Shahid Azeem

Commentary: Coming to the UK aged 10 with no English, Azeem’s education faltered.  He left school with no formal qualifications, but his positive outlook, entrepreneurial flair and IT abilities led to career advancements, notably with Price Waterhouse and American firm AT&T.

Azeem set up his own firms in the 1980s, the most successful being A&P Computers, which he sold for multi-millions in 2005.

Today, Arcom IT’s business aim – ’to provide IT support so that organisations can grow and flourish’ – would not be far from Azeem’s personal community focus in helping to improve the lives of others.

Apart from Azeem’s extensive Surrey IT-business links and work associations with world-class partners, he is a business mentor and motivational speaker, a deputy lieutenant of Surrey and visiting fellow of Surrey University.

He has been a long-term supporter and fundraiser for charities, not least through his local Rotary Club.  He is also a founder of the Woking Asian Business Forum and a senior member of the British Pakistan Foundation for Development.

An award-winning British-Pakistani entrepreneur, Azeem was named Asian Entrepreneur of the Year in 2006-07 and Pakistani Entrepreneur in 2011 and has also been described as a ’community galvaniser’ and one of the top 100 most influential Muslims in the UK.

A promising footballer in his younger days his sporting career was ended by injury, but in 2013 he helped buy Aldershot Town FC out of administration and became its chairman.

Quote: “Treat others as you want to be treated.“

Year of Birth: 1958

Business: Arcom IT – A solutions provider for IT infrastructures established since 1998, which also offers 24/7 operational support

Business Location: Head office in Woking, Surrey

Turnover and year: £4.2 million

Description: Having already created and sold a multi-million-pound IT company, Shahid Azeem became owner-MD of Arcom IT in 2009.  He has an entrepreneurial ’rags-to-riches’ career story, but one in which he has consistently put himself at the heart of his community, assisting, advising and supporting good causes and ethical aims