Hanif Merchant is the Founder and Chairman of HM International & Emirates Neon Group (ENG). He holds various degrees and certificates in Business Management and has also attended executive education courses at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, USA; the Michigan Ross School of Business, USA; the Columbia Business School, USA, and the Center for Creative Leadership.
At 12 years old, Hanif Merchant started working at his father’s signage business in Karachi, he had a monthly salary of 150 Rupees and a work schedule of 10 hours a day plus school every evening for 4 hours of education. His timetable was hectic but due to his passion for work and learning he made it manageable. Major development and progress started for Hanif Merchant in Kabul during the late 1960s-70s, giving him the chance to travel and interact with different cultures/ethnicities.
As the market grew, more travel was involved which opened up new learning opportunities and allowed him to connect with different people from the industry. This started his career and it wasn’t long before his hard work was recognized by his father who recommended Dubai as a place to live, since it was a promising international hub for business and travel.
