After earning an MBA from the US, Sol joined P&G, then Clorox, followed by Chesebrough-Ponds (now Unilever), and then Mennen (now Colgate) over a 15-year period, all working on businesses in the GCC. After that, Sol moved from his base in Geneva, Switzerland, to Saudi Arabia, where he joined the prestigious Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF) as a consultant, followed by the National Food Industries Company Ltd., then the Shaker Group, all in Saudi Arabia.

While having a full-time career in business, Sol taught for 12 years as a part-time lecturer at reputable American universities such as Webster University in Geneva, the American University of Beirut (AUB), and the Lebanese Canadian University (LCU) in Lebanon.

Sol is an investor and business owner focusing on developing new environmentally friendly solar-powered air conditioners that are over 50% more energy efficient than any other existing AC products.

Finally, Sol is also working on his PhD in Business with the Swiss Business School in Zurich.

What are the most significant trends currently shaping the business landscape in the Middle East?
With the workforce being populated by Millennials and the current inflow of Generation Z, management and business owners must adapt their management style to cope with the latest workplace expectations, as the old ‘top-down’ management style is no longer effective.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your role, and how do you overcome them?
Having to hire an ever-increasing number of national employees, management needs to conduct a lot of training, particularly in job and communications skills and work ethics.

What innovative strategies are companies in the Middle East adopting to stay competitive?
To remain competitive, companies have to hire and train a competent workforce. In addition, market opportunities are changing, with new opportunities opening up to cater to the needs of the younger and more affluent generations with changing lifestyles. This opens opportunities for new companies to enter the market and requires some existing companies to adapt to the changing market conditions.

How is your company leveraging digital transformation to enhance its operations?
At Ai Solar Cooling, we adapt like the rest of the market by adopting new technologies and processes as they are tried and tested. Some technologies and processes that work well in the Developed world may not work well in the Middle East. Therefore, we have to use our skills and experience to adapt such new methodologies for the best outcome in our region.

What are the primary challenges businesses face in the Middle East, and how can they overcome them?
The everchanging geopolitical conditions, regional instability, and constant economic fluctuations are causing havoc to our planning process. Businesses must develop contingency plans for every foreseeable crisis and be ready to implement such contingency plans at a moment’s notice. Managers who have gained a lot of experience living and working in the Middle East have faced and overcome such situations in the past. They rely on their experience and expertise to manage the ever-evolving economic, social, and political changing conditions.

How do regulatory changes impact business operations, and what categories can companies use to navigate these changes?
Regulatory changes impact different companies in different ways. All managers must anticipate such changes and be ready to adapt and comply when it is appropriate.

How important is cultural understanding in managing teams and businesses in the Middle East?
This is paramount. With so many different nationalities, cultures, languages, and religions and variable levels of experience in the workforce, knowing how to manage various teams with different expectations is very important. It could mean the difference between the business’s success and failure.
What will be your company’s goals for the next 5 years?
At Ai Solar Cooling, we aim to become market leaders and to make a big difference in reducing the region’s carbon footprint and help to protect the environment while providing significant savings to AC users by offering solar-powered air conditioners that are environmentally friendly and save up to 50% energy,

What is the one quote you absolutely live by or find helpful?
As managers, we make plans, work the plans, and reevaluate the plans wherever needed.
Our Motto is: “People do not Plan to Fail, But they Fail to Plan.”