Seidor’s Angel Fernández Sánchez says AI is “two or three steps ahead” of UAE businesses

Angel Fernández Sánchez (LinkedIn) is one of many executives in Dubai helping guide other companies with their AI transition. His main worry? That the technology is moving too fast for businesses to keep up. Fernández Sánchez runs Spanish tech consultancy Seidor, which sells and implements SAP software alongside cybersecurity and hosting services, and he admits that clients face challenges in deploying AI to achieve business-wide gains while still keeping their data secure.

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 Fernández Sánchez to ask how UAE businesses are keeping pace with AI, how he uses AI in his own work, and how he prefers to manage his workday and team.

Edited excerpts from our conversation:

EnterpriseAM: How did you get into technology, and what brought you to Seidor?

Angel Fernández Sánchez (AFS): I’ve been curious about technology since I was a kid. I got my first computer when I was 14 and decided to study computer science and business administration. I ended up focusing more on the business side, but my life has always revolved around technology.

I started working for a technology company in Spain in 1998. When I joined Seidor in 2013, I was looking for something different that was outside my home country. They had an opportunity in Colombia, and I took it.

The company was acquiring businesses in different regions. After Colombia, they asked me to move to South Africa to run the business there. Once that was established, they acquired another business in the Middle East and asked me to move here. By then, I had a family, so I thought perhaps it was time to settle in one place and stop moving quite so much, so I ended up bringing them here and moving to Dubai in 2019.

E: What does Seidor do, and what does your role involve?

AFS: Our main focus is selling and implementing SAP to improve business processes for companies ranging from small businesses to large enterprises. That represents around 80% of our business globally. We also offer services such as cybersecurity and hosting, and we advise customers on how to apply AI to their business processes.

As managing director, my main goal is to grow the business in the Middle East and find prospects across the region. I oversee the whole operation, from sales to delivery.

E: Where are UAE businesses getting value from AI — and what’s proving harder?

AFS: Expectations are high — sometimes too high. Employees have been able to improve their own productivity because there are many things they can do much faster and more efficiently with AI. The challenge now is how companies apply those capabilities to their business processes.

AI is two or three steps ahead of us, and we’re trying to catch up. That’s one of the biggest challenges across the industry. We need to be smart about how we guide that transition, because the technology keeps moving.

E: Is that challenge different for a startup than for a large company?

AFS: In small businesses and startups, the benefits can come faster. AI can help them do things that would otherwise require spending money they don’t have.

For large corporations, the focus is on compliance and good governance, particularly how AI affects security and how to prevent information leaks. They’re approaching adoption from a different starting point.

E: Beyond AI adoption, have regional tensions changed how UAE businesses approach cybersecurity?

AFS: Yes, but it didn’t happen overnight. Over the past few years, businesses have realized they need to take cybersecurity seriously. We had customers who didn’t take action and learned the hard way.

AI is shaking up the cybersecurity environment as well. Threats are increasing and evolving faster, so we need to strengthen our security. I think most businesses are conscious of that now.

E: Walk us through your morning. How does your day begin?

AFS: I wake up at 6am, take my son to the school bus, and go straight to the gym. That helps me de-stress and feel ready for the day. It’s what works best for me.

When I get to the office, I check my emails, especially those I couldn’t reply to the previous day. Then I focus on the day’s tasks and the decisions that need to be made. I also spend an hour or so reading market updates, particularly about the region. With so much going on, we need to stay informed so we can act quickly.

E: How do you keep up with developments in technology?

AFS: I get information from magazines and online, but nowadays, to be honest, I use AI quite a lot. I have alerts about technology topics and companies such as SAP, Google, and Microsoft. I used to go directly to specific sources; now, I increasingly use summaries to get straight to the point.

E: What’s one approach to running a business that you’ve become more convinced of over time?

AFS: I like to be kept informed of major issues, but I think having a lot of meetings is a waste of time. We should have the meetings that are necessary and add value. Often, an email is more than enough. Be concise: explain the problem and the possible solutions, make a decision, and move forward.

The most important thing is to make decisions on time. Of course, you want to get as many right as possible, but if you make a mistake, you learn. The worst decision is not making a decision. I make a lot of them every day. Sometimes they’re right, sometimes they’re wrong, but you have to decide.

E: What does life look like when the working day is over?

AFS: I like to get home and spend time with my family. I have routines with my son, and at night I’ll watch a movie with my wife or read when I have time.

Weekends are usually for family and sometimes friends. We go out for lunch or dinner, or meet other families so my son can spend time with his friends.

Angel’s favorites

What he reads and watches: To relax, I like thrillers, both books and movies. I look for something completely different from my daily routine so I can stop thinking about business. I also read business books to learn about sales and entrepreneurship.

Advice he works by: Your success comes from the success of your team. Having traveled a lot and managed businesses in different countries, I’ve learned that you need a strong team you can trust. With that in place, decisions and daily work become easier.