For the love of the country and its people

For our readers out there, can you tell us who exactly Mr Rashed Mujib Noman is? How has your upbringing shaped the way you see the world? 
I was born in Dhaka's Shahjahanpur area to a middle-class family. My father was an EPCS (East Pakistan Civil Service) officer. As my father was a government employee, he would often be transferred to different parts of the country. Therefore, I had the opportunity to live in and experience quite a few districts with my family. My uncle was my inspiration during my childhood, and as he was a doctor, I wanted to follow in his footsteps. As a result, I got into Mymensingh Medical College. However, I felt homesick and felt that understanding topics came to me naturally rather than memorisation. So, I ended up studying engineering at one of the most prestigious universities in the country, BUET.
While I completed my HSC in 1990, I had to wait two years before classes commenced due to the ongoing protests. I taught students for 12-14 hours daily during those two years, utilising my mathematics and physics knowledge.

You have studied in some of the most renowned educational institutes in Bangladesh and the US in both engineering and business. Can you tell us about your learnings from these institutes? How was your experience working in global companies like General Motors and Boeing?
During my university days, I aspired to become a faculty of this renowned institution and strived to attain the best grades. But soon enough, I realised I was missing out on the enjoyable parts of campus life. That's when I started to balance my studying with partaking in extracurricular activities.
I had a knack for identifying business early on and wanted to pursue a business during my undergrad days. I had a boutique business during those days, and I connected with a few seniors in BUET who used to work in the garments industry to improve my business. While studying at BUET, I pursued an MBA from IBA, Dhaka University and followed through on my decision.
However, my parents wanted me to pursue my higher education abroad, so I joined the University of South Carolina to complete my Masters in Mechanical Engineering. After completing my Masters, my parents and professor wanted me to pursue a PhD.
However, I wanted to work for a couple of years and joined General Motors, where I worked successfully for over six years. Meanwhile, I also completed my MBA from the New York Institute of Technology.
Afterwards, I joined Boeing in a managerial role. I'm particularly grateful to my first-line manager at Boeing, who showed me the ropes from day one and empowered me to become the best version of myself. She saw my interest in talking to people and enabled me to explore other avenues of the company. I worked closely with different departments, including supply chain management and core engineering work.

What compelled you to return to Bangladesh?
I was thrilled to work in such a dynamic organisation and was looking forward to becoming the next Bangladeshi director in the Boeing company. However, during this time, I realised that my parents were growing old, and I had to be there with them. After all, family comes first. So, I started looking for job opportunities in Bangladesh. That's when I noticed that Augmedix Bangladesh was looking for a Country Director in Bangladesh.

You started your journey with Augmedix in mid-2017. Can you tell us about your experience as the Country Director of Augmedix Bangladesh? 
I took the leap of faith and joined Augmedix Bangladesh as its Country Director in August 2017. While my decision was influenced by my will to be with my family, I also felt indebted towards my country. I wanted to give back to my country with the knowledge and expertise that I had accumulated over a decade and a half. Moreover, the timing was perfect for me to return to Bangladesh, despite leaving behind such a lucrative career in the US. I believe I made the right decision by coming back.
Regarding Augmedix, I will say that I will choose to stay with Augmedix and help it grow in the next few years. I want to help achieve the 2 thousand by 2025 goal where we collectively work together and achieve our goals with the magical performance from our energetic team. I'm delighted to see how our team members take ownership of their work to drive the company forward. The scribes of Augmedix are at the heart of our business. This year, we aim to recruit more people and increase our team to 1,000. Our team believes it's possible and works day and night to make it happen. Moreover, we will also be moving to a new office later this year to continue our operational expansion.

What are some projects that you have worked on recently?
I have been actively involved in several projects with the ICT Division and many educational institutions. I was involved in developing some course curricula for various educational institutions and thoroughly enjoyed working with some of the brightest minds in the country.
I have also spent a fair amount of time working with some of the country's leading startup founders and mentoring them during their early stages. I believe that more Bangladeshi startups can flourish with the right guidance and exposure.

What is your approach towards managing your team?
Everyone has a different approach in terms of management. I believe in having a collaborative and inclusive approach. I believe there should be a feedback system that allows everyone to share their thoughts before making any decision. Having an open culture allows me to connect with all members of the Augmedix team and understand their pain points closely. Moreover, having empowered managers who take ownership of the day-to-day operations allows me to think more strategically for the company's overall growth. 

You won the prestigious Digital Bangladesh Award for ICT Industrial Development last year. What are your thoughts on that?
I had no expectations of getting the prestigious Digital Bangladesh Award. So the call from the ICT Division came as a surprise to me. Eventually, the ICT State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel congratulated me. They acknowledged my contribution to the educational and ICT development of the country. To get a national award from the Prime Minister is an honour. I am truly blessed to receive this award. 

What do you think about the young generation of the country?
I believe the young generation is the future of our country. With the right guidance and opportunities, I believe they can make great strides in the job market locally and globally. I believe the parents can become more involved in their children's upbringing and play a vital role in enabling them to realise their potential and become future-ready in a competitive global job market.