Article: “Age is not a barrier. You are a student until your last breath” Written by Annie Makoff Friday 26 June 2026 Share Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email Dr Sajesh Kumar CMgr FCMI, our Chartered Manager of the Week, discusses the importance of lifelong learning and how surviving a life-threatening illness reshaped his leadership philosophy Most people would agree that education and learning are important, if not essential – not just for job opportunities and career progression, but also in widening horizons and gaining knowledge. But for Dr Sajesh Kumar CMgr FCMI, education is critical to staying “competitive and relevant” in a fast-changing market. More than that: it’s about fulfilment and curiosity, too. Lifelong learning is a real passion of his – and Sajesh has achieved an incredible 58 qualifications, diplomas and certifications to prove it. “It’s not about the titles,” says Sajesh. “Learning for me is a lifelong passion, not a checklist. People often ask me, ‘What is the use of learning at your age?’, and I always say, ‘Age is not a barrier. You are a student until your last breath.’” This sums up Sajesh’s philosophy entirely. He believes it is incumbent on everyone, especially managers and leaders, to commit to the process of lifelong learning. “Leadership is a continuous journey of learning, unlearning and relearning. I am a lifelong student on a lifelong journey. It is something everybody has to do.” Embracing failure Part of learning, of course, is making mistakes, something which Sajesh says he embraces. “I always tell my team, ‘You should fail!’ Failure is the path to success.” Are you a Chartered Manager with a story to tell? We’re always on the lookout for inspiring stories from our community of Chartered Managers. You could feature in an article on our website and in our member newsletter. Contact us As he explains, getting things right the first time and being successful teaches an individual very little. There is no growth there. But failing – whether it’s an exam, not getting a role or not reaching a goal or objective – teaches someone much more: resilience, determination, perseverance and self-reflection. Sajesh himself has had a successful 32-year career in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, spanning procurement, supply chain, facilities management, governance and performance transformation. He currently works at AtkinsRéalis in Riyadh as KPI and performance manager of facilities operation and maintenance service providers for the King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport, one of the largest and most complex infrastructure developments in the Middle East. “I have never looked back” Sajesh is immensely proud of his involvement in the public transport project, a world-class infrastructure system that covers 1,900km across the entire Riyadh region. Prior to this, he contributed to several major regional projects, provided advisory procurement services and business support, and managed multi-country facilities management and procurement operations across the Middle East. But he has also experienced failure and made mistakes along the way. His own experience with failure became a turning point and radically transformed his approach to learning and growth. As Sajesh explains, between 1992, when he started his career, and 2017, his focus was entirely on work delivery, rather than investing in personal and professional development. He decided to take a management course to upskill. Keep reading – more from Sajesh Login or register below for Free Instant Access Login If you are already registered as a CMI Friend, Subscriber or Member, just login to view this article. Confirm your registration Login below to confirm your details and access this article. Log in Register for Free Access Not yet a Member, Subscriber or Friend? Register as a CMI Friend for free, and get access to this and many other exclusive resources, as well as weekly updates straight to your inbox. Article Our extensive range of articles are designed to keep you in the loop with all the latest management and leadership best practice, research and news. Members See More CMI Members have access to thousands of online learning and CPD resources. Learn more about our membership benefits Join The Community CMI offers a variety of flexible membership solutions, tailored to your needs. Find out more and get involved in the CMI community today.
