Meet Hassan Zahran, CTL’s Incoming CEO
Hassan Zahran has never backed down from a challenge. From a young age, Hassan learned that in order to pursue excellence, accepting defeat could never be an option. With this belief, he learned that every problem has a solution.
This ideology has served as a fundamental pillar of Hassan’s belief system from the very beginning. At 17 years old, Hassan was the youngest professional team handball player on Syria’s national team. This was, of course, achieved with determination and hard-work but, this “picture perfect” scenario did not come without its own set of challenges. While his father knew that he played the sport casually, Hassan had not disclosed that he was selected to join the national team. Joseph, Zahran’s father, prioritized a strong academic performance over everything else.
“I hid it from my dad because he [dad] was all about education, education, education,” Hassan recalled. “It was important to him that I kept up my grades.”
By skillfully balancing his academic and athletic pursuits, Hassan was able to excel in both arenas. However, when the national team qualified for a week-long tournament at the capital, Hassan was unsure how to overcome this obstacle.
Hassan, leaning back in his chair, laughed sheepishly. “I was thinking, ‘How in the hell am I going to go to Damascus for a week without telling my dad?’”
Never one to fall short of expectation (academic or personal), Hassan knew there was a solution. After speaking to his mother, she agreed to cover for him; she told Joseph that Hassan was going to visit his uncle for a week in Damascus. When the tournament neared, Hassan made his way to Damascus with his team, thinking his dad would never be the wiser. All went according to plan until the night of the tournament; Joseph, wanting to relax in front of the TV and watch the National Team handball, was surprised to see his son, Hassan, running on the field with the national team.
“And that’s how it happened. Here he is, watching TV and his son is playing Team handball,” Hassan remembers. “And that was a really proud moment for him. I mean, he was upset at the time because I did that without telling him. But he was so proud because it was a huge honor to play for a national team.”
As Hassan recounts this memory, it is clear that earning his father’s pride is one his greatest honors. In fact, Hassan still cites his relationship with his father as the greatest influence on his life.
A Father’s Support
While Joseph was proud of his son’s athletic accomplishments, he vehemently believed that education was the true pathway to success. So, when Hassan was presented with the opportunity to study Civil Engineering in the United States, he knew he had to take the chance. Hassan knew that pursuing excellence could only happen if he left everything that was familiar to him: his friends, family, home and love to play professional sport.
“I came to this country in 1980, at a very young age. Fresh out of high school,” Hassan remembers. “My dad [he] trusted me to go across the world, to face the unknown.”
Hassan seized this opportunity, determined to make the seemingly impossible possible. “We came from a very average family financially, and my dad couldn’t support me [financially] but he could morally and emotionally. He trusted me to create something out of nothing.”
Armed with his father’s trust and the belief that anything was possible, Hassan forged a path of success that would make his younger self proud. As he continued to achieve professionally, complacency was never an option. Hassan has never shied away from being uncomfortable; in fact, Hassan’s willingness to be in uncharted territory is what propels him to the next level.
From Handball to CTL Engineering’s Next CEO
The pursuit of excellence and personal growth that drives Hassan’s vision, is what makes him excel in the engineering field.
“I love winning,” Hassan says. He states that he’d encourage the team to “celebrate the win for one day” while always challenging his team to look to the future and think, “Okay, what’s next?”
“The best way to predict our future is to create it. Let’s not sit down and wait for the opportunities to come by. Let’s go after them. Can do mentality is the best approach to any successful organization. IF WE BELIEVE WE CAN. WE ARE HALFWAY THERE”
His competitive nature is rooted in what’s best for the team, not the individual. Hassan recognizes that CTL’s success is not the direct result of one person’s actions; in fact, he has always said that “to be successful, we have to put the right people in the right seat on the bus.”
Hassan, drawing from his athletic and professional experience, recognizes the importance of teamwork to reach a common goal.
“We” is so much stronger than “I”.
This commitment to a healthy culture is a defining characteristic that makes CTL a beacon for thriving talent. Because developing a healthy culture is as important as having a healthy balance sheet. Hassan, a big believer in working with people more talented and intelligent than yourself, discusses the impact that CTL’s work environment had on him personally. He cites C.K. Satyapriya, current CEO, as the man responsible for laying the foundation for this belief. It was Satyapriya’s dedication to developing a ‘family culture’ that attracted him to CTL in the first place.
“I felt loyalty, honesty, and integrity. I really wanted to be a part of that team.”
Supporting the Team Through Change
Armed with an impressive engineering background, innovative ideas, and a strong team, Zahran is looking towards the future. In the coming years, CTL has aggressive plans which is challenging. However, Hassan knows that employees at CTL are not ones to back away from a challenge.
“Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, ‘A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor,’” Hassan said. “In any business, if you want a smooth ride, you’ll get stagnant. You’ll never get skilled at dealing with problems.”
Hassan knows that significant change can be uncomfortable, but recognizes the power of stepping outside your comfort zone. His commitment to CTL employees is unwavering; he will steadfastly support his team. Their support is necessary, because one person cannot navigate a ship that is out to sea.
“Richard Nixon said, ‘If you take no risks, you will suffer no defeats. But if you take no risks, you win no victories,’” he said.
From the handball courts of Syria to the boardrooms of CTL, Hassan’s journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, adaptability, and teamwork. As he steps into his new role as CEO, he brings a unique blend of athletic competitiveness, determination, and engineering precision.
“A successful CEO always initiates actions instead of reactions. And that’s what I would want to be.”
As CTL Engineering moves forward under his leadership, one thing is certain: the company is in the hands of a leader who knows how to build a winning team.
