Mr. Adnan Asdar Ali Inspires Audience at Latest 'Leaders at LUMS' Session
The latest session of Leaders at LUMS featured Mr. Adnan Asdar Ali, Co-founder, CEO and Executive Director, Multinet Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd, who shared valuable insights about his personal and professional achievements, and the life lessons he has learnt along the way.
Held on October 14, the session shed light on his business mantras that have brought him success in whichever industry he has worked in. Moderated by Mr. Adeel Hashmi, the conversation also covered Mr. Ali’s various philanthropic endeavours.
Mr. Ali explained that while living in East Pakistan he surely considered himself to be privileged. “However, my father passed away in 1965 in a plane crash. In 1971, when the partition happened our family was split. My mother was taken as a POW to the civilian camps, myself and my brother, Kamran, came to Lahore, and my sister went to Karachi. It was only in 1974 that my mother was repatriated and we then started our journey from scratch; all of our privilege was left behind.”
Mr. Ali explained that Pakistan is a country of opportunities, and it is very much possible to be a self-made man despite the obstacles. “The youth of today has more access than ever before. Approximately 37% of the world’s population touches your borders. You’re right in the middle of opportunities. I think you have to have the right mind-set to be able to understand this and the advantage you have, especially the students who are at LUMS.”
After completing his higher education in the USA, Mr. Ali started his own project management company, AAA Partnership, and went on to co-found Multinet Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd. – the foremost independent brand in the telecom industry.
With over 35 years of diverse experience in the disciplines of forensic engineering, construction management and IT/Telecom, Mr. Ali shared the ethos behind his professional success. “Any work we do at Multinet Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd. follows a certain set of principles: purpose, purpose, purpose, and then profit. This is a mantra we follow very strictly.”
For Mr. Ali, his true passion and dedication stems from the philanthropic initiatives he supports in underserved areas of education, disaster management, healthcare, affordable housing and the environment. He is affiliated with several major organisations that serve marginalised and underprivileged members of the population at large, including The Citizens Foundation, The Indus Hospital Network and Karachi Relief Trust
“You are indebted to the society you grow up in. If we understand this responsibility, we as a society can prosper. What inspires my journey is when I see people like Syed Babar Ali sahib, who have remained committed to giving back to society. Also, when we achieve something automatically our resolve is further strengthened. The challenge is to keep at it.”
He advised the youth to work towards solving the problems plaguing the country that have not yet been solved by others. “Fail, but fail fast and at the same time move forward. The 21st century is not about having the right answers, it is about knowing the right questions. Thus, graduates will need to reconfigure themselves within the next few years to keep up with the drastic changes happening.”
His parting advice to students was to consider their country like a mother. “As this country ages, she will need your support. No matter where you go, which part of the world you are in, do not forget her and keep supporting her.”
At the end of the session, Vice Chancellor LUMS, Dr. Arshad Ahmad thanked Mr. Ali for his time and lauded Mr. Ali’s clarity of purpose and his tenacity. “These have been the drivers for the many successes he has enjoyed in so many sectors. Whether you want to be a founder, innovator or entrepreneur, a benefactor, or for that matter, a humanitarian, he is a great example to be inspired by.”
The latest session of Leaders at LUMS can be viewed here.