Scaling Impact: How Serial Entrepreneur Wassim Hassanieh is Driving Innovation with Secure and Affordable Tech "I strongly believe that AI should be introduced to organizations to solve problems, increase efficiency, and reduce costs. AI is not one-size-fits-all for every industry, and we are beginning to see different AI solutions tailored to specific sectors."

It was in 2003 when Wassim Hassanieh's journey into the world of tech began with SAP, the global leader in enterprise software that helps organizations manage core business processes through integrated digital solutions. Soon after, Hassanieh launched Procons 4IT, said to be the first company in the Middle East dedicated to delivering SAP solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, by 2008, he noticed a particular change: the global enterprise resource planning (ERP) was shifting towards cloud technologies. Observing this change in direction eventually led to the launch of his next startup, CloudTaktiks. "SAP having more than 50,000 SME clients globally running their ERP on premise triggered the idea of Cloudtaktiks– a company that focuses on creating the right cloud infrastructure for SAP SME clients to run their ERP on cloud in an affordable, secure environment while maintaining the right performance," Hassanieh explains. "Moreover, after the acquisition of Procons 4IT in 2018 by a major Spanish group, I diverted focus to create Cloudtaktiks which is now a leading cloud-based company helping the SAP SME clients to run their ERP on cloud. As we speak we have helped more than 700 SAP clients in more than 37 countries benefit from Cloudtaktiks to run their SAP solutions on cloud."

Hassnieh explains that in its early days, CloudTaktiks concentrated on hiring the right talent and adopting the best technology to design an optimized cloud platform. The goal was to provide premium service quality and support while keeping costs attractive. "Having secured the latter, we started a channel-based sales strategy, where we connected with top SAP partners globally and offered our premium cloud solutions that were sure to be a win-win collaboration," he explains. "This led us to secure agreements with top SAP Value added resellers in Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa. We have also now started a nice traction with partners in Latin America through our first office in Costa Rica. I do believe in channel business and this is the fastest way to expand into different markets."

In 2018, having worked with SAP for a period of 15 years already, and also running his first startup Procons-4IT, Hassanieh noticed another major business gap– this time in the Human Capital Management (HCM) software market. "HCM solutions are either huge, complex, expensive, and take ages to implement, or they are small solutions or add-ons that lack major functionality and suffer from performance, compliance, and security issues," he laments. "Inspired by the acquisition of SuccessFactors [a Silicon Valley-based cloud-based HCM company] by SAP in 2011, I had the idea of building an HCM platform that would be rich in functionality while reducing complexity and cost. This dream came true in 2018 when I launched Magnar Systems. The journey began with finding the right talent who shared the same passion and belief in the end result. It wasn't easy, but we managed to launch the first version of the product in 2021 during COVID-19, and since then we have never stopped enhancing the solution—especially after seeing the strong market acceptance. In less than four years, Magnar has been adopted by more than 300 clients across 26 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. I am very proud of what we have achieved, and I strongly believe Magnar HCM has an amazing future and a global presence ahead."

Having ventured into the world of human resource management (HRM), Hassanieh offers insights on what he believes are major hurdles for businesses in the region. "MENA HRM still struggles with a lot of changing rules and regulations; labor laws are changing continuously," he says. "Change management is not easy, and the appetite to invest in digitalizing HR has always been a challenge. Most companies are still relying on manual processes and Excel, which shifts the workload to administrative tasks rather than focusing on enhancing policies, employee wellbeing, talent retention, proper recruiting, and engagement. I do not believe change itself is difficult, but we need to provide proper solutions that integrate with government portals, tax authorities, and banks. In addition, we must reduce the complexity and cost associated with HR solutions to overcome these challenges and drive real change."

As such, Hassanieh has taken it upon himself to thus directly tackle the issues of costly, complex, and outdated HR processes by creating Magnar Systems as an HCM platform that is affordable, easy to implement, and locally adaptable. "Over the next 3–5 years, Magnar will evolve from an "HCM suite" into a global people-ops platform," he shares "Our focus will be on embedding artificial intelligence (AI) into every process across the system. We are investing heavily in user experience and mobile apps to boost employee engagement, while also making HR digital transformation affordable for all companies by reducing complexity, adding more localizations, and ensuring faster implementation times. We plan to continue expanding our presence in the GCC and Levant regions, while also accelerating growth in Africa—particularly in Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria—and strengthening our footprint in Latin and Central America through our office in Costa Rica."

But as much as Hassanieh has been a proponent for the wider use of AI, the serial tech entrepreneur has also, repeatedly, warned against treating AI as a mere buzzword. Instead, he has advocated for it to address real-world challenges at scale while ensuring strong governance and robust security. "AI is a topic spreading across all industries– however, most CEOs and decision-makers want to be part of this AI revolution but often don't know why or how to start," he says. "I strongly believe that AI should be introduced to organizations to solve problems, increase efficiency, and reduce costs. AI is not one-size-fits-all for every industry, and we are beginning to see different AI solutions tailored to specific sectors. While basic AI tools like chatbots can be used across industries, specialized AI solutions are emerging that address industry-specific needs—for example, AI in production companies differs from AI in service-based companies. As a cloud infrastructure provider, we help our clients deploy the right AI infrastructure, enabling them to use ready-made AI agents or build their own to support their business. In our HR offerings, we have embedded AI tools that reduce effort in talent management and recruitment, while also minimizing errors in financial and payroll calculations."

This focus on building the right team and infrastructure is in many ways a reflection of Hassanieh's approach to AI adoption. Just as careful attention is given to attracting and retaining talent to drive growth, the founder believes equal emphasis must be placed on implementing AI tools and cloud infrastructure that deliver tangible value and address real business challenges. "One of the biggest challenges [of my entrepreneurial career] has been finding the right talent," he says. "In a market like the Middle East, attracting and retaining skilled professionals—especially for a startup—can be difficult. Many people prefer to join larger multinational organizations, so one solution I implemented was offering free equity to key team members, which fostered loyalty and passion to help grow the business. Another major challenge was navigating compliance and geopolitical changes in the region over the past decade. To address this, we strategically expanded geographically, reducing the risk of being limited to a single market, while ensuring compliance requirements were met to support smooth expansion."

As Hassanieh continues to focus his attention on furthering both CloudTaktiks and Magnar Systems' presence in Lebanon and the wider region, the founder notes how visionary initiatives in countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia have set the pace for regional digital transformation. As for his homeland Lebanon, Hassanieh says that while it still faces challenges in infrastructure and policy, it is the local talent and strategic support that will drive meaningful change moving forward. "Since 2006, I have observed a major shift in the region toward adopting technology," he says. "The UAE has led this digital transformation, particularly in the public sector, with a clear vision, followed later by Saudi Arabia through its 2030 Vision, which has driven significant technological advancement across the kingdom. Other countries in the region still have a long way to go. I believe Lebanese talent has played a crucial role in the region's digital transformation, and I have consistently relied on Lebanese professionals in all my ventures, which has contributed greatly to our regional and global success. As for Lebanon itself, while it has excellent talent, it still lacks the infrastructure, government policies, and strategic vision needed to fully embrace a digital ecosystem. I hope to see changes soon, as the country has tremendous potential to capitalize on this wave of transformation!"