He is a man to watch! His passion for creativity and communication, and his love for humanity has led him to build an empire today. He spends his waking hours accomplishing that which he dreams of in his sleep. Meet the legend, Mr Akram Miknas, Chairman and Founder of Promoseven Holdings as he talks BTW down the amazingly illustrious journey of his life.
Tell us briefly about your early life, where you were born and brought up, any special memories.
I was born in a family of mixed background. My father was a famous jeweler in Lebanon and my mother was an intellectual and a school mistress. My mother died when I was 16 years old. I lived most of my life in Beirut, Lebanon; attended International College (IC) and American University of Beirut (AUB)- studied Business Administration majoring in Marketing.
When did you start work and how did you come to Bahrain?
I came to the Gulf – first to Dubai and then to Bahrain – as a result of the Lebanese War in 1975, and chose Bahrain as my home for family and growth.
How did the FP7/Promoseven come about?
I grew the business which I started in Lebanon with seven partners who later on resigned their partnership and I was left on my own.
Briefly trace the path of development of the company since its inception?
In Lebanon, I have built three local brands into regional brands and they all became extremely successful. I then came to the Gulf where I worked on the communication marketing plans, mostly on advertising, for Cathay Pacific first and then BMW, Gulf Air and Nivea.
How long have you been in Bahrain? What about the country do you like the most?
I’ve been in Bahrain for 40 years and I think Bahrain is the country I love most. My business now spans throughout the Arab world but I want to keep Bahrain as the seat to chair all my businesses around the Middle East.
How would you define ‘Akram Miknas’? What are your passions?
Akram Miknas is a restless soul, extremely sincere to his passion for life and passion for achievement. I dream at night and as soon as I wake up, I work on making my dreams come true.
Do you think that advertising in Bahrain is at par/better/ worse than other parts of the world?
Like Bahrain, the advertising business is pretty small but quite sophisticated for a country of its size.
What are your passions?
I love swimming and humanity; because of humanity, I love antiques.
What, according to you, are the essential traits of a successful entrepreneur?
The traits for a successful entrepreneur are to be sincere in his pursuit, to be a good hunter and to be selective with the people who choose to work for.
What is your message to aspiring entrepreneurs of Bahrain?
My simple message to aspiring entrepreneurs of Bahrain is don’t waste your time outside what you desire in terms of the realm of the kind of business you want to spend your life in and that every time you fail, you consider it a step for a new success.
April 23, 2016
The Dubai Moving Image Museum, the only one of its kind in the world focusing on the prehistory of Cinema, has been nominated in the ‘Best Emerging Culture Destination Middle East’ category, to win a ‘museum Oscar’ at the Leading Culture Destinations Awards 2015.
Akram Miknas, Chairman of the Middle East Communications Network was nominated Man of the Year 2014 by the prestigious regional publication ArabAd.