My name is Naima Shaikh.  I am Somali by birth, although I spent just over 3 years in Somalia as a child.

I am a  technologist,  coach, music-lover, fitness enthusiast and aspiring health-freak – if I could just lose the donuts.

Over the years, I grew up and was educated over four different continents, received a distance degree from the fifth, and while it is unlikely that I will ever go to  Antarctica, I figure I’m already culturally diverse enough to indulge in identity crises once in a while.

I enjoyed learning new languages, meeting new people, studying World War II from several different angles depending on the country I was in – it taught me how the same facts can be viewed from such diverging perspectives.

I fell in love with technology at an early age and it is my one self-professed addiction – well, except for donuts and Somali halwa when I can get it.

For gainful employment, I have been predominantly in software engineering / application development, mostly  leading multi-cultural teams spread over various geographic locations.  My current passion is around using the power of social media and related tools to galvanize teams and bring a deeper level of engagement with customers.

I am married to an Italian engineer who enjoys designing landmark buildings, and we are proud parents to two wonderful pre-teen third-culture kids.  Both children were born and raised in the United Arab Emirates.  We currently live in Dubai.