Five minutes with…Khaled Awad, chairman of ACTS

How has 2015 been so far for ACTS in the Middle East?

ACTS has been growing on an average of 25 per cent year-on-year for the last five years and 2015 is on track to maintain this growth rate.

Which are segments within your organisation that are showing the strongest growth?

Our consulting division is the fastest growing as we are providing unique engineering solutions to projects, clients and asset managers.

What are the biggest challenges that you currently face?

The geopolitical stability of the region and the effect of the drop of oil prices on the infrastructure market.

Do you see a slowdown in the regional construction sector because of the recent oil price drop?

The drop in oil prices will not have an effect on the large infrastructure projects in the region, which have been budgeted and committed and which are critical to the diversification of the economy and the growth of non-oil sectors.

Are you looking at expanding operations this year?

We have recently opened new branches in Riyadh and Madina, in line with the group’s continuing growth strategy and with our continuing commitment to meet client needs. We still intend to expand into new GCC markets and we hope to have a strong presence in a new country by 2016. We have grown from having a single branch to having seven branches in Lebanon, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Our expansion strategy set for 2020 is on track.

Will you be hiring in the next six months?

We are in a continuous hiring mode in order to cope with our growth and we foresee this to continue for at least 12 more months.

What’s your leadership style?

We have an entrepreneurial culture at ACTS so our managers and head of divisions have ample management latitude. We are all aligned behind a clear and focused strategy so there is no need for micro-management as long as goals and objectives are clear to everyone. Our company success is hinged to people excellence and we recognize this in our day to day operation.

Three tips for becoming the boss…

Be trusted, aim high, and recognise people (trust, ambition, recognition).