Standing in front of the Taj Mahal in Agra, Alan Sedghi, president and MD, SAP South Asia, was mesmerized and deep in thought.

The Taj is renowned for such effect on people, but it was a wee bit different for Sedghi. The white domed marble mausoleum did not kindle tender thoughts in him, but a feeling of awe and amazement at the ambitious aspirations of people from the bygone age.

A race of people, who believed that they could build something as magnificent as this and then actually went and did it.

“If people in those times could believe and build the Taj, why should we shy away from thinking of something much more grander, considering we aren't bounded by technical and scientific limitations as they were,” wonders Sedghi.

Needless to say, he has visited the place many times to be inspired and charged for everyday business affairs.

SAP 'em

That's how Sedghi essentially is! Seeking inspiration from any or every quarters of life, always focused and always charged. For instance his favorite sports are cricket and football, “as all are strategy games.” Lawn tennis is also a hit with him, again for similar reasons.

“I like sports like these due to the striking similarity between them and the way we conduct modern-day businesses. For instance, isn't lawn tennis all about bearing down the opponent?” he grins and adds dramatically “it shows how one should deal with competition.”

Currently, SAP seems to be the driving force behind his existence. He can rattle off sales, market and other figures, like a toddler does Mathematical tables. He is also prone to speaking in first person plural, WE. He is at all the times hopping from one destination to another, meeting up with clients or charging up his team. And his report card shows the results.

Ever since, Sedghi has been deputed in the region, the revenues have more than tripled in markets like Thailand and India. Little wonder, the company has entrusted the responsibility of one of the most dynamic and growing regions to him. Sedghi is much at home in the South Asian terrain; after all, he grew up in not-so-distant Persia, or modern day Iran.

Arabian tales

Born in Tehran, Sedghi claims that he had a fairly average childhood. His father was a renowned doctor, who gave up his profitable practice for the sake of charitable work. Sedghi completed his schooling in Tehran, before shifting to the US for further education. There is also the interesting bit about his ancestry. Sedghi is a Zoroastrian or better known as a Parsi. “Ours was one of the few Parsi communities that chose to stay in Iran and not migrate. We are what you'd call the old Parsis,” he says with a glint of pride.

From the University of Kansas, Sedghi completed his Masters of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. He also went for a Business Administration degree from the same place. Armed with his engineering degree, Sedghi joined a large utility company, where he rose through the ranks to become the CIO. In 1993, he joined Andersen Consulting, responsible for the utilities consulting practice. In between, Sedghi returned to Tehran for a few years.

“It was to help my father and take care of our family business.”

And then the big break came in 1998, when he joined SAP as director, Services Industries Business Unit. “I have been fortunate to have a wider experience from different industry perspective. Truthfully, I am a business man with an engineering background, and not the other way round,” he confesses.

Indian connection

India has a special spot in Sedghi's heart. He recalls his first visit just after joining SAP. “I had landed in New Delhi. And while traveling from the airport, I saw all those monuments, the forts, the bazaars, the people, the chaos, something clicked inside me. It all reminded me of my childhood days. I felt so much at home.”

Later on, he went to head the company's operations in the country. “There is so much one can learn from India's history and apply it to the future. I am great admirer of the Indian culture and heritage, and the especially the warm Indian people,” he states.

Sedghi oversees the region, from his post in Singapore. On a typical day, Sedghi would get up early and spend a few hours in the gym, before hitting it to office. If he isn't entertaining customers late in the evening, he likes to curl up with a book. The way things go, it would not come as a surprise, if his dreams were all about customer wins and strategic alliances. He laughs and refutes it.

“Balance of professional and personal life is very crucial. I believe in working hard and playing hard.”

Personally speaking

So how does the family cope with this high-flying executive? Sedghi has two kids settled in Australia and relatives all across the globe. He isn't married anymore. “My erratic schedules could have been a big issue if I was married. Luckily, I ain't,” he confesses.

Age doesn't seem to slow down Sedghi. At 52, retirement is the last thing on his mind. “I am not the kind who can sit at home and read newspapers. I haven't really figured out the future, let's see,” he says pensively. He would like to be at SAP for the next 7-8 years, “to see things to fruition”.

He believes in stretched targets, and feels success is quite relative. “I could be more successful if I tried harder, you are only limited by yourself,” he says, recalling the Taj Mahal episode.

What lies ahead?

“Probably, I will open a boutique consultancy and do business consulting after that. That way, I can retain my association with the business community in some way,” he says.

The region of his birth is currently embroiled in war and controversy, what does Sedghi feel about it? He is a bit reluctant to state his views, “after all I am a business man and not care much about politics,” he says, only to admit that, the events sadden him.

“It is so sad to see so much pain and suffering. According to me, no problem can be solved through force. It can never be a long-term solution,” he says.

“One must learn to live and let live,” he adds. Coming from a man, who doesn't let his competition 'live' is quite something. But that is how Sedghi is; a man from the street of Tehran, who continues to scale heights in Asia, at all times savoring the sap, life has to offer.

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