How a 15-day holiday became a life in the Gulf for MRI Software’s Schalk Vorster

Schalk Vorster (LinkedIn) went to Bahrain for a 15-day holiday to see a girl. The girl became his wife, and the holiday turned into a life in the Middle East. The South African-trained architect now runs MRI Software’s regional business, pivoting from designing buildings to selling the technology used to run them once they’re built.

MRI provides software for managing real estate and its day-to-day operations, including maintenance and energy management. Vorster oversees its Middle East sales and operations. Clients increasingly want to know what AI can do for them — but his starting point is whether their data is good enough to use it.

Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. This week, we spoke with Vorster about helping property businesses make sense of AI and finding a daily rhythm around family life and regional travel. Edited excerpts from our conversation:

EnterpriseAM: How did you find your way from architecture into real estate software?

Schalk Vorster (SV): I came over to the Middle East in my twenties chasing a girl, to be honest. That girl today is my wife and the mother of my child. By trade, I’m an architect; I finished my degree in architecture in South Africa. The initial plan was to stay on holiday for 15 days. I enjoyed the region so much that I decided to stay for a year, do a little bit of work, and then go back. I’m still here.

I spent two years in architecture in Bahrain, then moved into technology for construction. I joined a company in Abu Dhabi offering building information modeling solutions to the construction industry. From there, I was headhunted by FSI, a UK-based organization, to support the transition from construction into the operational phase.

In 2021, FSI was acquired by MRI Software. That gave me access to a lot more tools and solutions, and I started bringing real estate software used globally into the Middle East. From there, I moved into sales leadership and made my way up. Now I’m heading the business here.

E: What was the biggest turning point in that move?

SV: Taking the leap. Moving from construction to the operational sector meant learning a whole new set of technologies beyond my education. It took me 13 months to close my first deal with FSI. Following that, I closed 12 more. As an individual contributor to a sales team, that was a real W. It gave me confidence I was pretty good at this.

E: What does MRI Software do, and what does running its Middle East business involve?

SV: Our main sector is real estate, but that extends into maintenance, energy, footfall analytics, digital twins, and smart buildings. Whether it’s commercial, residential, owner-occupied, or retail property, we have solutions that support organizations in their day-to-day needs. The software becomes their operational backbone. We’ve also got something we refer to as MRI Agora, which gives you an intelligence and an orchestration layer above that.

My role covers both operations and sales. It’s removing blockers so the teams here have the tools and support to look after clients. I also block out time during the week with sales representatives to align on strategic deals and support clients who have been with us for years.

E: What needs to be in place for AI to be useful — and what’s holding companies back?

SV: Companies need a solid foundation for where their data resides. They need to have spent the time making sure that data is accurate and the quality is good enough to report on. AI will be a driver; it’s not going to fix broken processes within an organization.

The challenge is that AI is so new and moving so quickly. When is the right time to invest? What is the right strategy? There are so many different avenues. Clients also want to understand where their data is flowing. If an AI model needs to process it, does that happen in the US, in Europe, or within the country? Those are valid questions. The biggest ones coming up are what it will cost and what security protocols are in place to keep the data safe.

E: Tell us about your morning routine. How does your day begin?

SV: I have a two-year-old, so I’m up very early: my day starts just before 6am. I have two cups of coffee, get her ready for nursery, and drop her off. When I get back, I walk over to the gym for a 45-minute workout. I try to make sure I get my exercise in, regardless of what it is. It helps me have a clear mind and manage stress levels. When I’m in the gym, I check my schedule and start planning.

Funny enough, I use AI to prioritize my day — what requires attention immediately, and what are the top three priorities? On the walk back, I create my to-do list. Since I was a student, I’ve had 10 items on my daily list, even if some roll over. That has kept me honest about being as productive as possible. The list might cover meetings, escalations, or where I can help my team remove blockers.

Then it’s back home for a shower and breakfast, and onto laptop to work through emails and Teams messages before heading out to the office or meetings. Travel also has to come into consideration. I live in Ras Al Khaimah but travel frequently across the region — to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, or Muscat — depending on where I’m needed and where I can support the team.

E: How do you switch off outside work?

SV: I like the outdoors, but I don’t like doing anything by myself. I drag my family everywhere I go. On weekends, I’m in the desert or out on the ocean. When summer kicks in, I try to be as adventurous as I can and see the world with my family and friends.

I do try to step away from work on weekends, although sometimes you have to juggle expectations. I try to keep a happy, healthy work-life balance, but sometimes the two bleed into one another.

Schalk’s favorites

A regular escape: I travel to Bali very often. I enjoy a bit of surfing, so I tend to go there for summer and school holidays.

What he reads: Books on personal and strategic investment. It’s something I’ve been doing for years. That material has helped me understand how to manage my finances personally, and I apply it in my professional life as well.

Best advice he’s received: Don’t shy away from hard work. You need to be smart in your approach, but hard work does pay off. Consistency and persistence opened the doors I needed to progress in my career. In sales, you have to keep driving a deal toward a final decision rather than leaving loose ends.