NBK INSIDER Vol. 5 Issue 51

Power of Reliance

Dear colleagues, Qatar is now once again the host country for another conference that will bind the nations of the world in one common response to climate change: the UN Climate Change Conference COP18/ CMP8 scheduled from Nov. 26 – December 7, 2012. Climate change is a challenge that all of us share. All the 7 billion people living on the planet must act and work together to make this planet a healthy place for the generations to come. In this month’s issue, we have some guides on how we can contribute to this global cause with personal actions. Qatar Automobiles Company had recently hosted its first annual corporate event for its Mitsubishi and Fuso fleet customers. The successful launch of Lancer Fortis proves once again that QAC has emerged as the leading player in the Qatari Automotive market. We also interviewed Mr. Deepak Pothula, Division Head of Michelin, Bosch and Zeibart, who has over 18 years of experience in Sales, Marketing and Customer Service and has greatly contributed on the high-revenue achieved by Michelin the last few months. On the other hand, take a look at the new face-lifted NBK & Sons Powergen-Heavy Equipment Showroom and the new store of ZAI located at the Pearl. HR Training and Development kicks off its Customer Service Drive for Mercedes project. Have you heard of Appendicitis? Find out more about this In our Health section— its symptoms and causes. And of course, we encourage everyone to share with us your own story or any article that would be of interest to our readers. Send me an email at nbkinsider@nbks.com. Enjoy the cool weather! NBK Insider Team

Insider’s Note

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NBK IN THE NEWS

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QAC launches the all new Lancer Fortis

Qatar Automobiles Company, the exclusive dealer of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) in Qatar and a subsidiary of Nasser Bin Khaled Group, announced the launch of its all new Lancer Fortis, the newest version of the iconic Lancer model, in the local mar-ket. The superb backdrop of the Mitsubishi showroom, was embellished with all-new Lancer Fortis inspired attractions, featuring interactive displays and, of course, the all-new Lancer Fortis, the exhibits were as spectacular as the setting itself. "QAC has emerged as a leading player in the Qatari automotive market as a result of being able to offer customers the functionality and comfort they desire in a vehicle while still making it attainable," Explained Mr. Ihab El Feky, General Manager, Qatar Automo-tive Company. El Feky added, "We took one of our most successful models, kept its DNA, improved the visual appeal, the technology, and of course the driving experience. The new Fortis is one the most engaging vehicles in its class."

Apart from its unique design, the Lancer Fortis is powered by a MIVEC 1.8-litre petrol engine The MIVEC variable valve timing system provides higher

Mr. Katsuya Onoda, President of Mitsubishi Middle East with

NBK Managemnt

NBK IN THE NEWS engine efficiency at any engine speed, achieving high levels of both environmental performance (fuel efficiency, lower emissions) and engine perfor-mance. The all new Lancer Fortis INVECS-III (Intelligent & Innovative Vehicle Electronic Control System) CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) transmission system achieves low fuel consumption and a smooth ride. The Fortis also brings significant improvements in safety and environmental performance, thanks to the dual-stage SRS airbags, and other new passive safety measures. The all new Lancer Fortis is expected to set new

standards for the mid size city sedans, raising the

competition to new levels of performance and relia-

bility. As the Legendary Lancer model, Fortis is

foreseeable to achieve high sales numbers for its

state-of-the-art technology, modern design, reliabil-

ity, low fuel consumption, and reasonable price.

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Mr. Katsuya Onoda

President of Mitsubishi Middle

East and Africa

Mr. Ehab El-Feky

General Manager

Qatar Automobiles Company

Qatar Automobiles Company hosts Mitsubishi and Mitsubishi

FUSO First Annual Corporate Event in Intercontinental Doha

NBK IN THE NEWS

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Qatar Automobiles Company organized a prestigious customer dinner for Mitsubishi and FUSO fleet custom-ers in Intercontinental Hotel Doha. The dinner was held in presence of distinguished figures of society. The large attendees list included distinguished figures of society, prominent entrepreneurs and many of Nasser Bin Khaled’s management team. Mr. Ihab El Feky, General Manager, Qatar Automobiles Company said at the event, "Working in one of the region's most competitive and fastest growing markets, it is essential for us to develop deep understanding for our clients' needs, and to adapt to ever changing market conditions. Therefore we keep communication lines open with our clients, putting their satisfaction at the heart of everything we do. Our goal is to preserve their valued trust, which we gained over four decades of providing dedicated premium services."

During the event Mr. Husam Abo Abdoh, Fleet Man-ager of QAC presented the all new Lancer Fortis for the company's fleet customers, He said, "We are confident that Lancer Fortis would prove itself among its rivals in the Qatari market. With its sturdy perfor-mance, spacious cabin, and low running costs it is one of the best fleet cars we have." Lancer Fortis, The latest addition to the Mitsubishi fleet, is beauti-fully designed with dynamic lines and a touch of ele-gance. Compact from the outside generous from the inside Lancer Fortis offers unmatched roominess for both the passengers and their luggage. To ensure best performance Mitsubishi equipped its new med size sedan with a (MIVEC) 1.8 liter engine. After the brief presentation, Mr. Husam Abo Abdoh said, "Gatherings such as these are the best opportunity for us to connect with our customers to hear out any issues that they might be facing, inter-act with the in-house team and a great way for us to show our appreciation for their loyalty and support which encourages our commitment to excellence and exceeding expectations." Since its establishment in 1970 until today QAC has been keen on building robust business relationships and alliances with its growing portfolio of customers. That’s what made the company one of the most prominent fleet services providers in Qatar, and one of the major companies in car industry in the Gulf. Qatar Automobiles Company, the sole dealer of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and FUSO trucks & Busses, has received many awards accrediting its outstanding performance during the past years, to mention but a few; Best Performance Award in the Middle East, and FUSO Award for Spe-cial Achievements.

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NBK IN THE NEWS

ZAI Opens a

New Outlet at

the Pearl

HR NEWS Head of Training and Development, Lance Rooney, kicks

off the ‘Customer Service Drive for Mercedes-Benz’ project

Phase 1 of the ‘Mercedes-Benz as a Customer-

Centric Organization’ project kicked off on Novem-

ber 18th-19th with the first of eight 2-day Customer

Service Fundamentals training programs running

each week until Sunday-Monday December 30th-

31st. The programs will be attended by all +/- 85 MB

customer-facing staff and will be rolled out by the

Head of Training and Development (HoT&D) and

program designer, Lance Rooney, and his team of 5

Certified In-House Trainers (CI-HTs); Alaa Hassan

(MB Client Relationship and Sales Consultant),

Kamal Sulaiman (MB Sales Engineer), Ahmad

Firoozi (MB CRM), Ahmed Azmy (MB Marketing Ex-

ecutive) and Jonineth Cabague (HR Training and

Development Officer). These CI-HTs underwent

their own Customer Service Fundamentals Train-the

-Trainer program with the HoT&D on November 4th-

5th to give them the content knowledge to deliver the

course effectively to their respective groups. All at-

tendees will be required to complete an ‘External

Customer Service Action Plan’ complete with their

own strategies and deadlines for achieving their Cus-

tomer Service goals. Their manager is responsible

for providing any resources they need to enable

them to meet these goals and will monitor accom-

plishment. This process builds In accountability at

both employee and manager level.

Phase 2 of this project commences in January 2013

and is designed to put the customer at the centre of

Mercedes-Benz operations by eliminating environ-

mental, process and policy factors which create bar-

riers to providing outstanding customer service. The

HoT&D has already researched the current situation

in this respect via interviews with NBKA General

Manager (Khalid Shaaban), General Sales Manager

(John Birch), After-Sales Manager (Andrew Bibby),

Marketing Manager (Tarek Habbal) and CRM

(Ahmad Firoozi), and will present a Customer-

Centric Service Quality Framework for discussion

and approval to this senior management team in or-

der to ensure this intervention is successful in bring-

ing about significant increases in CSI and thus the

business bottom line.

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Head of Training and Development, Lance Rooney (standing), with the first group of Mercedes-Benz customer-facing staff at-

tending their Customer Service Fundamentals training program.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Tell us a bit about your career so far

I have had a very challenging and successful career with a rich experience in sales, market-ing and customer service operations. Worked for over 18 years in the tyre industry in India and Oman was associated with some of the leading tyre brands like Goodyear, Continental, Yokohama, Kumho, MRF, Ceat. Was instru-mental in turning around many non performing areas of business into achieving business growth & profit. Some of the national level awards conferred to me were Certificate of Ex-cellence, Salesmanship Award, Truck Award, Technical Service Award, Shabaash Service, District Preneur Award, and many more.

A Self motivated and high achiever with over 18 years of rich experience in sales, marketing & customer, NBK Insider got a chance to know the real Deepak Pothula. A very reserved and quiet man, Deepak is actually known by many of his staff and colleagues as the “Action Man”. That is why, its no wonder that Michelin sales grew by a staggering fifty percent!

Many people confuse Marketing with Sales – what’s the difference in your opinion? Marketing and sales are both activities aimed at increasing revenue. They are so closely inter-twined that people often don’t realize the differ-ence between the two. Indeed, in small organi-zations, the same people typically perform both sales and marketing tasks. Nevertheless, mar-keting is different from sales and as the organi-zation grows, the roles and responsibilities be-come more specialized. Marketing is identifying customer needs, offering products to meet those needs, promotions to advertise said prod-ucts, shows how to reach to the Customers and create a pull for your products & Sales pushes

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the customer to purchase the product to fulfill their needs, it is the ultimate result of market-ing. What’s the most important aspect of both practices? Marketing and sales go hand in glove both are interlinked there is no sales without marketing and no marketing if it cannot push your sales. The main objective of marketing is to drive higher sales revenues and gain market shares, which is the main motive of each business. So the thumb rule for me is Marketing is a necessity but only if you can make the sale. There is no such thing as some-thing for nothing. What are the main organization-al objectives of the newly formed entity of NBKS Retail Di-vision? NBKS Retail Division is headed by

Mr. Stefan Moench, GM of our Division. We are

into Automobile retail operations, we have chal-

lenging task ahead of us. Would like to give a

new look to the business handled by us to pro-

vide our customers a world class experience in

auto retail industry. We would be the first in the

region to incorporate all three brands under one

roof i.e. Michelin, Bosch & Ziebart. Accordingly

we have planned for huge investments in the

coming years and at the end of the day our

business objective is creating and developing

services and products to accomplish sales vol-

umes, increase market share, return on invest-

ment. We also have Harley Davidson and Ka-

wasaki in our group, Mr. Stefan would be in a

position to give you a broader picture on the

whole business.

How long have you been in Qatar for? What were your most memorable moments with NBK? The world is looking at Qatar and I should say I am very fortunate to be associated with Qatar and NBK. I am here since April 2012 and have enjoyed each and every moment. God has been so kind to us that he has acknowledged

each of our efforts to enable us to grow by close to 50% last few months. But I personally feel that there is so much more that we can do. Being associated with one of the prestigious automobile houses in the region and sharing the platform with some of the great’s in the business like Mr. Farrukh, Mr. Volker, Mr. Yann and Mr. Stefan is itself a great honor and all the moments that I have spent with them is very memorable and has given me a rich & valuable experience.

Any funny anecdotes you can share with us? Wrongly read the tick-et reached the airport 5pm to take the flight that de-parted at 7am that morn-ing. Your motto in life? Learn from the past, plan for the future by focusing

on today. Your advice to your children? There is no shortcut to success, work hard to reach your dreams. Favorite book, movie, place to be? My favorite book is Mahabharata; it is one of the greatest epics of India it explains love, cour-age, truth, lies, deceit, selfishness, foolishness and every other human emotion. Any last message? Within you there is a spirit able to reach the stars. Within you is the ability to achieve your goals and realize your dreams. Do not listen to others or competition issues, not worry if you mess up. In each experiment wisdom is gained. Have faith in yourself and move forward with confidence, fully believing your ability as the special person that has been designed to be within you there is a spirit able to reach the stars. Give your 100% & enjoy whatever you do.

“I am here since April 2012 and

have enjoyed each and every

moment. God has been so kind

to us that he has acknowledged

each of our efforts to enable us

to grow by close to 50% last few

months. But I personally feel

that there is so much more that

we can do. ”

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HEALTH NEWS

Appendicitis

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Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, a 3 1/2-inch-long tube

of tissue that extends from the large intestine. No one is absolutely cer-

tain what the function of the appendix is. One thing we do know: We can

live without it, without apparent consequences.

Appendicitis is a medical emergency that requires prompt surgery to

remove the appendix. Left untreated, an inflamed appendix will eventu-

ally burst, or perforate, spilling infectious materials into the abdominal

cavity. This can lead to peritonitis, a serious inflammation of the ab-

dominal cavity's lining (the peritoneum) that can be fatal unless it is

treated quickly with strong antibiotics.

Sometimes a pus-filled abscess (infection that is walled off from the rest of the body) forms outside the inflamed appen-

dix. Scar tissue then "walls off" the appendix from the rest of the abdomen, preventing infection from spreading. An ab-

scessed appendix is a less urgent situation, but unfortunately, it can't be identified without surgery. For this reason, all

cases of appendicitis are treated as emergencies, requiring surgery.

In the U.S., one in 15 people will get appendicitis. Although it can strike at any age, appendicitis is rare under age 2 and

most common between ages 10 and 30.

What Causes Appendicitis?

Appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes blocked, often by stool, a foreign body, or cancer. Blockage may also

occur from infection, since the appendix swells in response to any infection in the body.

What Are the Symptoms of Appendicitis?

The classic symptoms of appendicitis include:

Dull pain near the navel or the upper abdomen that becomes sharp as it moves to the lower right abdomen. This is

usually the first sign.

Loss of appetite

Nausea and/or vomiting soon after abdominal pain begins

Abdominal swelling

Fever of 99-102 degrees Fahrenheit

Inability to pass gas

Almost half the time, other symptoms of appendicitis appear, including:

Dull or sharp pain anywhere in the upper or lower abdomen, back, or rectum

Painful urination

Vomiting that precedes the abdominal pain

Severe cramps

Constipation or diarrhea with gas

If you have any of the mentioned symptoms, seek medical attention immediately since timely diagnosis and treatment is

very important. Do not eat, drink, or use any pain remedies, antacids, laxatives, or heating pads, which can cause an

inflamed appendix to rupture.

NEW JOINERS

Allan Prado

Pump Filler

Station

Birendra Maharjan

Plumber

Real Estate

Bobby Odhiambo

Technical Service

Officer –Michelin

Abdelrahman Hassan -

Counter Sales Agent -

NBKS Class Leasing

David Andrew Barnes

Sales & Marketing

NBKFS

Donato Marasigan

Automatic

QAC Service

Emil Jasmin

Painter

QAC Service

Erwin Palting

Pump Filler

Station

Jatinbhai Acharya

Technician

NBKA PC Service

Jayrick Apostol

Pump Filler

Station

Joanna Rekik

Business Process Analyst

NBKA MB

Mahabir Singh

Maintenance

Technician NBKA

PC Service

Mahinda

Naidelage Driver

Class Leasing

Marwa Dahboul

Contract & Customer

Service Consultant

NBKFS

Marx Embang

Auto Mechanic

QAC

Mohammed Rizal

Sr. Sales Executive

Harley Davidson

Nicolas Habtout

Sales Advisor

Ziebart

Mohammed Huq

Business Analyst

NBKFS

Rafeez Kandak

Business Process

Analyst NBKFS

Reeham Abou Zaki

Counter Sales Agent

Class leasing

Renato Rodriguez

Supervisor

PC Bodyshop

Rodrigo Arias

Denter

NBKA Bodyshop

Rogelio Cantor

Auto Mechanic

Bosch

Ryan Ortiz

Auto Denter

PC Bodyshop

Sabine Mesarra Contract & Customer

Service Consultant

NBKFS

Sreekumar Erranatil

Parts Sales Consultant

Heavy Equipment

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Saif Mohammad

Support Service

Engineer NBK -BIT

EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

Housam Cherif and Haitham Ebef

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Hussein Abdullatiff

Mohammad Abdulhak

EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

Rick Castroverde

Mohammed Sohel

Richard Salazar

Noli Saquillo

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SPECIAL REPORT

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Rising sea levels. Extreme weather shifts. Severe flooding. Increasingly frequent and intense natu-

ral disasters. If we don't do something about climate change now, all could become a reality. While

some climate change is the result of natural processes, the most significant shifts in the Earth’s tem-

perature are caused by human activities -- specifically, by the excessive release of greenhouse gas

(GHG) emissions into the atmosphere, largely the result of deforestation, agricultural conversion

and unsustainable tourism. Global warming can be slowed, and stopped, with practical actions that

yield a cleaner, healthier atmosphere. The question is: will we act soon enough?

Ultimately it is up to each of us, as individuals and families, to take action to slow down and eventu-

ally reverse global warming through everyday awareness of our energy use, and attention to ways

we can conserve electricity and minimize fossil fuel usage.

C U R B I N G

“Many people don’t realize that we are committed right now to a signifi-

cant amount of global warming and sea level rise…the longer we wait to

do something about it, the more change we will have.”

Gerald Meehl, The National Center for Atmospheric Research

What we can do

The goal is to bring global warming under control by curtailing the release of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping “greenhouse” gases into the at-mosphere.

We can contribute to this global cause with personal actions. Our individual efforts are especially significant in countries like the US and Canada, where individuals release over 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per per-son every year.

Reduce electricity usage around the home

The largest source of greenhouse gases is electric power generation. The average home actually contributes more to global warming than the average car. This is because much of the energy we use in our homes comes from power plants which burn fossil fuel to power our electric products.

To reduce the amount of electricity used in our homes:

Switch to energy-efficient lighting

Replace the familiar incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. For each CFL bulb replacement, you’ll lower your energy bill and keep nearly 700 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air over the bulb’s lifetime. CFL bulbs last much longer and use only a quarter of the energy consumed by conventional bulbs.

Improve the efficiency of home appliances

Home appliances vary greatly in terms of ener-gy-efficiency and operating costs. The more energy-efficient an appliance is, the less it costs to run. You can lower your utility bill and help protect the environment.

Buy energy-efficient appliances when

shopping for a new appliance

Do this especially when shopping for a major appliance such as a refrigerator, dishwasher, or air-conditioner – select the one with the highest energy efficiency rating. By opting for a refrigerator with the Energy Star label — in-dicating it uses at least 15 percent less energy than the federal requirement — you can re-duce carbon dioxide pollution by nearly a ton in total.

Improve vehicle fuel-efficiency

The second largest source of greenhouse gas-es is transportation. Motor vehicles are re-sponsible for about a third of all carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. and Canada.

Practice fuel-efficient driving

Every gallon of gasoline burned puts 26 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. You can boost the overall fuel-efficiency of your car as much as 30% by simple vehicle maintenance and attention to your style of driving.

Buy a fuel-efficient car

Even more important is the choice of car or truck you buy. If you buy a new car that gets 10 more miles per gallon than your old car, the amount of carbon dioxide reduction realized in one year will be about 2,500 pounds. The new hybrid cars, using efficient gas-electric en-gines, can cut global warming pollution by 30% or more.

Recycle air conditioner coolant

If your car has an air conditioner, make sure you recycle its coolant whenever you have it serviced. You can save thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide each year by doing this.

Drive less

You’ll save energy by taking the bus, riding a bike, or walking. Try consolidating trips to the mall or longer routine drives. Encourage car-pooling.

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SPECIAL REPORT

Conserve energy in the home

Recycle whenever possible

Aluminum cans, newspapers, magazines, cardboard, glass – anything recycled reduces the energy needed to create new products.

Eat locally produced food Today, the food choices available in supermar kets come from all over the world. All of this ‘traffic’ in food requires staggering amounts of fuel – generally by refrigerated airplanes or transport trucks. Food transportation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

Eat vegetarian meals

Vegetarian food requires much less energy to produce. Enjoying vegetarian meals once or twice a week results in significant CO2 savings.

Paint your home a light color if you live in a warm climate, or a dark color in a cold cli-

mate.

This can contribute saving up to 5000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.

Choose clean energy options

If you can choose your electricity supplier, pick a company that generates at least half its pow-er from wind, solar energy and other renewa-ble sources.

While it may be difficult to adopt some of these suggestions, any amount of energy saved is significant. Even small changes are worth-while, as they spark our awareness. As we be-come more aware of the importance of saving energy, we find ways of saving where possi-ble.

“Making energy conservation a

part of our daily awareness is

essential to the goal of

reducing global warming.”

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LIFE IN MOTION

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Shabaz Shirazi

Tarek Magdy

Food….Fun….and Friends! That’s what happens when we celebrate

our colleagues 'birthdays at the office!

Eric Calderon

Joni Cabague and Sara Gebril

Thea Quirino