Most people never think about the technology that keeps factories running until something goes wrong. A single cyberattack or unexpected system failure can stop production, disrupt global supply chains, and delay products that millions rely on. As factories become more digital, keeping them secure has become more important than ever.
For more than 23 years, Dr. Siraj Rahim, Deputy General Manager of Operational Technology & Information Security at MRF, has been helping organizations solve these challenges.
His work focuses on:
- Protecting critical manufacturing systems from cyber threats
- Leading secure digital transformation initiatives
- Managing operational technology and information security
- Ensuring uninterrupted operations across 11 manufacturing plants and two R&D centers
Among his major contributions are establishing the Operational Technology & Information Security function, leading the successful implementation of ISO 27001, and supporting critical pharmaceutical manufacturing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recognized among the Next 500 CIO Leaders, he also serves as a Global Representative for Critical Infrastructure initiatives and a Cisco Advisory Council Member. Through his practical, people-first leadership, Dr. Siraj Rahim continues to help organizations build secure, resilient, and future-ready manufacturing environments.
Creating Safer and More Resilient Manufacturing Environments
When Dr. Siraj Rahim began his career, he was driven by a passion for servers, networks, and IT infrastructure. Like many young engineers, he initially measured success by how well technology performed. However, his experience across manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and industrial sectors gradually changed his perspective. He came to realize that technology is not the ultimate goal. Its real purpose is to support people, protect their work, and keep essential operations running safely.
This belief became even stronger during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he led cybersecurity operations for a global pharmaceutical organization supporting critical manufacturing. While he was not directly involved in producing medicines, he played a vital role in protecting the digital systems that kept manufacturing operations running. He monitored emerging cyber threats, led Security Operations Center activities, assessed third-party cyber risks, and worked closely with business teams to ensure critical operations remained secure, resilient, and available. Knowing that these efforts helped support the delivery of life-saving medicines to millions of people gave his work a deeper sense of purpose.
Since then, Dr. Rahim has focused on using technology to solve real business challenges rather than simply implementing new systems. His goal has always been to help organizations build manufacturing environments that are secure, resilient, and easy for people to operate. Along the way, he learned that the greatest challenge in any transformation is not technology itself but earning the trust of operators, engineers, business leaders, and everyone affected by change. That people-first mindset continues to shape his leadership and approach to building secure and resilient manufacturing operations.
Winning Trust Before Driving Change
One of the biggest challenges in Dr. Siraj Rahim’s professional journey was modernizing manufacturing processes in environments where many shop-floor practices had remained unchanged for decades. During one discussion, a senior leader questioned how operators could be expected to change methods they had followed long before he entered the industry. That conversation reshaped his approach to leading change.
Instead of asking people to trust new technology immediately, Dr. Rahim focused on earning their trust first.
His approach included:
- Spending time with shop-floor teams
- Listening carefully to operators’ concerns
- Improving solutions based on practical feedback
- Encouraging ownership instead of simply enforcing compliance
He discovered that ideas that looked effective in meeting rooms did not always work in real production. The same people expected to adopt new systems often had the insights needed to improve them.
He followed this people-first approach while leading the organization’s ISO 27001 implementation. Rather than treating compliance as a checklist, he encouraged teams to take ownership of the process. Through these experiences, he learned that people rarely resist change itself. They resist being left out of it.
The Future of Manufacturing Depends on Secure Digital Foundations
According to Dr. Siraj Rahim, the next wave of manufacturing will be shaped by connected operations rather than a single breakthrough technology.
He believes manufacturers will increasingly rely on:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Predictive maintenance
- Digital twins
- Real-time analytics
- Cloud-connected production systems
- OT and IT convergence
As these technologies become part of everyday operations, cybersecurity will no longer be viewed as only an IT responsibility. Instead, it will become an essential part of maintaining safe, reliable, and uninterrupted manufacturing.
Dr. Siraj Rahim believes organizations that build secure and resilient digital foundations today will be best positioned to innovate confidently in the future.
A Practical Approach to Managing Risk and Innovation
Dr. Rahim believes that balancing innovation, security, and operational continuity begins with a risk-based approach. Since every organization has different priorities, operational needs, and levels of risk, he emphasizes that there is no universal solution. Instead of trying to eliminate every possible risk, he focuses on understanding potential risks, managing them effectively, and making informed decisions that support business goals.
He sees frameworks such as ISO 27001 as valuable guides, but believes they should help organisations move forward rather than slow them down. For Dr. Rahim, security should enable innovation, not create unnecessary barriers. He advocates building security into every project from the start while ensuring that the controls are practical, proportionate, and aligned with the organisation’s objectives.
Throughout his career, he has seen organizations make two common mistakes. Some introduce too many security controls in an effort to achieve higher maturity levels, creating unnecessary complexity and operational challenges. Others implement security measures that are far more complicated than the business actually needs. In both cases, excessive controls can delay projects, increase costs, frustrate employees, and even encourage people to work around security measures. Dr. Siraj Rahim believes that effective cybersecurity is not about having the most controls. It is about implementing the right controls that reduce risk while allowing the business to operate efficiently and innovate with confidence.
Strong Sense of Curiosity and a Commitment To Continuous Learning
For Dr. Rahim, staying ahead in a rapidly changing industry is not about following trends but about maintaining a strong sense of curiosity and a commitment to continuous learning. He believes that learning is an ongoing journey and regularly expands his knowledge through professional certifications, research, and practical experience. Over the years, he has earned certifications in executive leadership, cybersecurity, cloud technologies, AI governance, and auditing, choosing each one to address real business challenges and create meaningful impact.
Beyond learning, Dr. Rahim is equally passionate about sharing knowledge with others. He contributes through industry conferences, public speaking engagements, mentoring young engineers, collaborating with professional communities, and working alongside global technology leaders. He is also the author of The Silent Engine, a book that shares practical insights from his experience in Operational Technology, cybersecurity, and resilient manufacturing.
Dr. Rahim believes that experience provides valuable lessons, curiosity opens the door to new ideas, and sharing knowledge helps individuals and the industry continue to grow.
Trust is The Foundation of Every Successful Manufacturing Operation
For Dr. Rahim, trust is the foundation of every successful manufacturing operation. He believes it is built by balancing four essential pillars: compliance, data protection, operational resilience, and business agility. While each plays an important role, they are held together by ethical decision-making. In his view, none of these elements can deliver lasting results on their own.
He believes trust is not created through policies or security controls alone. It grows when employees can work securely without unnecessary complexity, when leaders have confidence in the resilience of their operations, and when customers know their information is well protected.
Dr. Rahim follows a practical, risk-based approach because every organization has different priorities and levels of risk. He sees compliance as a valuable guide, but not something that should slow innovation. Instead, he focuses on putting the right security measures in place to reduce risk while allowing the business to operate efficiently and grow with confidence.
For Dr. Rahim, trust is earned through consistent actions, balanced decisions, and a strong commitment to doing what is right. Compliance is an important part of the journey, but it is integrity and practical leadership that build lasting trust.
Don’t Work For Fame or Titles
Dr. Rahim believes leadership begins with setting the right example. He leads through actions rather than titles and never expects his team to take on responsibilities that he would not be willing to handle himself. For him, trust and credibility are earned through consistency, integrity, and leading from the front.
To build accountability and develop future leaders, he introduced the “Shadow Lead” approach, where every project has a primary lead and a shadow lead. This encourages continuous learning, knowledge sharing, succession planning, and ensures that no project depends on a single individual.
He also believes that the best ideas come from teams that feel valued and heard. By maintaining transparency in plans, roadmaps, and improvement initiatives, he creates an environment where everyone can contribute, regardless of their role. Empathy is equally important to his leadership style, and he approaches every decision by considering what he would expect if he were in his team’s position.
For Dr. Siraj Rahim, accountability is built on trust, not fear. A principle that has guided him throughout his career is, “It takes both sides to build a bridge, but it takes only one to burn it.” He believes that earning and protecting trust is one of the most important responsibilities of any leader.
Life Before and After Entrepreneurial Role
| Before | After |
| Focused on solving technical problems. | Focused on solving business and people challenges through technology. |
| Curious about how technology works. | Even more curious about how people think, collaborate, and make decisions. |
| Measured success by my own contributions. | Measure success by the growth and achievements of my team. |
| Concentrated on delivering projects. | Focused on building leaders, creating culture, and enabling long-term transformation. |
| Sought answers from experts. | Learn equally from young engineers, experienced leaders, operators, and frontline teams. |
| Responsibility ended with my assigned work. | Responsibility extends to developing people, mentoring future leaders, and giving back to the profession. |
An Open Letter to the Next Generation Leaders
Dear Future Leaders,
If there is one lesson I hope you carry throughout your career, it is this: never stop being curious. The day you believe you know everything is the day you stop growing. Technology will continue to evolve, cyber threats will become more complex, and industries will keep changing. Your greatest strength will not be your degree, certification, or experience. It will be your willingness to keep learning.
Always remember that technology is only part of the job. Manufacturing is about people. Every machine you secure, every production line you improve, and every process you protect helps people work more safely, efficiently, and confidently. Never lose sight of the human impact behind every technical decision.
Ask questions, listen carefully, and learn from everyone around you, whether they are operators, technicians, young engineers, or experienced leaders. Build trust before you build technology because trust takes years to earn and only moments to lose. Share your knowledge, mentor others, and measure your success by the leaders you help create.
There will be setbacks. Projects may fail, systems may break, and challenges will test your resilience. Learn from every experience, move forward with integrity, and never stop improving. Above all, remember that Operational Technology may work quietly behind the scenes, but it keeps industries moving, businesses growing, and communities thriving.
The future of manufacturing is in your hands. Build it with curiosity, integrity, and purpose.
Dr. Siraj Rahim
Deputy General Manager – Operational Technology & Information Security
MRF
Quick Takes
1. One tool or app you would recommend to professionals in your industry:
Microsoft OneNote and Microsoft Teams – OneNote helps me capture and organize knowledge, while Teams keeps people connected, collaborative, and accountable.
2. One quote that motivates you the most:
“It takes both sides to build a bridge, but it takes only one to burn it.” Trust is built over time through integrity and actions, and protecting it is every leader’s greatest responsibility.
3. One piece of advice you would offer to upcoming entrepreneurs or future business leaders:
Never become so busy chasing success that you stop being curious. The day you stop learning is the day you stop leading.
4. One movie or book you recommend everyone in business or leadership should experience:
The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt – A practical book that teaches leaders to solve the real problem rather than just treat the symptoms.
Dr. Siraj Rahim’s 5 Impactful Business Mantras
- Put people before technology because lasting success is built on trust.
- Let security enable innovation, not slow it down.
- Keep learning because curiosity is the foundation of great leadership.
- Lead by example and develop leaders, not just successful projects.
- Focus on the right solutions that create long-term value, not unnecessary complexity.
