In a number of family owned companies in the region, one finds the brothers running the business, with the sisters being relegated to a ceremonial role, within Yahya Group Holding LLC all the siblings are equal partners in the day-to-day operations. Natasha Yahya Mohammed Nasib, and her sister Nashia Yahya Nasib work closely with Yahya Mohammed Nasib, their father & Chairman of the company, and Naseeb Yahya Nasib, their brother, who is the Managing Director. “My father is a modern man who has never discriminated between us. My brother, who has an MBA from Carnegie Mellon and a second MBA in a hospitality & tourism program conducted by Cornell University and ESSEC in Paris, is the Managing Director, I am the Chief Operating Officer and a Director of the company and my sister Nashia, heads Marketing & Advertising and is also a corporate Director. This demonstrates my father’s full confidence in our abilities,” says Natasha.
Both Natasha & Nashia attended high school in Oman, before graduating college in Switzerland. “My father is a businessman and it was his dream that we all should carry on what he created and built and hence I pursued business administration with a minor in French.” As a part of Natasha’s college course work she underwent an internship at Costain’s in London. On her return to Oman, in 1993, she joined Snowhite LLC, the family’s dry cleaning business. As the Business Development Director of Snowhite she worked on bringing new projects and contracts. She also took special care of the staff by improving their status and work ethic, Natasha firmly believes the staff is the backbone of the company and without their wellbeing the company would not be the premier dry cleaner & laundry in the Sultanate. After years of learning the business and marketplace, Natasha became the head of Snowhite LLC.
Roles and responsibilities
Natasha is currently the Director who oversees Dolphin Village, a residential resort community and Snowhite Laundry. Dolphin Village is close to completing their expansion and by end of the third quarter of 2014, will be home to approximately 1,000 people. When finished, the complex will boast over 335 villas and apartments, three swimming pools, a new & unique clubhouse, a family centre, two gyms, a full service spa as well as offer fully furnished homes with professional management always on site. “Dolphin Village is a family oriented place that caters to the business community,” she adds. The group plans to develop a multi-use project in the Bausher area, which will have two Accor franchised hotels on the property. “Our company owns a number of five & four star hotels in Europe & North America and the hotels in Oman will continue our tradition of providing luxury places to visit. The Oman hotels will be high four star properties. As a company, we feel this is the right time to move forward with our Oman strategy. Tourism and real estate is expanding, and Oman has become a regional as well as a global destination.” She continues, “the Bausher property will also include, a shopping mall & promenade, over 700 apartments as well as three office buildings and a distinctive museum that will feature both special family collectables as well as Omani artefacts.” Natasha remembers how her father extolled the merits of Bausher decades ago, “My father is a visionary and he always told us that the Bausher area is going to be special, at a time when Qurm was the centre of Muscat. Now with the development of the Muscat Expressway, Bausher has grown and is centrally located and within easy access to all areas of the Capital.”
Natasha recalls an early trial was gaining her father’s faith. She recollects how it was challenging when the younger generations efforts to improve, change and contribute were occasionally seen as being a bit disruptive. “My father, comes from different generation with different thought processes but gradually we managed to understand each other and find a middle ground.” Natasha added “my father always emphasised education and placed us in first-class schools, this helped him respect our views and with experience allowed us to develop into the managers we are today.”
Natasha says that along with her siblings they strive daily to improve the business by bringing in ideas and fresh thoughts. Even though sometimes her father feels that her generation will take risks, he realises that his children are capable of steering the company in new directions taking it to new heights. Natasha is also aware that her father will treat her no differently than any of his other executive managers. “I am required to explain to him, as the Chairman, the decision process and take responsibility. He treats all of his children as he does his other executive managers. If we make mistakes we suffer the consequences and try our best next time. I believe it might be harder on us than the other senior staff as we never want to let down our Chairman but more importantly our father.”
All three siblings are involved with the business and they have established a good working relationship in which there is room for negotiation and disagreement. Overall, there is a realisation that the business does not belong to any one person but to everyone. Her father has given his children the confidence and authority to take the business forward, but he is always available for advice. Speaking about their business ethos Natasha says, “All of us are conservative and believe in taking calculated risks. We will not venture into an area where we are doubtful about the benefits to the overall company and we constantly look at the future more than our present needs.”
Presenting the question on why the family has not completely hired outside professionals to run the company Natasha explains, “We currently have a number of well qualified senior staff and hiring additional management is something that we have considered. I think it is a reasonable idea to have non-family members helping manage the business, while we keep a watch, but we are not ready for a total non-family management style as yet. Maybe we enjoy getting our hands dirty but the key is no one will respect and protect the company, as our family will. The family members have a number of ideas that we want to implement. Possibly after the major Bausher project, that we are executing, we will bring in more professionals to help manage the business, we will address that hurdle at the appropriate time. We have also talked about going public and that too is on the radar.”
Stepping out
Natasha was the head of the Business Women’s Forum of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) for four years and she recalls it as a wonderful experience and a great learning ground. It gave her a better understanding of how the government operates and how to work within its parameters. The OCCI and its Women’s Forum was a bridge between the government and the private sector. An extrovert by nature, Natasha voiced her views and helped the forum gain an even stronger respectability.
Though there is no formal family constitution, Natasha says that her father has divided the business equally amongst his children keeping in mind the talents of each person and the best interests of the company. She is mindful that succession planning matters and will not be disregarded, for generational preparation is the cornerstone of longevity of a family owned and run business.
Natasha says that the idea of working outside the family business has never really crossed her mind; she enjoys working for Yahya Group Holding. “For us this company is important, as it is not only a business but a legacy. My father built this business and at this time we would not allow it to be controlled by others. Working in another company is an option but not for me,” she adds. Even though this has been her path, Natasha is clear that she will not force her choice on her children, “I will leave my children to do whatever they desire to do, if they believe they would be good for the business I would encourage them, without pushing them,” she signs off.
MUSCAT: Snowhite, a commercial laundry company, was established in 1974 and as a subsidiary company under Yahya Group Holding today, is the oldest and largest commercial laundry and dry cleaning operation across the Sultanate of Oman.
Dolphin Village, a premier residential resort community in Bausher, is happy to announce the addition of 70 villas & apartments and a second swimming pool. Reaching close to 100% occupancy with only eight apartments still available, Mrs. Natasha Yahya Nasib, a Director of Yahya Group Holding LLC, is excited about the progress and accompanied growth the Village has experienced.
Dolphin Village is delighted to announce the launch of our new website.
