Azran Osman-Rani is one of Malaysia's most well-known CEOs & entrepreneur and in this STIMY episode, we cover his colourful & highly impressive career that has included being:

• CEO and Co-Founder, Naluri Hidup (now)
• CEO of iflix Malaysia. Dragon-Keeper of the Tao
• CEO, AirAsia X Berhad
• Senior Director, Business Development, Astro All Asia Networks plc
• Senior Vice President, Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange
• Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company
• Associate, Booz Allen & Hamilton 

But how did it all begin?

Childhood

Growing up with two professors for parents, Azran was always encouraged to speak up and speak out. This began when he was just 4 years old, where he would participate in adult conversations with his parents’ visiting guests that other professors.

Stanford University

Azran eventually went to Stanford University to pursue a degree in electrical engineering although he did end up doing the barest minimum amount of engineering classes required. Instead, he ended up taking lessons in history, culture, psychology, economics, ballroom dancing and even sailing! 

After completing his masters, Azran ended up becoming a management consultant first at Booz Allen Hamilton, then McKinsey. He eventually left for Bursa Malaysia, which set him on his incredible path as an entrepreneur.

Highlights:

• 6:37: Studying at Stanford University before the dot com boom
• 8:01: Ultimate frisbee
• 13:45: Working at Booz Allen Hamilton
• 14:25: Bombing his client presentation & being warned he would be kicked out if he repeated his performance
• 14:25: Moving to Korea for work
• 16:18: Earning the trust of his Korean clients
• 20:28: Working to turn the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange from a nonprofit government linked organisation to a for-profit company (Bursa Malaysia)
• 25:14: Phone call 1 that led him to Astro All Asia Networks
• 27:06: His big failure at Astro, where he had to shut down their Indonesian business & letting go of 450 staff
• 28:42: Phone call 2 from Tony Fernandes that led to him becoming CEO of AirAsia X
• 30:16: AirAsia X’s value proposition
• 31:27: Building a sustainable airline business model
• 36:47: Making the pitch of a lifetime to the European export credit agency to save AirAsia X
• 39:34: Securing an upward flow of information
• 47:06: AirAsia X’s $15 million in-flight entertainment mistake
• 50:47: Staying ahead of the competition
• 51:47: Becoming CEO of iFlix
• 54:13: Starting iFlix with a few people & laptops, but no product!
• 56:14: How iFlix gained 1 million subscribers, 6 months after its launch
• 1:00:03: Learning about Omada Health
• 1:01:41: Launching Naluri Hidup
• 1:02:59: Why Azran bet his kids’ education, life savings etc. on Naluri Hidup
• 1:07:00: The importance of localisation
• 1:10:25: Educating the public about digital health
• 1:11:10: Why Azran is a YouTuber & active content creator
• 1:11:58: A life-changing car accident in May 2018
• 1:12:32: How Azran kept going & completed his Ironman 6 months after his brutal car accident!
• 1:15:31: Fundraising before & during COVID-19
• 1:17:05: Azran’s mirrors to deal with his confirmation bias

📍Show notes: www.sothisismywhy.com/46    

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