34 April 2019 www.bahrainthismonth.com Mohamed Isa, of 3D Speaking, told Liz O’Reilly how he went from humble beginnings to becoming the Gulf’s youngest CFO, a hugely successful public speaker, author, publisher and generally happy man. “Many people think that I was born with a golden spoon in my mouth,” says the award-winning writer, who has published books such as The Big Question, with US TV and radio host Larry King, and The Success Blueprint, with Canadian-American motivational public speaker and self-development author, Brian Tracy, among others. “But, that’s not the case. I was born with strong hands and a strong will.” He adds: “Many people also think I was born a speaker. Again, not true. I had a terrible experience when I was forced to give a speech in public, I arrived at an event and a paper was thrust into my hands and I was told ‘You have to do it’. My family was in the audience and I knew I wasn’t doing well. It was the most horrifying thing. Later, I sat next to my uncle and he said: ‘You brought shame on the family, can’t you read?’ I was 13 years old and vowed I would never speak in public again!” And, true to his word, the teenage Mohamed avoided the spotlight declining all attempts to get him on stage throughout his high school years. “But, when I reached university, I realised that being able to give speeches is important for success,” he says. So, he began to educate himself, saving his pocket money to buy books on psychology and public speaking and volunteering in what he saw as “my platform to go out into the world”. He also volunteered to cover the university’s counselling office and one day the director called him in and told him of an opportunity with multi-national giant Unilever. The only draw back being that he would need to live in Jeddah. Smiling, he comments: “I said I didn’t much fancy moving to Jeddah but the counsellor told me, ‘you will stay in a five-star hotel and get a salary of BD1,200’ – I decided to give it a go!” There were 800 applicants for eight places and Mohammed was chosen, one of only three Bahrainis to take up a place. Much to his delight, he was actually sent to work in Dubai, though he did later make the move to Jeddah. He says: “It was a great journey and that was how come I moved back to Bahrain to another company and became the youngest chief financial officer in the Gulf, at just 26.” That position involved everything from preparing for the company’s initial public offering (IPO) and stock exchange listing to raising capital and debt. “When I started there, the company’s assets were USD66 million, and four years after my joining, that had risen to USD428 million,” says Mohamed. But, not one to rest on his laurels, he wanted more. He explains: “I could have stayed as CFO, I had a very nice life, but on December 2, 2015, I left the company to follow my passions of speaking, writing and travel.” Since then, he has done just that. A fiercely committed coach and speaker, he helps executives and their teams to increase sales and productivity. He speaks both as a motivator and as a trainer and creates collaborative books in which he and other acknowledged experts share their knowledge and advice. Topics covered are: customer service excellence – which is dealt with in his book Chai Karak – A Customer Service Story. How to be a world-class speaker – Mohamed is certified by champion speaker Craig Valentine and has co-authored a best-selling book on SPEAKING OF SUCCESS… this month INTERVIEWS Scan the code to see Mohamed Isa in Hollywood. Leading Light, p38 From Aerodynamics to STEM, p36 Mohamed Isa with his Best-Selling Author Award
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk0MTkxMQ==