safety Day game

ANPL broke records on the Safety Day game
with four colleagues ending up in top ten

Eye exam - Safety Day 2014

Employees got their eye sight examined by an
optometrist for Safety Day

10

FLT Safe Driving Contest in full swing

Observers eagerly look on as the FLT parked at pit-stop is inspected thoroughly to demonstrate FLT safety knowledge

Bike safety session

An engaging session on bike safety took place at the plant which was informative and educational for all the staff participating

Farewell for Muddassir Khalid

Colleagues bid farewell to Muddassir Khalid as
he moves on to Dubai into a new role

Saying Goodbye to Mohsin R. Naqvi

Employees gathered to bid farewell to Mohsin as he
moves on to Dubai for his new role

Inside ANPL, Q3 2014

Safety Day 2014

Getting Around Safely
On September 17, AkzoNobel Pakistan celebrated
Safety Day along with all AkzoNobel sites globally.
This year, the aim of the Safety Day was to enhance
safety awareness of our employees on Driving Safety.
The day started with cascade sessions of the
safety presentation at different locations, both on
and off site. The presentation emphasized on the
core objective of Safety Day and the importance of
the five factors that contribute to driving safety. The
factors are: Distractions, Alcohol & Drugs, Fatigue,
Speed & Safety Belt, and Weather.

This year for the first time, customers representatives participated to enhance safety awareness.
Toyotas representative shared the good practices
on general inspection and maintenance of cars.
Meanwhile, Honda Atlass representative conducted
a highly interactive session with practical demonstrations on the topic of general inspection and
maintenance of motorbikes.
The day also included free eye testing by an optometrist at the plant site. Moreover, brainstorming
sessions were conducted in different work groups to
generate safety improvement ideas from shop floor
level. These sessions also covered pledge signing
activity & LSR quiz for the workers.
The highlight of the day was the FLT competition,
flamboyantly named as Tour de Plant. It comprised
of five diversified teams demonstrating the FLT safe
driving on a purpose built track on the plant site.
This track contained a number of check points.
These check points challenged the teams on routine
lifting activities, the HALO principle implementation
and routine maintenance inspections. This exciting

11

12

Become a better driver

Drive 4 Zero

Are you
driving on
the road for
AkzoNobel?
Yes

No

AkzoNobel City

AkzoNobel City

tries, our
ommitted
The Drive4Zero e-learning is mandatory for all
hnologies to
t-changing AkzoNobel drivers. Here's a map to help you see

if you require the training. You can also take the

e-learning and the awareness module by visiting
erve
Chemicalsthe myCareer Learning page today.

Yes

Are you sure?

Drive 4 Zero Road

Yes

You may follow

our Safe Driving
awareness e-module.

Follow our Safe Driving

Awareness e-module before
30 september 2014

No

Do you drive more than

10.000 km per year?

Become a better driver:

Drive4Zero Program

Did you know that almost every day one of us is

nd coatingsinvolved in a road traffic incident while driving for
ecialty
AkzoNobel? We are convinced that each of us
consumers
can become a better, safer driver. To support our
nd are
ble answersdrivers AkzoNobel developed a Safe Driving
es well- Program called Drive 4 Zero. It is developed
, Interna- to positively influence our drivers behavior and
terdam,
anked as significantly reduce the number of road traffic
nability. incidents towards our ambition of zero injuries.

No
Are you interested
in becoming a
better driver?

Yes

No

Follow our additional

set of e-learning
modules in 2015.

Do you drive more than

20.000 km per year?
Yes

No

oN

game not only provided awareness but also motivated the teams to follow the FLT safe driving
principles in future.
The Safety Days signature activity of pledge signing
was religiously observed by the ANPL employees. A
total of 117 pledges were submitted, which was the
highest amongst the region.
The day was concluded by the closing speech of
Operations Manager, Rizwan Afzal. He addressed
the Operations & Warehouse staff and reinforced the
importance of Safety. Though an eventful day, the
Safety Day helped the employees to understand the
importance of safe driving and reiterate our message
that nothing we do is worth getting hurt for.

Are you transporting

goods or personnel?
Yes
Follow our defensive
driving training in 2015.

Inside ANPL, Q3 2014

13

What's Happening
Dubai foreign scheme
This June Vehicle Refinishes for the first time took
its Top Sikkens customers to Dubai on a 5-day
Dealers Trip, accompanied by the NSM Vehicle
Refinishes. The group visited Atlantis Water Park,
Burj Khalifa, Desert Safari, and later a cruise
dinner. The purpose of this tour was to foster
existing relationships with the dealers, which
resulted in better communication and relationships between the business and its key dealers,
and also helped to maintain our market presence
and promote Sikkens with higher volumes.

OWC reduction by packrites

inventory control
A large quantity of packrites stored at the plant
was not only increasing the OWC but the excess
stock in the storage area was also contributing to
congestion; resulting in difficulty in movement.
To remedy this, the production team performed
an extensive activity by revisiting and changing the
minimum storage levels to an optimum amount
and controlling the ordering process especially by
the end of each month.
This resulted in a huge reduction of the packrites stock. Previously at more than 22 thousand
packrites at month end, this was reduced to 16.5
thousand with a total saving of Rs. 0.2 million
per month.
Not only did this exercise contribute to OWC
reduction but also made more space available in
the area for free and safe movement.

Painters iftar parties

Formal Iftar parties were held by the Vehicle
Refinishes team for their customers the painters
in 4 major cities of Pakistan, with the aim of
increasing customer engagement as well as
enhancing brand awareness. These parties were
able to provide an interactive platform for painters
to discuss their concerns and share their feedback with our technical and sales team.

MSD resin transfer area

shed provision

Vehicle Refinishes in
Soccer Fiesta

The MSD resin transfer area was an open area,

exposed to sunlight during most part of the day.
Workers suffered from fatigue and dehydration in
that area during summer season. A shed design
compliant to LDA requirements was approved
and installed resolving both issues that were
being faced.

Vehicle Refinishes teams got in the spirit of

the football fiesta and distributed world championship posters to the customer, dealers and
distributors, so that everyone can be updated
and can enjoy the game. Most important is that
we were the first ones to hand over the poster to
our customers!

Weight scale printer for

record keeping

At filling, due to manual weight adjustment

mechanisms, operators are trained to conduct
weight checking of the filled gallons at least three
times during a single filling activity. In case of
any customer complaint regarding weight variation, there exists no record whether the operator
followed the procedure or not.
It is agreed to install 02 non zone classified printers
with existing fixed weight scales at filling hall so
that the operator could record his activity of
weight verification.
The advantages of this was the significant reduction in complaints regarding weight variation and
thereby improving customer trust.
Also, this provides a record for investigation if ever
necessary and overall, the loss and gain accuracy
will also improve with this system.

14

Uplifting through colors

Performance Coatings team was provided with
a colorful tool to further uplift business. The
shade card will hopefully bring colors more
into discussion with industrial customers. The
shade card includes different local ranges and
most popular colors from the market much to
the customers appreciation.

ANPL relief efforts for IDPs

This Ramadan, employees from AkzoNobel
Pakistan contributed generously to gather
rations, water and medicine for the welfare of
flood affected civilians in North Waziristan.
Thousands of locals were displaced this year due
to the ongoing Zarb-e-Azb operation.
The collection was done in collaboration with the
Pakistan Navy. Commodore Akbar Naqi visited
the ANPL office to collect the goods at the end of
the month. He was very grateful to the employees
for showing such generosity and remembering
the less fortunate at Eid when thousands did not
have access to food and clean drinking water.
Overwhelmingly, ANPL colleagues collected
a six figure sum in just 10 days in addition to
rations and goods. AkzoNobel Pakistan contributed PKR 50,000 in addition to the contribution
collected and the money was used to buy additional rations and goods.
The success of this activity is a tribute to the philanthropic spirit of our colleagues.Thank you to all
those who contributed.

STAR of Q1, 2014

The STAR of the Quarter for the first quarter
was held. The panel of nominees presented a
tough and varied range of projects and people for
consideration. Additionally, this STAR award was
judged on the criteria for Value Awards based
on the new values and behaviours.Abaidullah
Muzzaffar was selected as the STAR of the
Quarter. Well done Abaidullah!

Inside ANPL, Q3 2014

15

Food for Thought

Ten things to stop doing right now
Shared by Habib Ahmed
Blaming

People make mistakes. Employees

don't meet your expectations.
Ve n d o r s d o n ' t d e l i v e r o n t i m e .
Taking responsibility when things go
wrong instead of blaming others, it's
empowering--because then you focus
on doing things better or smarter next
time; which will make you happier.

Habib Ahmed,
Manager Accounts
shares the wisdom...

No one likes you for your clothes, your car, your possessions,
your title, or your accomplishments. Those are all "things.
Genuine relationships make you happier, and you'll only form
genuine relationships when you stop trying to impress and start
trying to just be yourself.

Clinging

Holding on to what you think you need won't make you happier;
letting go so you can reach for and try to earn what you want
will. Even if you don't succeed, the act of trying will make you
feel better about yourself.

Interrupting

We all constantly
hear about what we
do or should do to
help ourselves be
better at our work.
There are also some
things that can help
us go a long way if
we stop doing them.

Impressing

Interrupting isn't just rude. When you interrupt, what you're really
saying is, "I'm not listening to you so I can understand what
you're saying; I'm listening to you so I can decide what I want to
say."Want people to like you? Listen and focus on what they say.

Controlling

Yeah, you're the boss. Still, the only thing you really need to control
is you. If you find yourself trying hard to control other people,
you've decided that you, your goals, your dreams, or even just
your opinions are more important than theirs.

Dwelling

The past is valuable. Learn from your and others mistakes. Easier
said than done! When another person makes a mistake, see that
as an opportunity to be kind, forgiving, and understanding.

Criticizing

Everyone is different: not better, not

worse, just different. Appreciate
the differences instead of the
shortcomings and you'll see people-and yourself--in a better light.

Preaching

The higher you rise and the more you

accomplish, the more likely you are
to think you know everything-and
to tell people everything you think
you know. When you speak with
more finality than foundation, people
may hear you but they don't listen.
This would finally leave you feeling
less happy.

16

The Shanghai experience

Written by Bilal Khalid
One domestic flight, two international flights,
a fast train, a subway train and a taxi ride later, I
was standing at the doors of a slightly formidable
looking entrance that reminds one of the Fort Knox
bullion deposit.
Little did I know that after a busy week in CEIBS
(China Europe International Business School) - a
global Top 20 Business school, I will end up making
dozens of global connections, learn more in class
than I had learnt in a year and most importantly, fall
head over heels in love with a very strange city and
a very surprising country.
After a swift check-in into Residence No. Six, I ran
off to grab a welcome cocktail (orange juice for me)
at Cantina Agave a well-known Mexican tequila
bar located within walking distance from campus.
This ice breaking session really helped everyone
settle in and warm up to the other 59 participants
that had all flown in to attend the Boot Camp from
22 different countries. Nobody asked us to brace
ourselves for the week ahead, and we werent really
sure how the ride would go.
The camp was overwhelming. We would wake
up every day at around 8am, grab a buffet breakfast at the commons building, and then run off to
attend class. The teachers were from Mainland
China, France, the USA, South Korea and Sweden.
Needless to say, every one of them had a Ph.D.
from the best universities in the world including
Chicago, Pittsburgh, Sorbonne, INSEAD and
North Carolina.
We were lectured on topics ranging from 'Strategy
Making in Turbulent Times' to 'Company Valuation',
'The Rise and Fall of Marketing in China' to 'Global
Mega Trend' and finally on 'Managing Cross
Cultural Conflicts'. Each of these classes were
more than just a great learning experience. I had
barely handled the epiphanies I felt during Professor
Sampler's class on how great strategists are born in
great universities when Prof. Cronqvist swept us off
our feet with his passion for finance. I felt motivated
by Prof. Cronqvists interest in what I had to share
on Islamic Finance and its place outside of faith
and in an evolving global economy. He showed an
active eagerness in learning from us just as much
as we valued learning from him. Prof. Xiang let us
in on countless surprises about the Chinese market

and how its evolution outpaced many before us.

Prof. Gossets class on global mega trends ended
up giving us goosebumps as he impressively broke
down our limited views on global geopolitics and
had us rethink a more realistic future while preparing
us for an utterly absolute miscalculation most of us
were bound to make. He lead us to learn about
unlearning and relearning what was there to learn
and pick up as the world shifted its course at an
astounding pace. His lecture ended with a beautiful message on global peace and the class just
erupted in helpless applause. Finally Prof. Kim
tutored us on managing cross cultural and other
conflicts in the overall business environment.
The bootcamp experience however, was far from
over and neither is my account. My days ended at
midnight when I would drop shattered onto my bed,
take some long, relaxing breaths and fall asleep

Little did I know that...I will end

up making dozens of global
connections, learn more in
class than I had learnt in a
year and most importantly,
fall head over heels in love
with a very strange city and
a very surprising country.
before I knew it. The bootcamp also included a
session with directors, an evening dedicated to
cracking the GMAT, cultural activities (Chinese
Traditional Mask Painting I painted mine after the
Joker from Batman and won a beautiful flower vase
in the lucky draws), exclusive dinner along the Bund
at Kathleens, a career opportunities session and
finally an alumni sharing session.
We had three afternoons dedicated to company
and site visits, and we visited AT Kearney where the
senior partner gave us a very insightful presentation
on Innovation in China. We also visited JD.com, the

Shanghai Port Authority, Kerrys Logistics, another

Cold Logistics facility and Morningside VC a
Shanghai based venture capital firm. One of our
visits took us to the heart of Shanghai, deep into the
old markets near Ruijin Road no.2. Another memorable visit was to the Long Museum, which featured
priceless contemporary art pieces and relics from
the Peoples Revolution of China. Every visit brought
us even closer to business in China, evolving strategies in the chinese market and the global impact
of the chinese economy.
I apologize, but it wasnt all business. We dedicated
our nights to visiting the magical city and ended up
eating crab fish that we helped pick out of a live
aquarium, went to the most exclusive bars (again,
read: orange juice for me), walking tours around
downtown, YongKang Road, Nanjing Road and
the Bund. We had some participants who lived in
Shanghai and they were more than happy to help
us skip the tourist traps and take us where the city
breathes and whispers life into the crowd.
Finally, the bootcamp offered amazing networking
opportunities. We had people studying in universities, fresh into their careers and mid-careers,
executives and even some young CEOs. We
had people from Marketing, Finance, Audit, Risk
Management, Investment Banking, Hedge Funds,
the US Navy and more. My fellow bootcampers
worked in the nuclear industry, the chemical industry,
steel, mining, law, press reporting and engineering.
They made lasting connections with me and with
each other. From splitting cab fares to paying for
each others food, from intellectual discussions on
business and politics to life sharing, I feel we really
bonded very strongly during the camp. Were all still
in touch with each other and we all know we have
global comrades we can pretty much count on. I
made connections in Africa because a delegation
was visiting CEIBS for their EMBA semester.I made
friends with current students and alumni.
In very broad terms, this bootcamp experience
helped me understand how excellence is a very
practical aspiration and shapes not just our own
lives, but global economies and shared knowledge
as well. This experience has helped me bring fresh
insight into my existing work and will continue to act
as a source of inspiration.

Inside ANPL, Q3 2014

17

Personal Front

WANT TO SHARE YOUR PERSONAL

UPDATES, NEWS, THOUGHTS OR
OPINIONS? WRITE TO US AND
WE'LL MAKE SURE YOU ARE
HEARD!
communications.pakistan@akzonobel.com

International Assignments & Secondments

Ijaz Goher, Engineering

Manager, Operations
Department, Lahore is being
seconded to Akzo Nobel
Functional Chemicals LLC as
Black Belt Project Manager
with effect from August 01,
2014. Ijaz will be based in
Chicago, United States.

Neman Ahmad, Development

Officer, Lahore has been
selected to join AkzoNobel
Middle East, as Chemist.
Neman will be based in
Dammam & his last working
day with the Company was
September 12, 2014.

Through the lens

The autumn weather is all the more
reason these days to be outdoors.
And our colleagues who are out and
about have managed to capture these
breathtaking views.
The contributors would like to
encourage everyone to take a moment
to look up from computers, laptops
and smartphones and admire the
absolute wonders of everyday life
around us.

FROM TOP (CLOCKWISE):

1) BILAL KHALID: MUTHURAJAWELA MARSH NEAR NEGOMBO, SRI
LANKA; 2) BILAL KHALID: COLOMBO LIGHTHOUSE, COLOMBO, SRI
LANKA; 3) YASIR SHAMI: REFLECTION IN THE SIDE VIEW MIRROR;
4) ALENA AMIR: SUNSET AT KOLACHI, SEA VIEW, KARACHI

Muhammad Kashif,
Development Officer, Lahore
has been selected to join
AkzoNobel Middle East,
as Chemist. Kashif will be
based in Dammam & his last
working day with the Company
was September 12, 2014.

Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Business

Manager Performance
Coatings, based in Lahore
is being seconded to Akzo
Nobel UAE Paints L.L.C as
Business Manager Vehicle
Refinishes with effect from
September 1, 2014. Mohsin
will be based in Dubai and
will report to the Business
Director, Vehicle Refinishes.

Muddassir Khalid, currently

HR Business Partner for
AkzoNobel Pakistan, is
appointed as Middle East
Regional HR Manager
w.e.f November 1, 2014.

A publication of the
Corporate Communication Office
AkzoNobel Pakistan
346, Ferozepur Road
Lahore 54000
Pakistan
T +92 42 111 551 111
F +92 42 3583 5011
E communications.pakistan@akzonobel.com
www.akzonobel.com/pk/paints

Suggestions & Feedback

Do you have any suggestions or feedback about
our publication? We would love to hear from you.
Write to us at
communications.pakistan@akzonobel.com

www.akzonobel.com
AkzoNobel is a leading global paints and
coatings company and a major producer of
specialty chemicals. We supply industries and
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and are passionate about developing sustainable
answers for our customers. Our portfolio
includes well-known brands such as Dulux,
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are committed to delivering leading products and
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New Joiners (Q3, 2014)

Upcoming Events

Wed like to extend a warm welcome to:

CSR Activity: LRBT Hospital

Family Get-together
Recreational Club: North Region Cricket Tournament
CE Session Q4, 2014
TCF Career Counselling Session

Naveed Niaz Khan Afridi

ASM Peshawar
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Sales Officer - Decorative
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