Interview with R. Lakshmanan, Senior Partner at MCA Gulf

Shereen Shabnam

Our region is defined by rapid transformation, ambitious national visions, and increasingly sophisticated markets and leadership today demands far more than operational excellence. It requires cultural intelligence, ethical clarity, and the ability to navigate disruption with confidence and foresight. In this in-depth conversation, R. Lakshmanan, Senior Partner at MCA Gulf, shares insights drawn from nearly three decades of cross-sector and cross-border experience spanning Financial Services, Real Estate, Hospitality, and Consulting.

From shaping organisational culture as a strategic growth driver to redefining governance as a catalyst for scalability, Lakshmanan reflects on how leaders across the MENA region can remain competitive in an era driven by digital transformation, AI-powered decision-making, and evolving workforce expectations. With experience across Bahrain, India, Oman, and the UAE, and a leadership journey shaped by global executive education, he offers a grounded yet future-facing perspective on what it takes to build resilient, ethical, and high-performing organisations in today’s complex business environment in the interview below.

With your extensive experience across diverse sectors like Financial Services, Real Estate, and Hospitality, how do you see organizational culture acting as a driver of business success in today’s competitive environment?

Organizational culture has become one of the most powerful drivers of business success in today’s competitive and fast-changing environment. Whether in Financial Services, Real Estate, Retail, Hospitality, or any other sector, culture shapes how teams think, collaborate, and execute thus ultimately influencing customer experience, innovation, and long-term growth.

A strong culture built on accountability, analytical discipline, and a shared commitment to excellence ensures that employees consistently deliver high-quality outcomes. It fosters agility, strengthens decision-making, and builds trust across all levels of the organization. For companies like ours, founded with strong Indian leadership and enriched by a diverse, multinational workforce, Culture is the binding force that integrates different perspectives into a unified approach, directly enhancing our impact across the UAE and GCC markets.

Having worked in multiple countries including Bahrain, India, Oman, and the UAE, what are the key insights you’ve gained about MENA’s cultural landscape, and how do they influence business strategies?

My experience across Bahrain, Oman, India, and the UAE has reinforced that the MENA region values trust-based relationships, long-term commitment, and cultural sensitivity. These insights guide our strategic approach, ensuring that global best practices are adapted to local contexts, stakeholder expectations, and national priorities such as UAE Vision 2031 and Saudi Vision 2030. This enables us to design solutions that are practical, culturally aligned, and implementation-ready.

In your opinion, how is the future of work in the MENA region evolving, especially with digital transformation, and what should leaders prioritize to remain competitive?

The future of work in the MENA region is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, driven by digital transformation, AI-powered operations, and the shift toward skills-based workforce models. Organizations are no longer competing on products or services alone. They are competing on their ability to adapt, innovate, and make decisions quickly.

To remain competitive, leaders must prioritize building digital capabilities, embedding data-driven decision-making, and strengthening organizational agility. The ability to harness real-time insights enables faster responses to market shifts, more accurate forecasting, and smarter allocation of resources, all of which are critical for sustained business success.

Equally important is fostering a culture of continuous learning, ensuring the workforce remains equipped for new technologies, new roles, and new ways of working. As consultants, we play a crucial role in helping clients translate emerging technologies into measurable business value while aligning their people, processes, and structures with evolving market demands. By combining digital transformation with robust data insights, organizations in the MENA region can unlock greater agility, resilience, and long-term growth.

You have been involved in establishing corporate governance frameworks for both public and private entities. How can governance act as a catalyst for growth rather than just a compliance requirement?

Effective governance is far more than a compliance requirement. It is a catalyst for sustainable growth. Strong governance creates clarity, transparency, and disciplined decision-making, all of which are essential for scalability, operational excellence, and investor confidence. It is equally critical in both private and public entities; however, in the public sector it becomes even more significant because organizations are managing public funds and must demonstrate heightened accountability and stewardship.

In the GCC, governance has rapidly evolved into a strategic enabler. Family businesses, government entities, and high-growth companies increasingly recognize that strong governance frameworks help them professionalize, attract capital, and prepare for regional and international expansion. The recent wave of IPOs across the GCC has amplified the importance of robust corporate governance, with regulators and investors expecting higher standards of transparency, risk management, and board effectiveness.

Our approach focuses on building governance systems that empower growth thus ensuring structures, roles, and reporting mechanisms are aligned to strategic objectives, not just regulatory requirements. When done well, governance becomes a source of competitive advantage, enabling organizations to scale with confidence and credibility.

As someone who has completed the Global CEO program and led organizations through dynamic markets, what defines the CEO mindset in a disruptive economy, and how do you cultivate it?

A modern CEO must balance long-term strategic vision with short-term operational agility. This requires comfort with ambiguity, a commitment to innovation, and the ability to lead diverse teams with clarity and purpose. My experience, enriched by the Global CEO program, has highlighted the importance of continuous learning, stakeholder alignment, and maintaining a future-focused perspective while empowering teams to execute effectively.

What are the challenges and opportunities of cross-border leadership, and how do you adapt leadership styles to different markets and cultures?

Leading across borders means navigating different cultural norms, regulatory landscapes, and working styles. These complexities can be challenging, but they also create powerful opportunities for innovation and broader perspectives. In the GCC, with more than 200 nationalities working together, effective leadership requires the ability to adapt quickly and bring people together across cultures, backgrounds, and faiths.

I adjust my leadership style to the local context, whether it’s the relationship-driven environment of the Gulf or more process-oriented cultures elsewhere, while upholding consistent standards, values, and delivery excellence across the firm. An inclusive approach is essential. Everything from meetings and communication to events, celebrations, and even food choices must reflect the diversity of the team. By combining cultural agility with a clear, unified leadership framework, cross-border leadership becomes a competitive advantage that strengthens collaboration, drives performance, and accelerates growth.

Drawing from your consulting expertise in advising on buying, selling, and financing businesses, what role does strategic decision-making play in ensuring sustainable growth in diverse sectors?

Strategic decision-making ensures that organizations invest in opportunities that create long-term value. In consulting, this is crucial whether advising on acquisitions, restructuring, market entry, or capital strategy. Our approach combines market intelligence with rigorous analysis, helping clients make decisions that align with their ambitions and remain resilient across economic cycles.

With your holistic exposure across industries and countries, how do you balance ethical values with business objectives, and why is this balance crucial for long-term success?

Balancing ethics with business objectives is essential for long-term success in any industry. Today, companies are evaluated not only on performance but on how responsibly they engage customers, employees, partners, regulators, and communities. Integrity, transparency, and accountability build trust. This is a critical currency in the UAE and GCC, where reputation and strong governance directly influence growth.

When ethical principles guide commercial decisions, organizations reduce risk, protect credibility, and strengthen stakeholder confidence. This balance ensures that short-term gains never undermine long-term value. Balancing ethics with commercial objectives ensures that our advice remains unbiased, credible, and aligned with the client’s long-term success.