Mondi Diamond Awards - 1 year on: Interview with Rami Kawar

Rami, tell us a bit about the picture in Iraq now and how it's affected your business.

Rami: Throughout 2018 and into this year things certainly looked like they were improving on the political front. The whole country has been going through a reconstruction phase and for many people this started to bring new opportunities.

For us it's been a great year in terms of financial and operational performance. The reconstruction going on across the country has brought renewed confidence and real growth for our cement business, and we have been busy making plans to expand production.

But of course this is a region where there is perhaps more uncertainty right now than anywhere else in the world, so it's hard to say for sure what the picture will look like a year from now.

Most people would find this an almost impossible environment to do business in. How do you and the team manage this level of uncertainty?

Rami: It's how it's been for us for a long time now and we've learnt all sorts of ways to find answers to problems. Keeping morale up is vital and we do that by working together as one team. It's so important that we stay close to the employees and that everyone feels supported.

In the end I think it's about a team spirit that says, 'We will find a way through!' We understand that what's going on right now means it's very difficult for Mondi to invest in the region, so we may need to be extra careful in our decisions. But we've got a business to run, and we're absolutely determined as a team to make sure our operation continues to deliver for our customers.

Did the recognition you all got from winning the Diamond Award help morale?

Rami: It certainly did! Everyone kept up with the progress we made through to the Finals and there was a lot of excitement when we won.

But you know, it's not just winning - it's the recognition everyone felt they had got from the other parts of the business. Iraq is quite far away from the world most people are working in and no one really knew our story until we were able to share it. It's had a huge impact for us.

So what was the response from people?

Rami: I had a lot of emails and calls after the MDAs, coming from all parts of the business. For example, the Procurement teams would ring up to say they were glad to understand what we were doing.

Another example - a colleague from Vienna phoned wanting to understand the steps we'd taken because she was facing some very tricky legal and compliance issues that of course are pretty much daily challenges for us. I shared our experience and sent her emails we'd sent contacting people. That gave her a short cut to the answers as she wasn't having to start from scratch.

The interest people have shown has given us a sense that we are recognised and respected - and that makes you feel incredibly proud! I think we also felt that we were a lot less isolated, not just because people knew about us, but because we all learned so much about other parts of Mondi's business through the MDAs and the videos of the other teams. We held an event for all our Team on the 9^th March this year called 'We are Mondi' and you could feel that sense of connection and pride in belonging to the Mondi family.

Rami, can you tell us about what your own personal journey through the MDAs was like?

Rami: I'd describe it as journey of growth. It was difficult for me to begin with. I was just so used to presenting numbers and figures and thinking that was all that is required. So that's pretty much what I did in my first PowerPoint. When I look back at that and what we presented in the Finals there's a huge difference. I learnt the importance of telling a story that others can connect with - and that it really is okay to present with feelings as well!

You're also working with the other finalists. Everyone is from different parts of the business, and there's a fantastic spirit of sharing and supporting and learning from each other.

Today my story-telling has improved a great deal and so has my ability to connect with people - and deal with difficult partners! That's a big lesson - because in the end at Mondi we are a people business.

So would you recommend entering the MDAs?

Rami: Without question. I'd encourage my Mondi colleagues to enter the competition, go through the learning experience and share their ideas and projects with the Mondi family. They'll benefit on a personal, team and company level because what happens is that the MDAs create interaction and team spirit among employees that brings out the best in them.

I also advise anyone thinking of entering the next time to review the MDA videos and presentations of previous MDA finalists, and to contact MDA winners and other project leaders for help and advice any time. I am sure everyone would like to help out.

Good luck to all!

Rami - we hope you and your team in Iraq will soon face better times and wish you all a safe and prosperous future.