Where were you born, where did you grow up and where do you live now?
I was born in Kenya and spent most of my life in Uganda.  My family still live in Uganda. However I came to England for my A-Levels and University studies. Alhamdulilah after graduating I was employed by BT and have lived in London since.

You are the President of the BT Muslim Group, tell me, how has your career developed?

 In October 2001 I joined BT as a graduate on the Major Business Netcentricity Programme. This was initially a small programme aimed at improving customer experience on BT.com I started off working on MIS, soon went on to work on managing the development of our Faults, Orders and Inventory tracking application which was at its pilot stage. 

The programme continued to grow with the development of many cycles. Alhamdulilah, I started to manage the development of these other applications, which involved working closely with the Accenture consultants who had been brought in.  I have stayed with the Netcentricity programme throughout my career with BT thus far as the role I was in kept changing and my responsibilities were growing.

As for the BT Muslim Group t's aim is to have a voice for Muslims in BT and help them in the growth at work.

What does a typical day consist of?

A large part of my day is usually taken up by conference calls and meetings discussing the various challenges that we are facing

and the best way to deal with this.  A lot of time is spent co-coordinating developers, consultants and the various stakeholders that are involved in the Major Business Netcentricity programme to ensure that decisions are made swiftly and timescales are adhered to. 

What do you enjoy about your role?

I enjoy the constant environment of learning especially having had the opportunity to work closely with many Consultants.  Coupled with the changing nature of what I have been doing, which has allowed me to gain wider experience as well as take ownership of key parts of the programme. 

How do you see your future at BT?

I am not sure as I am waiting to see how the Major Business Netcentricity Programme develops before making a decision but I would like to gain some experience possibly in the field of Marketing

How do you relax outside work?

Most of my family is in Uganda so I usually eat out at halal restaurants

with friends or I have people over at my place.  Since many of the people I grew up with in Uganda are in England studying during  weekends they tend to come and stay over. 

I am also a big Motor sport fan so on Rally or Formula 1 weekends, I find myself enjoying a weekend in front of the television with friends.

Who are you most inspired by? 

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him).  He is unarguably the most influential man this world has ever seen and had a deep impact on everyone he met.  He was the best of creation and was able to raise a generation of people the likes of which this world has not seen again.  It would be amazing to spend any amount of time with him and observe his manners, his character and his method of dealing with people and situations as well as to take some sincere advice and learn directly from him.

Which three words best describe you?

Focused, Efficient and Relaxed

How do you think Muslims should develop professionally?

Through both commitment and Education! With extra emphasis on Education and the gaining of knowledge which is probably the first step.  This needs to begin with the youth though and needs to be highlighted, since without Education, Muslims will continue to struggle to develop. The Majority of other communities have gone out and educated themselves and are focused on using professionalism to make greater strides in the workplace. We also need to understand our religion better as this places a great emphasis on doing things with Excellence. We need to understand that the striving of knowledge and working are acts of worship for us if done with the right intentions InshAllah.

This realisation and understanding of this will lead to greater commitment and excellence in everything we do. Mentoring is also essential, in order to remain humble, seek knowledge and advice from those that have more experience InshAllah.  I pray that we make sincere Dua and achieve great successes in the future InshAllah.

What continues to drive you to furthering your success?

The desire to want to have a positive impact on Society.  I love to learn and to use what I have learned to better myself and InshAllah have a positive impact on those I interact with.  As Muslims we should aim to be the best at whatever we do, InshAllah helping us to have a greater impact in this world.  May Allah (SWT) grant us success in this life and the next, Ameen.

Do you have a favourite hadith or ayat?

In the name of your Lord who created; He created man from a clinging form. Read! Your lord is the most Bountiful one; who taught by the Pen; who taught man what he did not know. Nay! Indeed man transgresses all bounds, in thinking himself to be self-sufficient; verily unto your lord is the return (Quran Surat Al-Alaq 96.1-8).

I have studied the Tafsir of this surah and it has so much depth and meaning that I couldn't possibly explain all the reasons for it being my favourite in this One2One. 

However the key aspects are the fact that the first 5 ayah were the first to be revealed and the whole emphasis on this is on gaining knowledge.  It is fascinating that the first thing that Allah revealed was Iqra (Read), rather than the prayer or fasting or any of the other pillars. My favourite part of this is the way it humbles you to respect knowledge and know that it came from Allah (SWT). 

It also warns us against thinking ourselves to be self-sufficient once we gain knowledge and rather we should know that this knowledge is ultimately from Allah (SWT).  It strikes me personally, as I know many people who gain knowledge and then start to feel great about it thinking that it is from their own greatness; verily unto your lord is the return.  I love knowledge and I love to be humbled and these ayat emphasise this.

What are your Islamic goals for the future?

I aim to continue studying Islam and trying to better myself as a person as well as do whatever I can to improve the state of whichever Society I am living in InshAllah.  My ultimate goal is to complete the tafsir of the whole Quran with a teacher InshAllah , this I am certain will have a profound  impact on my own development as well as those around me.
I have found that in order to develop the community, commitment is essential, it is sadly scarcely found however, I embrace the challenge. Therefore, InshAllah I intend to play a crucial part in helping others to recognize their potential. Particularly amongst the youth, who will constitute the future generation.