Meet Fahad Ahmed Khan
In the 'People of Stahl' series, we talk to colleagues from around the world about what they do, what makes them tick, and what our purpose - Touching lives, for a better world - means to them. Here, we sit down with Fahad Ahmed Khan from our Sales department in Pakistan, who keeps things running smoothly both at work and at home.
How long have you been with Stahl? What first attracted you to the company?
I joined Stahl in 2017 and it is still the culture of innovation and collaboration what attracts me the most. I have always been passionate about working in a dynamic environment where ideas are encouraged and creativity is valued. The way Stahl emphasises a culture of innovation aligns perfectly with my own values and aspirations.
What is your role? Can you share an interesting fact about the work you do?
I'm the Deputy Manager Business Support in our Sales Management department. My role encompasses a broad range of responsibilities such as pricing, data management, reporting, customer rebates and commissions, and issuing credit notes.
What I think is interesting about this role is how we enable the Sales team by providing the right product to the right customer at the right time, and of course at the right price. Our salespeople want to be able to focus on closing deals, but have to deal with many other tasks – and that's where Business Support comes in. We provide the much-needed assistance that helps Sales to focus on what they do best, for example by providing templates and data management support.
What is your favourite thing about working at Stahl, and what are the biggest challenges?
I really appreciate Stahl's company culture, which incorporates flexibility, good communication and procedures, celebrating milestones and helping employees develop their skills. Furthermore, there is a strong sense of fairness, especially when it comes to recognition, reward and promotion, open feedback and two-way performance reviews. Finally, the company's focus on innovation remains a major factor in my satisfaction.
When it comes to challenges, these are mainly on the technical side. We sometimes struggle with our local internet connection, which can be inconvenient during meetings and disrupts our productivity. We could also benefit from some more advanced software, to save us some of the time spent in Excel!
How does your work support Stahl’s purpose: Touching lives, for a better world?
Business Support collaborates with Sales to ensure that the products and services we sell minimise harm to people and planet. This can take several forms, such as promoting fair trade practices, taking our stakeholders' interests into account, and of course offering environmentally friendly products.
What Touching lives, for a better world means to me is the idea that every sale contributes to making a positive difference in the world; a sort of ripple effect that improves lives everywhere.
If you were CEO of Stahl for the day, what would you do?
If I were to take on this role for a day, I would first like to implement a 'customer profiling module' into the company. This is a comprehensive profile that helps you to know who your customers are and what they want, before they've even asked a question. Your customers are likely to become more loyal to your brand, because they trust you to solve their problems.
The second thing I would do is to ask employees to prepare case studies on critical situations that they have handled and resolved. A CEO, is ultimately responsible for keeping their company operating smoothly, and this is much easier when you can draw solutions from past cases instead of starting from scratch every time.
How do you spend your free time outside of work?
There are several things I like to do in my spare time. First are recitations from the Holy Quran, which provides me with a source of guidance and light in my daily life. I also get plenty of exercise to boost my health and longevity. Around the house, I like to clear my mind by tidying up, and I also carry out small electrical repairs when needed. My father is an electrical engineer, so I learned a lot from him. But it's not all work! I also love to play games with my children.
Thanks for sharing your story, Fahad! We are proud of our people who make a difference every day and strive for excellence together. Stay tuned for more 'People of Stahl' features!