Meet Junaid!
Junaid Faruq is our Head of Strategy and Business Development. His role is to create new business channels and partnerships and develop the company’s go to market strategy among the many verticals Datch operates in. He is passionate about political advocacy and building relationships with senior leadership at enterprise organizations and federal and state government bodies.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am originally a biochemical engineer, but my life has taken me on an interesting journey career-wise which has landed me in multiple operational and political roles in a variety of industries. I have been lucky enough to engage with large operational enterprises as well as government entities in the utility, energy and transportation sectors. I grew up in many countries including the UK, Ireland and United Arab Emirates which has given me a unique worldview and helped me befriend and work for inspiring individuals in many industries.
2. What brought you to Datch?
Once I realized the potential of using voice in industrial operations and how Datch was uniquely designed to make the user-experience of field employees on par with modern consumer interfaces, I became very excited. I believe that Datch has the potential to be the front-end interface for all operational data going in and out of an industrial operation and a platform to unite disparate systems within an organization, which has always been a problem for large, complex organizations.
3. What’s your favourite thing to do outside of work?
I have a deep passion for electronic music and music hardware. I have been producing house and techno music for over a decade now as my pseudonym Jay Stitch (House) and Hexmode (Techno) and used to DJ and play at live events and parties, prior to COVID of course! I also love running and hiking with my wife and dog and try to plan snowboarding and kitesurfing trips when possible.
4. What is your most memorable accomplishment?
I am very passionate about clean energy and electric vehicles. As part of the Tesla policy team, I worked on a piece of EV infrastructure regulation that was responsible for creating almost half a billion dollars in value to the EV industry over the next decade. I also assisted in the development of incentive programs to make EVs more affordable and accessible.
5. And your favourite movie?
Like everyone, I have several favorite movies and shows! However, I personally like thought provoking, timeless movies such as Inception, Gladiator and Ex Machina. I always recommend shows such as Breaking Bad, Westworld and The Man in the High Castle (very underrated!). My wife prefers casual watching, so I now also love home renovation shows and reality TV such as Below Deck and Vanderpump Rules where nothing much happens but is somehow strangely entertaining.
Want to learn more about Datch and opportunities to join our team? Visit our website here: datch.io.
