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Change leader: Sirish Samba CEO of Sambatek (Minneapolis, MN), a professional services firm with an authentic culture that promotes openness, transparency, and trust.
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent
S taff describe him as “inspiring” and “relentlessly determined to achieve his dreams.” When asked about the challenges he’s overcome, Samba’s response is, “What challenges?” In 2009, he championed the efforts to restructure Sambatek and took responsibility as the firm’s primary owner. Since then, he’s led Sambatek into a phase of growth and energy. “As an entrepreneurial engineering firm, we’re always looking to expand our services to new markets and to new locations – wherever our clients take us,” Samba says. “We’re always on the lookout for acquisition targets to diversify our market and geographic reach.” A CONVERSATION WITH SIRISH SAMBA. The Zweig Letter: How much time do you spend working “in the business” rather than “on the business?” Sirish Samba: As a practicing civil engineer, I enjoy working with our clients on a day-to-day basis. I do, however, believe that working “on the business” is a
key contributor of business readiness in the long-term. Therefore, we are developing the discipline to master that style of modus operandi. We’ve separated the roles of CEO and COO. In my role as CEO, I want to spend more of my time working on the business while day-to-day operations and working in the business is taken up predominantly by our COO and our directors. The leadership team meets every quarter “off-site” to discuss topics pertaining to working on the business. I must say some of my best ideas working “on the business” come during my down time. TZL: What role does your family play in your career? Are work and family separate, or is there overlap? SS: With the connected nature of our business, I’m not sure I can say it is distinctly separate between family time and work time. I have two teenage daughters and a younger son. I sometimes talk about work deliberately during family time with the hope they too will openly talk more about their day at school. I believe it was Dicky Fox in the movie Jerry McGuire who said, “If this [heart]
THE ZWEIG LETTER Febru
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