[ad_1]
Digitalisation is a cornerstone of the federal government of Brunei’s imaginative and prescient for the nation’s future. And award-winning Bruneian telco firm think about has its imaginative and prescient, too: “to be a pressure of transformation in Brunei, serving to speed up individuals and companies into the long run”. CEO Suzanna Suharju explains how the corporate intends to contribute to creating Brunei a Good Nation.
Good to fulfill you, Ms Suharju! Thanks for gracing us along with your time. To start with, how does a CEO like your self normally begin their day?
Hello, there! Thanks kindly for this chance to attach with The European Enterprise Evaluate and your esteemed readers from world wide. I’m Suzanna, Chief Govt Officer of think about Sdn. Bhd. based mostly in Brunei Darussalam. Thanks on your opening query! My day begins very early and I’m normally the primary individual in my house to get up. Other than mentally getting ready for the workday forward, I take into consideration what the day appears to be like like for my 14-year-old and 9-year-old ladies as I get them prepared for varsity. My husband and I alternate the varsity runs and there may be immense pleasure throughout these occasions of day for me after I get to meet up with my kids. Then it’s off to the workplace, the place I align my day with the staff and we’re on the go just about from there.
Brunei is rapidly turning into an more and more enticing vacation spot for international funding, each for superior and rising economies. In your opinion, what are the primary sights of the area?
To accommodate the rising demand for broadband and cell connectivity, Brunei’s telecommunications infrastructure and community continues to enhance according to Brunei’s Imaginative and prescient 2035, which additionally outlines the nationwide journey in the direction of Good Nation.
Among the many fundamental sights in Brunei is the advancing nature of our telecommunications business, particularly with the present COVID-19 setting. Like elsewhere world wide, we’ve skilled how necessary telecommunications is, not only for work, but additionally for training, enterprise, leisure, and normal day-to-day residing. To accommodate the rising demand for broadband and cell connectivity, Brunei’s telecommunications infrastructure and community continues to enhance according to Brunei’s Imaginative and prescient 2035, which additionally outlines the nationwide journey in the direction of Good Nation. Coupled with our pure assets that embody extremely expert and educated people who find themselves eager to study, and our geopolitical stability, Brunei is actually poised as an rising financial system that holds huge potential for any kind of enterprise on the lookout for their subsequent house. The longer term holds numerous thrilling new issues in Brunei’s ICT landscape and we right here at think about are able to welcome new alternatives. Our predominantly younger staff, averaging from 30 to 32 years of age, makes us a dynamic and adaptable organisation in a fast-moving business the place innovation and breakthroughs occur regularly. Our power as an organisation is pushed by our imagineers, who’re courageous to problem the norm and convey about new concepts.
Think about sits on the forefront of digitalising Brunei Darussalam and turning it right into a Good Nation. Since its launch in January 2020, what have been some of probably the most memorable moments working for the corporate?
Our journey began with our rebranding from our predecessor, Telekom Brunei Berhad, in 2019, throughout a pivotal time in Brunei’s telco transformation. We have been reborn as a gross sales organisation with the potential to supply inexpensive broadband, cell, and bundle merchandise. On the identical time, our emergence within the Brunei market as we launched ourselves and constructing traction was met with the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit our shores in the direction of the third quarter of 2020. We needed to shift our advertising and marketing methods particularly for our core merchandise and enterprise enterprise, in addition to cell pay as you go. Although it was certainly memorable, we didn’t see the onset of COVID-19 as a setback in our plans. It was a chance for us to suppose outdoors the field, the place we continued to speak and collaborate from house and launched our merchandise based mostly on our designated timelines. Two and a half years later, we now have established our presence because the telco that’s greatest, whether or not for house, at work, or on the transfer. We proceed to work on constructing our ‘Past Connectivity’ services and products akin to cybersecurity, information analytics, in addition to MSMEs, to help their very own journey in the direction of digitalisation.
Regardless of its small inhabitants, Brunei has steadily superior its telecommunications business by leveraging its regional and world community of tech suppliers. How does this apply to the work your organization does?
Other than Brunei’s Imaginative and prescient 2035, which units a extra normal nationwide KPI, we right here at think about check with our nationwide telco business milestones below the Brunei Digital Economic system Masterplan 2025. As a Authorities Linked Firm, our presence in Brunei can be to serve the nationwide agenda, with the following few years below this grasp plan targeted on digitalising authorities providers for enterprise, training, and healthcare. By means of our optimistic relationships with our authorities and private-sector stakeholders and understanding their wants for now and the long run, we at think about proceed to search for regional and world companions to herald new tech. We’ve got since signed contracts and agreements with a number of regional ICT consultants and organisations with the goal of increasing our product providing for Brunei’s digital improvement inside the fields of cybersecurity, well being, oil and gasoline, and information analytics, to call however just a few. We imagine that our investments can help Brunei’s progress and improve its aggressive standing in
the area.
Think about has additionally not too long ago been named as one of many Sultanate’s recipients of the inaugural ASEAN Excellent Social Welfare and Improvement Award (AOSWADA). To what would you attribute this milestone?
As a telco, our scope goes past offering accessible and inexpensive broadband and cell providers, with our group efforts targeted on our 4 company social duty pillars, specifically training, girls and youngsters, and the underprivileged, in addition to well being and wellness.
Being the primary private-sector organisation in Brunei to obtain this award is really humbling, as we now have all the time been in a really lucky place to make a distinction within the lives of these round us with out expectation of recognition. I imagine this award will be attributed to our continued dedication and drive with the realisation that we play a component in contributing to our local people. As a telco, our scope goes past offering accessible and inexpensive broadband and cell providers, with our group efforts targeted on our 4 company social duty pillars, specifically training, girls and youngsters, and the underprivileged, in addition to well being and wellness. Think about’s AOSWADA stands on the shoulders of our predecessors, Telekom Brunei Berhad, for the institution of the Nationwide Baby Helpline 121, which members of the general public, particularly kids, can flip to in the event that they need assistance or help. Since our transformation, we at think about proceed to co-fund this public service to help its operational sustainability. We imagine that it is very important provide kids a platform on which they know that their voices shall be heard. We at think about will proceed to advocate this precept, particularly for the way forward for our nation, the place no man, lady or baby is left behind, no matter their social circumstances.
You will have shared a imaginative and prescient of each resident in Brunei experiencing the long run via next-gen telecom options. Might you allow us to in on a few of your long-term objectives for think about?
The development of latest know-how offers Bruneians with countless alternative to enhance day-to-day residing. At think about, we need to facilitate the potential of staying linked anytime, wherever, and have all their wants within the palm of their palms, wherever they might be, via their cell gadgets. Because the think about staff proceed to work with different stakeholders to understand a Good Nation, we’re dedicated to offering the most effective value-added providers available in the market, akin to e-wallet, to allow a cashless society, fulfilling Good House desires, peace of thoughts via Good Safety know-how, and staying linked with the individuals who matter.
Our technique is straightforward: to broaden our services and products that may leverage, and transcend, connectivity.
What alternatives for partnership and/or funding would you want to inform the worldwide group about?
Our technique is straightforward: to broaden our services and products that may leverage, and transcend, connectivity. Because the premier and most well-liked telecommunications firm in Brunei, we preserve our standing because the distinguished telco supplier for Brunei’s authorities and company sector, thus making us the best strategic telco accomplice for any worldwide investor. Our devoted staff of imagineers embody our core values in that we’re courageous, we’re progressive, and we problem the established order to fulfill a requirement and, in some situations, create demand for the most recent in tech merchandise obtainable within the worldwide market.
How a lot progress has Brunei made by way of its globalisation and digitalisation efforts? What extra will be accomplished in the private and non-private sectors?
As talked about earlier than, certainly one of think about’s fundamental objectives is to help and realise Brunei’s Digital Economic system Masterplan 2025 targets, which embody enterprise, training, and well being. Because the introduction of this grasp plan in 2020, Brunei has efficiently carried out a number of key milestones that make on a regular basis actions extra handy. As members of the Bruneian group, we as a individuals have a duty to undertake these developments if we need to realise a Good Nation collectively. Enablers, together with us right here at think about, can solely introduce digital transformation, however the normal inhabitants may also must be courageous sufficient to embrace change, bounce on the bandwagon, and create a society powered by know-how for a brighter future.
The place do you see the telecommunications business in Brunei heading?
The previous few years have seen a major enchancment in our infrastructure, and we at the moment are preparing for the following evolution in our product providing. Earlier than the top of this yr, we are going to provide plans and packages at sooner speeds and better bandwidths, whereas on the identical time introducing 5G merchandise that may, doubtless, speed up Brunei’s Good Nation initiative by leaps and bounds.
With these additional enhancements in place, we at think about imagine that Brunei’s aggressive edge will sharpen on par with our neighbours from the area, making us a great vacation spot for worldwide traders.
As the primary Bruneian lady to go a telco, Ms Suharju, what single piece of recommendation would you give to youthful girls who additionally need to work in tech?
Dare to dream of potentialities the place nothing is unattainable. However this additionally means it’s essential to work laborious for what you need for your self and be courageous sufficient to be heard. Usually, girls are inclined to draw back from advocating for themselves, however I imagine that ladies are braver than they provide themselves credit score for. By no means be afraid to say what you suppose and to make use of your voice to get your viewpoints throughout; nurture your curiosity; study and develop by asking the suitable questions.
Govt Profile
Suzanna Suharju is the CEO of think about Sdn Bhd and certainly one of Brunei’s feminine company leaders. Earlier than becoming a member of the telecommunications business, she held a number of roles at Brunei Shell Petrouleum and Shell Worldwide within the Netherlands in procurement, technique improvement and authorized. She is a lawyer by background and is a chartered procurement specialist who aspires to help and construct organisations in areas of technique and commercialisation. Underneath her helm, think about has marked quite a few milestones since its re-branding in 2019 the place the corporate has solidified its place as the popular telecommunications service supplier significantly inside the corporates and authorities. Think about additionally allocates investments into into its CSR. Underneath her management, think about acquired the inaugural ASEAN Excellent Social Welfare and Improvement Award Brunei Darussalam (Non-public sector) 2021 recognising the corporate’s CSR work with kids. Suzanna additionally advocates and helps training as evident by their help in supporting information wants of financially challenged college students for on-line studying in the course of the pandemic.
Suzanna can be a member of the APEC Enterprise Advisory Council and a Council member of College Brunei Darussalam. She has been invited to talk in a number of boards and conferences such because the 6th ASEAN YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS (AYE) Carnival holding the theme ‘Reimagining Enterprise within the New Paridgm”.
[ad_2]
Source link
