Farbod Sadeghian grew up in upper Austria from a diplomatic family with a father who motivated and supported him with all of his ideas. For the past fourteen years, he has been involved in various businesses across the globe at various levels, gathering vast knowledge and expertise in a variety of industries and specialities. Today, he is quickly establishing himself in the Asia-Pacific region. And he is doing it all from his new base in Malaysia.
YOU HAVE MET INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS WITH YOUR BUILDING AUTOMATION COMPANY NOXEL. BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS IT THAT NOXEL DOES?
What we do in Noxel is to provide a convenient, centralized, and user-friendly means of controlling and automating all the electronics in a building or house. For example, you will be able to control the lights, temperature, and security system of your home or office from anywhere in the world from your smartphone or tablet.
WHY BUILDING AUTOMATION? WAS IT A PERSONAL PASSION OR DID YOU CHANCE UPON IT?
From an early age, I have been absorbed with all things technological and computer related. As a teenager, I dreamt of having my own computer brand. At the age of 21, during my university days, I was already running my own small PC manufacturing company based in a warehouse in Austria.
Then in 2001, I followed my sister across the Atlantic to California where she was working as an architect and where I continued my studies. There I saw some of the properties that she was working on – the homes of real Hollywood stars. This was where I had my first introduction to the wonderful world of luxury automation.
Upon returning to Europe, I switched my focus from computers to building automation systems. I established the building automation division called NOXEL as well as a business that manufactured equipment for the digital signage industry.
Then in 2001, I followed my sister across the Atlantic to California where she was working as an architect and where I continued my studies. There I saw some of the properties that she was working on – the homes of real Hollywood stars. This was where I had my first introduction to the wonderful world of luxury automation.
Upon returning to Europe, I switched my focus from computers to building automation systems. I established the building automation division called NOXEL as well as a business that manufactured equipment for the digital signage industry.
“AS A TEENAGER, I DREAMT OF HAVING MY OWN COMPUTER BRAND. AT AGE OF 21, DURING MY UNIVERSITY DAYS, I WAS ALREADY RUNNING MY OWN SMALL PC MANUFACTURING COMPANY BASED IN A WAREHOUSE IN AUSTRIA.”
HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO GROW NOXEL INTO THE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION THAT IT IS TODAY?
When I was in Europe, I managed to grow my company by carrying out contract work for a massive Swiss construction company where we installed sophisticated building automation systems. It was a great training ground for me; it was there where I honed my skills and gaining invaluable experience in Switzerland.
NOXEL eventually went global. The company is now public listed in USA NASDAQ OTC Market and has operations across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and now in the Asia Pacific Region.
NOXEL eventually went global. The company is now public listed in USA NASDAQ OTC Market and has operations across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and now in the Asia Pacific Region.
YOU’VE WORKED AND DONE BUSINESS ALL OVER THE WORLD, SO WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO INVEST AND SETTLE DOWN IN MALAYSIA?
Every country and every city has its beautiful and ugly sides. And depending on how you look at it, the grass can always look greener on the other side. To be honest, Malaysia was not my first choice. I was based in Europe before this, but I wanted to break into the Asia markets. Everybody doing business in Europe these days know that they simply must do business in this part of the world too.
I spent some time in several countries in the region to find a suitable location to set up base, but most of them were either too cold, money-driven, laidback, or dysfunctional. I eventually found Malaysia by chance, and fell in love with the country and its people. It wasn’t long before I found that Malaysia provides the perfect base for growth with a solid legal system, and the fact that most people here speak English.
“I AM VERY LUCKY TO HAVE THE HONOR OF WORKING WITH SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP THE 360 CELSIUS TEAM.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to shine shoes, but as far as my personal preference is concerned, Malaysia seems to have the ideal combination of great hospitality, relatively good economic and political stability, ample infrastructure, and generous space and opportunities for growth.
BUSINESS ASIDE, IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU LOVEABOUT MALAYSIA?
Hospitality, in particular, is very important for me. The people that I have met here are warm and sincere, and I love that because it is exactly the kind of human touch that I need. It doesn’t matter whether I do fine dining or kick back with friendly villagers in a rustic stall, because this is what makes my life meaningful, and this is what I live for. I love spending quality time with the wonderful people so much that I started an Italian restaurant called Urbano eFresco, where I spend a lot of my time meeting people and enjoying food and drinks just the way I like it. My fascination for Malaysia is also one of the main inspirations behind 360 Celsius.
IN YOUR OWN WORDS, TELL OUR READERS WHAT 360 CELSIUS IS ABOUT.
As I mentioned earlier, I love the people and culture here. So I made an impulsive decision to start a publication, the 360 Celsius Magazine, which encapsulates the Malaysian experience; to bring out the best that this beautiful country has to offer. But impulsive as my decision may have been, I have never regretted the move, because it has opened my eyes to even more opportunities and has inspired me to do so much more than what I initially set out to do.
360 Celsius grew much faster than I could imagine. From one magazine, we began expanding to sell a diverse range of products and services. Today, we hope to be one of the integrated media hubs in the ASEAN region.
360 Celsius grew much faster than I could imagine. From one magazine, we began expanding to sell a diverse range of products and services. Today, we hope to be one of the integrated media hubs in the ASEAN region.
BUT WHAT WAS THE MOTIVATION BEHIND YOUR MOVE TO DIVERSIFY LIKE THAT SO QUICKLY?
Firstly, I am very lucky to have the honor of working with some of the most amazing people that make up the 360 Celsius team. Without the small but hardworking team, none of this would’ve been possible. As far as my motivation behind expanding 360 Celsius into an integrated media hub is concerned, we made this move based on the notion that a prominent online presence and publication alone would not suffice for a new player like 360 Celsius to survive, let alone to stay ahead of more established brands. We are a young player in this ring, so we need to constantly innovate to stay ahead of the game and remain profitable.
HAVE YOU ALREADY BEGUN EXPANDING 360 CELSIUS TO OTHER COUNTRIES? WHY?
We have already officially expanded to China this year. The 360 Celsius China headquarters is located in Shenzhen. Basically, it offers all the existing and upcoming services that we currently offer as an integrated media hub in Malaysia. Based on the success that we have enjoyed in Malaysia to date and the steady list of China-based clients that we have been servicing, it was only a matter of time before we looked to China as our first major step out of Malaysia. This is a big move for 360 Celsius, especially because we just turned two! We are very excited and confident that we this move will not only help us grow as a company, but also give us an important competitive edge in the long run.
ABOUT FARBOD SADEGHIAN
Mr. Farbod Sadeghian graduated from Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Austria, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechatronics inclusive of eCommerce & SEO Certified. He is the CEO of Noxel, an international company with six major branches in the automated building solutions, digital signage, digital advertising, mobile applications, R&D and ICT production industries. He has 10 years professional experience in the executive management, foundation, branding and management of international companies, and his business experience spans companies that have generated a collective USD $100-Million in revenue.
Sadeghian is also the founder of the Malaysian-based international integrated media hub called 360 Celsius, which features a comprehensive host of media platforms which include production, publishing, event and talent management, social media management, interactive app development, advertising, and even broadcasting. He is also partner for Swiss International Investment Group is an international Investment management and financing company providing for projects throughout Europe and Asia, managed new client investment operations for Europe region. He also founded, VVChart.com, a global hub for the most popular trending videos. Most recently, he became the CMO of Moxian Group of Companies, a Chinese social media giant that is aggressively making its move to establish itself as a major player in the international scene
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