Relationships are more important than money

Adil Popat, the CEO of Simba Corporation playing at Sigona Golf Club. PHOTO FILE|NATION 

By Susan Muumbi

In Summary

• Adil Popat, the CEO of Simba Corporation talking about the success of running a family-owned business. Simba Corporation is a Kenyan company with interests in hospitality, real estate and vehicle distribution and leasing business in Kenya.
• He advices that money is not everything but rather building and maintaining strong relationships with people that can support you when you need them.
• He loves reading, golfing, travelling, golfing and watching his English side team, Manchester United play.

Adil Popat is the CEO of Simba Corporation, a diversified Kenyan company with interests in hospitality, real estate and vehicle distribution, representing brands such as BMW, Mitsubishi, Renault, SAME and Mahindra. The company also represents Avis, and runs the largest motor vehicle leasing business in Kenya.

Mr Popat has extensive experience in the development and running of hotels worldwide. He has 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry.

He set up Simba Corp Hospitality in 2013. It  manages the Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi and the  Olare Mara Kempinski in the Maasai Mara, as well as the home grown brand Acacia Premier.

Mr Popat holds an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School in Pennsylvania, and a BA in Business, Finance and Marketing from the University of Washington.

He is a former member of the Aga Khan Economic Planning Board, the body in charge of economic planning at the Aga Khan Development Network. He is a member of the Wharton EMEA board.

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You run a family business. What are the most important lessons you learnt from  your father?

My father was the eldest of 10 siblings. He taught me that to be successful I had to work hard. Brilliance on its own is not enough. He also taught me to maintain a good reputation. It is easy to lose your reputation, and difficult to get back.

What values would you want to pass on to your children?

The younger generation is in a hurry to make money and be successful. I advise my children to be patient, and to build a strong foundation for a successful life, marriage and business. Marriage can be difficult in the beginning, but with time you learn to respect each other.

I also tell them that money isn’t everything. They need to build strong relationships and maintain them. These people can support you when you need them.

The third thing I emphasise is that they should take responsibility for their lives, and give back to society. Eventually it comes back.

What books are you reading?

Currently I am reading Unafraid, by Kennedy and Jessica Odede. They are both New York Times best-selling authors, and the founders of Shofco (Shining Hope for Communities) in Kibera.

I have also read all the books by John Grisham. I read some Indian authors to connect with that side of my heritage. Sometimes I wonder what life would have been like if we were still in India.

What do you like to watch on TV?

I am a big sports fan. I support the English football team Manchester United, and try not to miss any of their games. Sometimes I watch the series with my wife. I also enjoy watching golf, which I play.

What’s your golf handicap?

I am now playing off 22, but at one point I had gone up to 13. But I got busy and stopped playing for some time.

What is your best destination yet in East Africa?

The Maasai Mara. This is the place where I can just switch off and relax.

What is the one piece of technology that you cannot live without?

My mobile phone. Although I am not completely attached to it and I switch it off at night.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

That would be my family. I have great relationships with my children.

What’s your biggest regret?

Some family relationships have broken down, and that is quite sad.

What advice would you give to other family-owned businesses?

You need to identify individual strengths and use them appropriately. Not everyone is good at business.

What’s your favourite food?

I travel a lot and enjoy cuisines from all over the world. But my favourite meal is home-cooked chicken curry.

You lived in Portugal for a while. What was that like?

The people are very friendly and they have great food and wine. And, my wife is from there.