A passion for entrepreneurship, strong ethics and remarkable foresight laid the foundation for the Bokhowa Group four decades ago, and Managing Director, Esmahan Bokhowa, makes these very virtues the building blocks for continued success.
The eldest child, Esmahan remembers accompanying her father, Hassan Bokhowa, the group’s founder, to construction sites. “Dad was always a playful parent; he would often surprise us with the latest technological gadgets as gifts. Spending time with him was such fun that we wanted to accompany him all the time,” she says. “Visiting our construction sites with him strengthened my passion, commitment, discipline and dedication to my work and life. The foreman and labourers had great relations with us. Sometimes I would ask them to show me how to do things, and they enjoyed teaching us.”
Being familiar with the family business from early on, Esmahan could quickly choose her career path. “It became easy for me to know that I wanted to study accounting, after which I did my Masters in business administration, specialising in management,” she says. Studying and working simultaneously made her a keen learner.
Starting out as a summer intern at the tender age of 14, Esmahan took her job very seriously.
“I refused to leave for home till late in the night, to complete my work,” she remembers. “I enjoyed it more when it was pay day – back then there was neither an automated system to calculate the salary, nor bank transfers; processes were complicated, yet fun.”
The studious teenager transitioned into a genteel lady overseeing the management of Saar Mall, one of the company’s business ventures. “The story behind Saar Mall is an interesting one,” she says. “When we built our house in Saar, there were no commercial markets and residents would have to go far for their everyday necessities. My father recognised that the area needed a mall with service-oriented outlets, where people could carry out banking transactions, buy groceries, pay utility bills and spend leisure time in restaurants. So, Saar Mall is one of the Bokhowa Group’s personal projects.”
What sets the mall apart from other retail hubs is an extensive calendar of community events that are enjoyed by locals and expats alike. The positive response it has received has made the company devise expansion plans. Esmahan says: “To meet the growing demand from new retail concepts, we are looking at building an extra floor and to make more use of the outdoor areas surrounding the mall.”
While it is her drive and passion for retail innovation that have brought her success, Esmahan gives equal weightage to a healthy work-life balance. “My family is a priority and I am lucky to be able to see them both at work and home,” she says. “On the personal front, I aim to spend more time travelling with my husband, try more of the amazing restaurants that we have in Bahrain, and exercise more to stay healthy.”
The young entrepreneur is a role model for many, and believes that young girls need to be encouraged to believe in themselves, so they can follow their dreams without fear of failure. “I would like to say to the aspiring entrepreneurs of Bahrain: If you don’t research enough, then you can’t grow a business. That’s a golden rule. It’s important to identify a target market and think global, but act local.”
