Tom Cyriac-Most Innovative Global COOs 2026

Most organisations view debt collection as the final stage of a customer relationship. The most progressive leaders, however, recognise it as an opportunity to strengthen trust, preserve long-term partnerships, and create sustainable business value. For more than four decades, Tom Cyriac, Chief Operating Officer of SADAD International LLC, has built his career on this philosophy. His leadership journey reflects a rare combination of commercial acumen, operational excellence, and an unwavering commitment to people-first leadership.

Beginning his career in 1985 as a Sales Executive with Usha Computers in Chennai, Tom has successfully navigated transformational roles across office automation, automotive, media, financial services, and credit risk management. Each phase of his career has contributed to a leadership philosophy rooted in adaptability, continuous learning, and ethical business practices.

Today, he leads SADAD International LLC, the debt collection and credit risk management company of the Bahwan International Group in Oman. Under his stewardship, SADAD has established itself as one of the region’s most respected recovery specialists with offices in Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain. SADAD has also earned the Excellence in Credit Risk and Debt Collection Services Award at the Business Today Oman CFO Forum 2025 while maintaining ISO 9001:2015 certification, reinforcing its commitment to operational excellence and customer-centric recovery solutions. In this exclusive interview with TradeFlock, Tom reflects on the experiences that shaped his leadership philosophy, discusses managing multicultural teams, and explains why empathy, adaptability, and trust remain the defining qualities of exceptional leadership.

What tied together four decades across so many unrelated industries?

Every stage of my career has been connected by one constant—the willingness to learn, adapt, and remain close to the customer.

Beginning my career as a Sales Executive gave me a strong appreciation for the realities of frontline business development. Building customer relationships, handling objections, and earning trust taught me lessons that continue to influence my leadership today. Even now, whenever I meet clients, I draw on those early experiences because they help me understand both customer expectations and the challenges my sales teams face.

Although I have worked across diverse industries—including office automation, automotive, media, financial services, and debt recovery—the fundamentals of leadership have remained remarkably consistent. Every transition expanded my perspective and prepared me for the next opportunity. Looking back, I realise that each role, regardless of industry, was building the experience, resilience, and judgement required to lead an organisation like SADAD. The industries changed, but the principles of integrity, customer focus, and continuous learning never did.

You lead a team across six or seven nationalities in Oman. What did that teach you?

Leading multicultural teams has fundamentally changed my understanding of leadership.

When I first moved to Oman, I quickly realised that leadership is not a one-size-fits-all approach. A management style that inspires one individual may not necessarily resonate with another. It took time to understand that effective leadership begins with understanding people before expecting results.

In India, where language and culture are familiar, communication tends to be more direct. In Oman, where Omani nationals comprise the majority of our workforce, family holds equal importance alongside professional responsibilities. Rather than expecting employees to adapt to my leadership style, I learned to adapt my leadership to respect their values and cultural expectations. That experience has made me a better listener, a more empathetic leader, and someone who values diversity as one of an organisation’s greatest strengths.

How do you protect your agents from burnout, and where do you see leadership heading next?

Debt collection is an emotionally demanding profession. Our field teams frequently work under challenging environmental conditions while engaging with customers facing financial difficulties. Supporting our employees is therefore not simply an HR initiative—it is a leadership responsibility.

At SADAD, we have cultivated what we proudly refer to as the ‘SADAD Family.’ Team leaders maintain regular communication with every field agent, supervisors provide immediate support whenever difficult situations arise, and every employee has direct access to senior leadership through our open-door culture.

This environment of trust, accessibility, and mutual respect has enabled us to maintain employee engagement and retention levels that consistently exceed industry benchmarks. Looking ahead, I believe leadership will become increasingly defined by adaptability. Artificial Intelligence, automation, changing customer expectations, and evolving global economic conditions will continue to reshape every industry.

While technology will transform the way we work, the qualities that define outstanding leadership—integrity, empathy, resilience, and the ability to inspire people—will remain timeless. If there is one characteristic I actively seek in every future leader, it is the ability to embrace change with confidence while never losing sight of the human element of leadership.

How has your approach to leadership changed since the 1980s?

Leadership today requires a mindset of continuous learning.

When I pursued my MBA, I learned about computers entirely through textbooks because practical access was limited. I entered the workforce during a period when many organisations were hesitant to embrace technological change. Over the years, however, we adapted to computers, the internet, digital transformation, social media, and now Artificial Intelligence. Every technological shift has reshaped the way organisations operate, and leaders must evolve alongside those changes.

Equally important has been learning from different cultures and environments. Working across Kerala, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Mumbai demonstrated that leadership cannot rely on assumptions—even within the same country. These experiences reinforced one important lesson: the ability to embrace change, remain curious, and continuously develop yourself is perhaps the most valuable quality any leader can possess.

SADAD is known for customer-centric service, unusual in debt collection. What makes your team different?

At SADAD, our philosophy is built around one simple belief:

"A customer who defaults today can still return as a paying customer tomorrow, and that belief fundamentally changes the way you approach debt recovery."

Unlike many traditional collection agencies, SADAD originated from the credit and collections function of the Bahwan International Group before evolving into an independent debt collection and credit risk management company. That heritage has given us a unique understanding of both our clients’ commercial objectives and the importance of preserving customer relationships.

Our approach prioritises professionalism, empathy, and mutual respect. Every interaction is monitored to ensure the highest standards of communication, and our teams are trained to resolve cases through constructive dialogue rather than confrontation. Legal proceedings are considered only when there is clear evidence of deliberate default. In the vast majority of cases, we believe that collaborative and amicable resolutions produce better outcomes for both our clients and their customers. This philosophy has earned the trust of leading organisations across the region and remains one of the key reasons clients continue to partner with SADAD.