Vodafone CEO Grahame Maher visits Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar

Maher visited the Education City campus to talk with students and other guests about his business philosophy and what has led both him and Vodafone to such international success.

"Competition is a good thing. It forces everyone to lift their game," Maher said to a packed lecture hall at Carnegie Mellon Qatar.

He, added:

"Vodafone is about the people, not the CEO. It's all about unlocking the power of people and leadership. We are an international company, but we're a very local business. In each country, we take university graduates and other professionals and develop a local team that knows the market and the people."

The Office of Professional Development at Carnegie Mellon Qatar coordinates the Making the Connection Lecture Series. The series aims to expose undergraduate students to a variety of business professionals in the Gulf Region through informative lectures and events. These events allow students to meet and talk with men and women in various fields before deciding on a specific career path. The companies benefit from the lectures as well, in that they often have openings for interns or career positions and campus visits give them access to a large pool of highly qualified potential employees.

Since Vodafone's launch is highly anticipated by many in Qatar, both for phone services and job prospects, Maher's lecture was well attended. His unique approach to business and people, combined with his low-key demeanor, gave students at Carnegie Mellon a totally different view into the business world. He encouraged them to think about values, experience, emotions, people and work from a whole new angle. Maher's visit is just one of many scheduled in the Making the Connection Lecture Series this academic year.