MATRADE CEO

My first CEO: Noharuddin Nordin
by ArabianBusiness.com staff writer on Thursday, 03 January 2008

Trust those that work for you and with you, and in return, you will receive trust, loyalty and commitment from the team.

How did the previous generation of MATRADE officers help mould your work philosophy?

The greatest legacy that my seniors and mentors at MATRADE and in the Malaysian Civil Service bequeathed us was an unshakeable sense of trust in your colleagues. Trust those that work for you and with you, and in return, you will receive trust, loyalty and commitment from the team, the backbone of an organisation's success.

What qualities do you look for in your team?

I believe that mutual trust is the key ingredient that heightens the relationship and communication channels between senior management and key middle management personnel. It's a chemistry that happens only through demonstrated honesty and sincerity.Another quality that I constantly seek to instil is passion. This is absolutely essential for anyone to achieve anything. Albert Einstein once said, "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." MATRADE personnel must believe that they are there to make a difference. This belief is only possible if they have the passion for the job and mission.

What three qualities should every CEO have?

Dedication: No matter how difficult or unattainable the objectives are, CEOs must be dedicated and committed to the task.Integrity, both personal and professional: With so many different stakeholders to answer to, CEOs must hold themselves to the highest levels of accountability and transparency.

Vision: CEOs must have a clear and well-defined vision for the organisation. Only by having a vision that takes into account future and evolving challenges will CEOs be able to execute their vision with measurable levels of success.

In a few words, what advice would you have for an aspiring CEO?

Future CEOs should display tremendous ambition and drive for their given tasks and responsibilitiesw words, what advice would you have for an aspiring CEO?. They should also lead by example in their personal and career lives. More importantly, CEOs of "corporatised" government agencies, unlike their private sector counterparts, must remember that their ultimate mission is to serve national needs and objectives which very often means putting personal goals and desires on hold.

Name: Noharuddin NordinTitle: CEO, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE)