A Moment With
A Moment With Kawthar
Owner of KBS Communications
By Carolyn Lee
K
awthar Bin Sulayem, at the
age of 31 is the proud owner
of KBS Communications; a
successful, specialised PR &
Communications agency based in Abu
Dhabi, which also operates throughout
the region and internationally. Driven
by a strong desire to break stereotypes
and to forge her own destiny as a selfmade entrepreneur, she stepped away
from a secure position at a prestigious
government agency and rose to the
occasion of realizing her dreams.
As a Media graduate of New York
University, she possesses the
accreditation; requisite experience
and skill set, to lead her company to
even greater success.
Kawthar gives Teach UAE Magazine
some insight on her journey and she
shares with us how she is breaking
down walls in the Media industry
as a successful female, Emirati
entrepreneur.
Who’s your favourite teacher and
why?
My favourite teacher was my science
teacher, Mr. Adel. I loved his classes.
They were always fun. We spent
most of the time at the lab and he
always kept us active and focused
on learning. He wasn't just a teacher.
He was more like a parent because
of his attitude towards his students.
He treated us with respect and as if
we were adults. This made us respect
each other’s ideas and intellectual
abilities in solving issues. I love
practical learning and self-learning
as well. We are still in touch. He still
teaches now and I always ask younger
students in my family about him. He's
still the same teacher that I had.
What is your source of personal
motivation?
I grew up in a family of self-motivators,
especially being surrounded by
the family business everyday. I love
challenges and always look for ways
to achieve and contribute to my
country. The latter was a mandate
personally given to me by HH Sheikh
Mohammed Bin Rashid. He’s my
guiding light and inspiration.
What made you decide to pursue
business endeavours?
As an Emirati with experience
working in government and private
organisations, I dealt with many
different local and international PR
agencies. Despite their reputations,
they always faced challenges in
understanding the local market and
this affected the bottom-line delivery.
With this understanding, I saw an
opportunity to start my own agency
to fill the void in the market. Added
to that, I want to encourage fellow
Emiratis to become entrepreneurs
and explore the private sector,
especially in Media & PR, so that they
can also become job creators.
What was the first reaction from your
family when you decided to venture
into business?
As a business oriented family,
they encouraged me to follow my
gut feeling. However, they made
it clear that I was giving up a very
comfortable government job to
pursue my passion and that I needed
to be prepared for the challenges. I
gave up the reputation associated
with a senior position in a very
esteemed government office, not to
mention the secured income. I wanted
to build something of my own and
leave a legacy behind.
How much risk-taking is involved in
being an entrepreneur?
A lot of risk is involved in being an
entrepreneur, you have to be sharp,
committed and driven each and
every day. Challenges continually
present themselves, so I have to
constantly reaffirm myself to stay
38 | Jan - Feb 2016 |
|
After The Bell