Carlos Poñe is the managing director of ABB UAE, a Swiss-based power and automation technology company. Mr Poñe, 59, was born in Maputo, Mozambique, which at the time was still a Portuguese colony. He began his career at ABB in 1993 as regional manager for Angola, Mozambique and the Indian Ocean Islands. He became the chief executive of ABB South Africa in 1988 and the regional head of the company’s southern African region five years later. Mr Poñe moved to the UAE office in February 2013 and helps head the Middle East region and Pakistan, excluding Saudi Arabia.
What are your favourite things to do on the weekend?
I play golf when time allows. I also spend time with family and friends, reading and watching football. I’ve been a fan of Sporting Lisbon (the official club name is Sporting Clube de Portugal). It goes back to when I was a young boy – I’d go to an area in Maputo on Saturdays and Sundays to watch the junior teams play. It was a family thing. Even though Sporting Lisbon is not the No 1 or 2 team in Portugal, it’s still a good team to belong to.
What do you consider to be your favourite hobby?
I don’t have much time for hobbies, but I do like classic cars. I would maybe like to rebuild one or two one day. My father liked cars, and this probably came from him. When I finished high school, I chose to follow mechanical engineering. My dad knew that and as a prize for finishing high school, he came to me and said, “Mama and me are giving you a car, and it’s in the garage.” It was a Fiat 600 that I had to strip and build again. Today, if I looked at a car that stands out the most to me, it would be a Porsche 356, which hasn’t been made since 1965.
What can’t you live without?
My family, which includes a wife, two sons ages 32 and 28, and two grandchildren – both boys – ages four and 18 months. To get a girl in our family, we have to bring her in through marriage.
What do you consider the secret to your success?
Hard work, which comes from personality. If you don’t work hard, the chances that you’ll get somewhere are very little. In addition, being fast in taking decisions, because it’s better to be wrong sometimes than doing nothing. That probably comes from ABB’s first chief executive, Percy Barnevik. He is the one who inspired me on leadership and decision making.
How do you achieve a work-life balance?
I never bring work issues into my family life, and I spend quality time with my wife and extended family (sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren). We usually have a dinner on Friday evenings or a lunch on Saturdays. When I’m in South Africa, all the kids and grandkids come over on Wednesdays and Sundays. At least once a month there’s a barbecue at home. On Christmas, we have a family dinner on December 24 and a lunch on December 25. Then on December 27, we’ll head to Zimbali for the beach. We try to do the same one week at Easter.
How do you relax after the working day?
I read, catch up with the family at home and by telephone and watch TV. When I get home, I can spend an hour on the news and that’s it. Then maybe I watch a little bit of Portuguese TV just to keep up with the language. I put on a movie after that, but I usually fall asleep halfway through.
If you weren’t managing director of this company, what else would you be doing?
I would improve my golf handicap, which has not moved much. I’ve been playing for about nine years and my handicap has decreased from a 36 to a 29, and it’s been 29 for about three or four years now, so there hasn’t been any real improvement. I took lessons before I started and then again five years after I began. It’s time to go for more coaching. I’d also like a shot at being a football coach because it’s more about leadership than playing the game. I just started reading Sir Alex Ferguson’s autobiography, and I consider him one of the best coaches the world has ever had. I played volleyball competitively growing up and I coached it in school, so I’d like to give football a try. I think the understanding has to be reasonably good, but it’s the leadership that takes it to new heights.
lgraves@thenational.ae
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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If you go...
Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
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The Perfect Couple
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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%3Cp%3EThe%20influx%20of%20talented%20young%20Afghan%20players%20to%20UAE%20cricket%20could%20have%20a%20big%20impact%20on%20the%20fortunes%20of%20both%20countries.%20Here%20are%20three%20Emirates-based%20players%20to%20watch%20out%20for.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EHassan%20Khan%20Eisakhil%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMohammed%20Nabi%20is%20still%20proving%20his%20worth%20at%20the%20top%20level%20but%20there%20is%20another%20reason%20he%20is%20raging%20against%20the%20idea%20of%20retirement.%20If%20the%20allrounder%20hangs%20on%20a%20little%20bit%20longer%2C%20he%20might%20be%20able%20to%20play%20in%20the%20same%20team%20as%20his%20son%2C%20Hassan%20Khan.%20The%20family%20live%20in%20Ajman%20and%20train%20in%20Sharjah.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMasood%20Gurbaz%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20opening%20batter%2C%20who%20trains%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Academy%2C%20is%20another%20player%20who%20is%20a%20part%20of%20a%20famous%20family.%20His%20brother%2C%20Rahmanullah%2C%20was%20an%20IPL%20winner%20with%20Kolkata%20Knight%20Riders%2C%20and%20opens%20the%20batting%20with%20distinction%20for%20Afghanistan.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOmid%20Rahman%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20fast%20bowler%20became%20a%20pioneer%20earlier%20this%20year%20when%20he%20became%20the%20first%20Afghan%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE.%20He%20showed%20great%20promise%20in%20doing%20so%2C%20too%2C%20playing%20a%20key%20role%20in%20the%20senior%20team%E2%80%99s%20qualification%20for%20the%20Asia%20Cup%20in%20Muscat%20recently.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Sevilla v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Athletic Bilbao v Real Sociedad (7.15pm)
Eibar v Valencia (9.30pm)
Atletico Madrid v Alaves (11.45pm)
Sunday
Girona v Getafe (3pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7.15pm)
Las Palmas v Espanyol (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Deportivo la Coruna (11.45pm)
Monday
Malaga v Real Betis (midnight)
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
