Arif Ahmed and Kubair Ahmed Shirazee - CEO and COO, Ikonami

"We became friends at university and set up ikonami, a software company, in our respective bedrooms in 1999 because we thought that we could “do it better”. The first year or so was great, as there was high demand for consulting and implementation services. Having advised clients such as the NHS, Argos and Royal Bank of Scotland, we were well placed to deliver. However the 2000 / 2001 technology crash saw our business effectively disappear overnight.

It’s during this period that we really cut our business teeth. In many ways this was our MBA. We walked away from our Mayfair offices, cut staff and changed our business model. Lessons learnt by rote are seldom forgotten; to this day we keep expenses trim by “acting small, thinking big”.

Two years in, and we finally won an NHS project that would change the shape and scale of our business. What started as a web development initiative to manage local NHS staff competences, eventually led to a one year national Department of Health pilot. Whilst we faced stiff competition from larger global consultancies, our small company approach prevailed. Where others estimated three years to deliver the proposed system, we estimated six months. A major component of our business today is maintaining this system.

To encourage more entrepreneurship, we need to move away from our current culture of failure and envy. Too many people fear trying something new due to failure. These people toil 9 – 5 and despise anyone who errs from this arrangement. The same sceptics who doubted our ability to set up and run a business, are now the people who claim that they could have done the same had it not been for their mortgages and other commitments.

More children need to be taught that 9 – 5 is not the only option available post – education. If Britain is to remain a competitive, dynamic economy it really needs to promote alternative working models seriously – entrepreneurship, portfolio careers, job sharing and flexible hours. Without offering advice in these areas, Britain will remain in an industrial age paradigm whilst trying to tackle knowledge working era problems."

Arif has worked with a diverse range of clients including Johnson & Johnson, Argos, BMI Healthcare, Littlewoods Home Shopping, Royal Bank of Scotland, the NHS and the UK Department of Health. Arif has significant experience in working with the NHS Connecting for Health National Programme for IT (NPfIT), in particular the NHS Care Records Service (NCRS). He is currently working with Trusts and Local Service Partners (LSPs) to help manage their rollout of Occupational Health Smart Cards (OHSC).

Kubair has worked with a diverse range of clients including Empower Group (now Wright Consultants), Department of Health, Skills for Health, the NHS, BOC Group (now Linde Group), the European Commission and the National Bank of Kuwait. In addition to being the CEO, Kubair has a client facing role for a select number of engagements. He is primarily responsible for service management, product and process design and definition. Kubair has a BA in Business Studies (Services) and MSc in Systems Analysis.