Work smart, be patient and consistent. Never miss out an opportunity to learn, says Afaf Ali Moosa, Unit Head-Large Corporates, Bank Muscat in an interview with Oommen John P
Having graduated in e-commerce, Afaf Ali Moosa has never missed an opportunity to excel in what she does. “It doesn’t matter what you do, every role – whether big or small – plays an important part. As long as you respect what you do, and do it with passion, you won’t fail” she says.
“I was raised in Oman – from pre-school all the way up to college, a 100 per cent Omani product. My schooling was split between Muscat Private School and AL Sahwa Schools and I completed my bachelor’s degree in e-commerce from Majan College,” she says. After graduation, Afaf joined Bank Muscat and started her career at the Corporate Banking Department. Over the past 11 years, she has grown to occupy the position of Unit Head of one of the units in large corporates.
“I am a relatively calm person and have a good handle on my emotions. I am committed and dedicated and aim to do things with a certain degree of perfection. I have a positive attitude and I am a good listener too. And of course, my biggest strength of all, is my support system -my family. Afaf has a lot of people, who have influenced her all along. “There are so many wonderful people we meet daily, each with their own set of characteristics that we admire and can learn from,’’ Afaf avers.
Having worked with Bank Muscat for the past 11-years, she says the journey has been great. “I appreciate the level of commitment the bank has in investing back into its employees. Whatever my skill set today and wherever I have reached has a lot to do with how much the bank has supported and believed in me as well.”
Afaf loves to travel and has a passion for home improvement projects and setting up for birthdays, however, being a full-time employee, a mum of two, a wife, and a daughter leaves her very little time to purse what she likes.
“I like to do things differently. I see this most coming out at work. I like to lead by example, treat others how I would like to be treated. I speak my mind with bosses and always take the inputs of my team showing them that they are part of the equation regardless of their experience. I am also very big on pushing my team in the deep end so at least they know what not to do going forward. As a leader I would like to be someone who is looked up to not out of fear but respect. Someone who is wise and resilient, approachable and someone who empowers others! I would like to create an environment that brings the best out in my teams, who constructively face disruption and work in a fun and innovative manner. Success to me would be, when I see my colleagues complementing each other towards achieving a goal rather than competing with each other for short term gains, she adds.
Afaf has lot of plans for the future. “I am looking forward to completing my education, building on my strengths, bridging my weaknesses and in due course becoming an executive member of the Bank Muscat family. Her advice to the young Omanis is “Work smart, be patient and consistent. Never miss out on an opportunity to learn.”
