CEO- ROOTS International School (RIS)

Profile:

Blurb:

The focus should not be on private versus public debate, but rather on how both players can help improve the state of education in Pakistan for 5-16 year olds as stipulated in Article 25 A of the Constitution.

EVOLVE: What is the secret of your organization’s continuous and consistent growth?

Walid Mushtaq: Roots International Schools (RIS) has been the driving force in innovation, research and academic excellence in Pakistan, for over the last 28 years. We have set the standards for the entire education sector of the country. With innovative models of education being developed, latest technology enabled curriculum delivered in class rooms equipped with the latest 21st century technology, we have set the tone for progress and enablement of educational delivery institutions in the schooling sector and we are working for further development as a renowned academic institution.

EVOLVE: How do you manage a rapidly growing company while focusing on operations?

Walid Mushtaq: As a growing institution, we have always engrossed provision of quality education to the students as a long term goal. On one hand, we are aggressively working towards investments in education to build a knowledge based economy in Pakistan; however, on the other hand, we have equipped our institution with technical and skilful personnel by constructing a smart team to run the show.      

EVOLVE: You must be facing a number of business challenges. How do you address them? 

Walid Mushtaq: With very limited funding opportunities by the government, uprising over the cost of tuition and struggles to socio-economic conditions are some factors effecting provision of quality education. Private schooling is run solely on self-driven investment and by generating tuition revenue with substantial discounts and heavy scholarships whereas there is a high demand for well-equipped resources and well-structured facilities in the schools. We have to look beyond this and strive for socio-economic development to bring a progressive change to the societies of Pakistan. 

EVOLVE: How do you look at the industry and its current market trends?

Walid Mushtaq: Education is an important determinant of economic and social development of a nation. Quality of education in a country ultimately indicates the quality of its human resource. Expenditure on education is considered as an investment in human resource enrichment. There are a number of private schools who have earned a high reputation for providing quality education and maintaining academic standards. The educational landscape of Pakistan has gone through numerous transformations in the past two decades. Policy development needs to take into account how to maximize the learning outcomes as well as improve the state of affairs in both the private as well as public schools. The focus should not be on private versus public debate, but rather on how both players can help improve the state of education in Pakistan for 5-16 year olds as stipulated in Article 25 A of the Constitution.

EVOLVE: What is the importance of values in sustaining a company? Can values repel change?

Walid Mushtaq: Corporate and employee values are everything as they contribute to overall success of the institution and influence overall behavior. Values are instilled into employees through the examples set by their senior managers, supervisors and through training programs. They provide a framework which an organization engages with employees and its other stakeholders. Values need to be consistently communicated internally to ensure they are lived and breathed by everyone within the organization. As enterprise owners, we need to identify and live out the core values of our companies/institutions.

EVOLVE: What kind of culture you have maintained in your organization and how would you throw light in its significance? 

Walid Mushtaq: For me, a strong workplace culture is important and beneficial. At RIS, we have an impressive employee retention rate and a high employee satisfaction level. Clear, committed and inclusive leadership is an essential component at RIS in maintaining a great organizational culture. I make sure my team understands it and is able to effectively communicate and uphold it. We keep a good balance of social interactions alongside school activities to keep our teachers’ and other associates’ moral high. 

EVOLVE: How do you prevent mistakes and practice damage control?

Walid Mushtaq: No one person is great at every facet of running an enterprise particularly an educational setup. Therefore, to avoid mistakes and practice damage control, I make sure to identify each critical function and delegate the task to the most adept person to get the job done. Feedback is incredibly valuable for me, especially when it comes to making big decisions. Similarly, taking an opinion from student community and involving parents and guardians in school’s service is important for me. In addition, hiring right people to do the right job for grooming of children and development of school is another fruitful strategy to avoid future faults. 

EVOLVE: How do you see the quality of your products and customer service in a highly competitive market?

Walid Mushtaq: I consider the core dynamics of collaboration from the foundation on which we perform our duties and conduct ourselves. These underline our work, how we interact with each other and they of course are the basis of our strategies to fulfill our mission and deliver quality education to our students. The strong internal communication, effectively managing resources, inspiring and leading by example is the key factors which makes RIS a well reputed educational institution in the market. 

EVOLVE: What distinguishes your company from its competitors?

Walid Mushtaq: We have developed a caring and respectful environment at Roots International Schools within which each student feels valued and develops the understanding that diversity of gender, physical or mental ability, culture and background are strengths to be appreciated. We invest in character education so as to develop confidence, resilient students to further make them interdependent and socially responsible adults. I believe our stimulating and comprehensive programs make us different from other private school systems in the country. We have a firm belief in creating an environment that is ideal for learning and that makes education a stimulating experience.

EVOLVE: Is there any company that has ever impressed you?

Walid Mushtaq: There are a number of institutions working on education promotion and development nationally as well as globally. Being an educationist, I admire a number of colleges and higher education institutions and Harvard University, Stanford University and The University of Cambridge are a few of them. Institutions like these are role models to me in terms of their devotion to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders in many disciplines who make a difference globally.

EVOLVE: What is the recipe to achieve long-term success?

Walid Mushtaq: Leadership plays a vital role in institutionalization and achieving long term organizational goals. The key factors involve: the definition of institutional mission and role; the institutional embodiment of purpose; the defense of institutional integrity; and the ordering of internal conflict. It is up to leadership not only to create but to preserve values. In addition, what really matters is to engage, inspire and empower employees to become fully committed participants in the shared purpose which defines an organization or institution’s collective efforts. 

EVOLVE: Where do you see yourself and your organization in next 5-10 years?

Walid Mushtaq: Over the ten years, we will develop Roots International School’s role as a leading Pakistan based international school/college/university championing a socially inclusive approach to participation in higher education. We prepare our student to be professional, skilled individuals fitted for the modern world and committed to the communities in which they live and work. We will pioneer the development of new knowledge, scholarly understanding of curriculum and support the sustainable development of wider community. We highly aim to contribute towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by increasing enrollment rates and promoting education for all. 

EVOLVE: Any message for the readers of EVOLVE magazine?

Walid Mushtaq: Strive to learn and become a cultivated person as knowledge is your best friend. As this world has become a global village and is fast paced hence it only claims “Survival of the Fittest”. Keeping this phrase in mind, I encourage all the youth stay focused, learn and achieve their goals.