Saurabh Bhalla

After moving to Dubai nearly 30 odd years ago, Saurabh Bhalla has made a name for himself as the Managing Director of Air and Sea Logistics. Interestingly, he first heard about BNI in 2013 when he connected with a BNI member when attending another networking event. The member told him how all the BNI members met every week at 6 am, passed on referrals, and generated business.

Thinking of giving it a shot, Saurabh decided to visit a chapter. “I liked the energy there but my category was already occupied in the chapter. The Director Consultant asked me if I’d like to visit another chapter. I agreed and with that, I became a part of the Early Birds Chapter,” Saurabh smiles. “It was a fantastic chapter. People from different nationalities and professions passing on the business to each other. I thought that it was a great way to do business!”.

Saurabh is a recent addition to the Directors and Ambassadors team. Upon being asked about his inspiration behind it, he says, “After joining Early Birds, I started getting involved in different roles. From Visitor Host, Lead Visitor Host, President, Vice-president, Secretary, and Mentor Coordinator, I’ve enjoyed each role to the fullest. It brings me immense pleasure when I see people succeeding because of some inputs I’ve shared with them.”

After being with BNI for more than 8 years now, Saurabh aspires to mentor members beyond his chapter on a regional level to help out new members and ensure they have a smooth BNI journey. He has taken up the role of an ambassador for the Falcon chapter recently. “Even though it’s a small chapter, the diversity of it is amazing. With 15 different nationalities, I think it is the most diverse chapter we’ve in the region.”

Saurabh sees the chapter’s diversity as absolutely positive. “If you have different nationalities you have different contact spheres and ways to get in more business. And, it’s going to be my effort to be able to help the chapter grow and move forward,” he says.

So, is becoming a Director Consultant on the cards? “It’s too early for me to say,” Saurabh chuckles. “I’ve only been an Ambassador for a month, so I want to grow into this and understand this role completely. Tomorrow, if things go well, why not?”

When asked about the connections he built in the last year during his 8 year journey, Saurabh says, “I’ve been privileged to have known BNI members who have now become my 2 am friends. I can call them anytime and for any of my questions, they have an answer ready.”

During these interesting times, Saurabh has been connecting with and doing business with BNI Members globally. “I already have a feeling of comfort because I know the person I’m presenting my organization to understands BNI feelings, knows about the importance of customer service, and most importantly is trustworthy,” he adds.

Saurabh signs off with a piece of advice for his fellow BNI members. “The only advice I’d like to give is if you want to do something like this, do it with 100% commitment. I’m not talking about monetary commitment. The commitment of time, effort, and building strong meaningful relationships is needed.”