Shamin Durrani

Shamin Durrani is a British female entrepreneur of Afghan origin. With nothing but a dream she began her entrepreneurial journey on her own. Matching that dream with an absolute determination to succeed in all her ventures and adventures, Shamin’s roll call of challenges successfully pursued is impressive by anyone’s standards. They include, but are not limited to, starting a range of small businesses and charities, public speaking, fund raising, mentoring for budding entrepreneurs and the one which really intrigues – climbing Mount Sinai, which, for comparison, at 7497 feet dwarfs our own Ben Nevis at 4414 feet and Snowdon at 3560 feet. Just as Shamin was inspired to climb by the Abrahamic religious texts describing where Moses meets God on Mount Sinai, I think we can all be inspired by her amazing record of success and endeavour.

Shamin is not one to shy away from challenges. When she decided to pursue her entrepreneurial career, she did so in one that was infamous for being a male dominated industry - construction. However, her credentials prove that she rose to the challenge:

* started her business on her own and bootstrapped her way to success

* went on to work with the nation’s largest construction companies such as Bellway Homes, Laing O'Rourke and Taylor Wimpey with project values up to £100m

* also worked with prestigious organisations such as The University of Oxford, Blenheim Palace and the re-development of The Oxford Castle

* having achieved what she thought was success, she was hit by the global world recession in the late 2000s

* she then re-invented her company to provide services to the rising eco construction sector

* featured in the book “Just Like You: Oxfordshire Entrepreneurs Tell Their Stories”

* she is currently Chief Ambassador of the 5* Macdonald Randolph Hotel in Oxford

* mentored students and MBAs from The University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University & Said Business School

Part of her determination to pass on her wealth of experiences and knowledge comes from being mentored early in life herself. Her father was a top ranking professional footballer, whose career spanned throughout the Arab Gulf, Western, Central & South Asian regions. He knew first hand that talent or birthright alone would not ensure success. He deeply understood the value of hard work and determination and instilled this into his daughter. She feels extremely lucky to have had such wonderful parents. People of all ages need this support, especially those who are finding their way in life - which is why Shamin devotes a great deal of time supporting schools, colleges and universities students. Over the last several years Shamin has increasingly spent time giving back to the community by mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Shamin greatly values the tremendous benefits high level education provides and made this a top priority for all of her children. They were fortunate enough to all be educated in world leading establishments in Oxford including Magdalen College, Christ Church, Wychwood & Sibford Schools. She believes there are many parallels between being a student and being an entrepreneur and this makes Shamin an exceptional mentor for both. Shamin has worked with many leading educational organisations, having addressed school, university and MBA students.

This includes The University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, Buckingham University and Said Business School.

When addressing her audience, Shamin likes to share stories throughout her entrepreneurial journey. She describes the adversity of the lows as well as the highs of success. She shares her guiding principles which enabled her to achieve her dreams. This makes her especially influential to young women, who aspire to become future world leaders. Her talks are always full of energy and excitement as she motivates her students to follow their passions and apply the skills they have learned from their formal education. Shamin herself found the following 3 factors critical to her success:

* to have an extremely clear vision for yourself of what you are trying to achieve and to maintain that focus during your journey

* to maintain discipline by putting in the many hours of hard work required to turn dream into reality, and

* to navigate the many hurdles and setbacks along the way with a positive mindset and unshakeable desire

There are many parallels between an entrepreneur and a student. Shamin reminds people to be students throughout life by maintaining natural curiosity and a willingness to learn new skills. She truly enjoys the relationship with her audience by connecting with them in an informal and straightforward manner. She looks forward to meeting up and providing value to your organisation.