Meet Suraya Yahaya of Khazana, Inc.

Hi Suraya, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Malaysia and moved to the US 20 years ago, after having lived and worked internationally. My parents were farmers, and my sister and I grew up with good old fashioned family values – service, hard work, respect and responsibility. I left Malaysia when I was 17 and moved to England to go to Law School. I returned to Malaysia and started working in an international tech firm, where I was grateful to learn both the legal and the business side of things. I have been privileged and am grateful to have been able to travel for both work and pleasure to many countries, including India, Russia, Australia, and Thailand. Travel is definitely a passion of mine, and I think it definitely helps me in my work today. After moving to the US in 2000, my husband (who is an American) and I settled here in Denver, and I quickly realized that my passion was less in the legal field and more in the business field. I joined and worked at several large techs, Fortune 500 tech firms here in Colorado – leading and executing operational and strategic programs. I have been privileged and humbled to have worked alongside and learned from some great mentors.

Learning is also definitely another passion of mine, and I apply a learning and curious mindset to work I do today. I left the corporate world in 2018 and formed my own firm – I brought together my experience in managing large P&Ls, running large-scale operations and strategic planning to form my own Fractional COO firm. At my firm, I serve as a Fractional or Interim COO to businesses who do not want to hire a full-time chief operations officer. I am also trained in the EOS discipline (an entrepreneurial operating system program) and serve as an Integrator for firms running the EOS model. I really enjoy what I do and enjoy helping shape and guide the success of companies in whatever their goals, vision and journeys are.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has definitely not been smooth! I tell people that I have reinvented myself twice: Once when I moved here to the US in 2000 – as a first-gen, an immigrant and a woman of color who had no family or friends here, I had to start from scratch to build my career, network and support system in a new country. And then, in 2018, when I left corporate after 20 years of the “known,” I formed my own firm and stepped “into the unknown.” It was definitely not smooth going initially figuring out how to define my value and add value in an authentic and service-oriented way. I have been grateful to have had the support of my husband, children and close friends along the way.

As you know, we’re big fans of Khazana, Inc. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
My business/firm is called Khazana, Inc. Khazana means Treasure in Malay, which is the native language of my home country, Malaysia. I am so proud and grateful to have the opportunity to have started this firm, and it represents the values that I embody – responsibility, authenticity, accountability, and service. I truly enjoy meeting new people, understanding their goals, and helping them being successful. Khazana, Inc is a firm that provides small and medium-sized companies outsourced, on-demand COO services. I act as a fractional or part-time COO to firms that do not want or need to hire a full-time COO. I also serve as an Integrator (COO) for companies running the EOS model. Khazana, Inc is unique because I am embedded in companies’ leadership team and am a member of their staff. I never take on more than two or three clients at a time to ensure that I can be given clients the best attention in problem-solving, strategy execution, and leadership. In my role as COO or Integrator, I typically lead all operating functions (Sales, Marketing, Customer Delivery, Product, Legal, HR, Finance). I work closely with my teams to ensure that the company’s vision is met. My style is to be collaborative, and I am truly invested in the journey and partnership of each company and in delivering on the vision of the CEO/Visionary and Board.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Over the last year, I have been giving a lot of thought to values and have realized that I gravitate towards clients who embody the same values as I do and who share the same curiosity, creativity, passion, and sense of humor as I do! In this challenging and strange time, it’s important to surround yourself with a strong support system, and I hope that my clients see me as their partner and support system to lead them whatever phase and journey they are on. We don’t know what the next few months will hold, but we know that we have to be ready.

Contact Info:

• Email: suraya@khazanainc.com
• Website: www.khazanainc.com
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/khazanainc/?viewAsMember=true