Navid Rashid says his childhood ambition to “rule the skies” has strengthened over the years, pushing him to excel in every task. “I wanted to become a pilot in my younger days,” he explains. “While that ambition remained unfulfilled, the urge to reach the top remained.”

He uses an aggressive style of management to get the job done. “Every member in my team is best suited for the job assigned to them. In our work environment, everyone’s opinion matters and everyone’s contribution counts. To ensure that our targets are met, I like to roll up my sleeves and be in the thick of things. The best way to take up a challenge is to meet it head-on,” he says. Rashid brings to the table over 23 years of experience. Prior to joining Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL), he worked with DishTV India. He earlier worked with Reliance, Hutch (now Vodafone Essar), Easycall (India), Maxworth Orchards (India) and Saudi Airways.

Currently, as chief operating officer (COO) of SSTL’s Gujarat circle, he is responsible for the development of the operator’s services in the state. Besides this, he is responsible for the implementation of the company’s business strategy in Gujarat, the development of its overall business, marketing the company’s products, managing its infrastructure, enhancing capacity, and overseeing planning and governance.

He considers his current stint as his most memorable assignment to date. “We were informed about the launch of services in Gujarat just three days in advance. The team was relatively new, but it was very satisfying to tackle the challenges together. Even more gratifying was the way the team worked,” he says.

So, what are the targets before him as COO? “Gujarat as a market has always been open to change,” he says. “We at SSTL are determined to bring about a distinct change in the way the market perceives CDMA technology and also drive home the superiority of our data services. Our biggest advantage is the Gujarat market itself. It is aware of price advantages and has always accepted modernity. Our plan is two-pronged, to tap the market with our More Talk, Less Charge voice plans and to tap internet users across urban and semi-urban markets through mobile broadband solutions,” he says. 

With such a full plate, it is not surprising that he considers spare time a “scarce commodity”. He says, “Whenever I manage to take a break, spending time with my family is on the top of my priority list. Other than that, I enjoy watching Bollywood potboilers, and reading autobiographical works and industry-related journals.”