Foundation
We attract and hire, train and nurture, best talents of our ecosystem.
ILIA is kown for the quality of its team; due to a well rooted, thoughtfully crafted, high performing and growth culture
Born with a Dream
ILIA was first founded in 2008 by S. Hossein Nabavi, Marlon D. Juenemann and S. Bahram Mortazavi with operational offices both in Tehran and Vienna primarily as a management consultancy firm. Ever since its birth, ILIA has had one dream in mind. But like any other successful establishment, ILIA took this dream and changed it into an achievable vision to work towards: the vision of “unfolding potentials and transforming lives”
After many ups and downs during its now-16-year-old course of growth, overcoming many obstacles, whether economical, geopolitical or financial in its nature, ILIA stands proudly now, with an evidence-supported claim of reaching the vision it had in mind since early days.
ILIA has taken on many international projects, and has had the opportunity to work with a “Fortune 500 Company” plus some of the Big 4 & Big 3. The international exposure and experience equipped ILIA with the necessary knowledge and operational tools and techniques to be considered as a credible management consultancy firm in the international arena. But in 2015, ILIA decided to have a measured focus on the Iranian market. ILIA’s founders believed that there’s an untapped potential in the market of Iran for their business. Therefore, in order to be established as one of the most trusted and professional management consulting firms in Iran, the necessary actions were taken, including a shift in company policies to increase awareness about its activities in the local market.
ILIA has completed over 250 projects and trained more than 150 individuals during 38 Internship Episodes. Looking at the history of the company, it is safe to say that ILIA has accomplished is past vision of “Unfolding Potentials, Transforming Lives” and now is moving forward in an upscaled level towards its new vision of “Building an sustainable authentic international consulting firm’, Along the way, the company itself is unfolding, transforming and evolving every day.
Turning a dream into a vision
ILIA is a management consultancy firm operating in Iran which helps local and international businesses to operate successfully in the market. ILIA walks along with its clients during all the stages of their development from market research to action-oriented solutions.
ILIA has a solid background when it comes to managing international projects. The international mindset combined with a comprehensive understanding of Iran’s market and a broad network of experts who have gained the experience of working on different projects and multiple industries which in turn enriches ILIA’s community of team members and results in delivering exceptional work.
Like any other company, ILIA was founded with a dream. It grew, evolved and transformed in the course of time. And like many other companies, ILIA has had many ups and downs during its 16-year-old journey. Like any journey, there have been several definitive moments that contributed to forming the current identity of the company. The following is a brief summary of those moments and their impact on ILIA.
Purpose
For a Better ILIAn’s and ILIA, a Better Iran and a Better World. ILIA has made a considerable effort to commit to a unifying set of purposes throughout its years of operation, which are to live through the working days with highest aspirations, to take constructive steps towards becoming an authentic international firm, to make it possible for all the team members to prosper together.
Vision
By 2026, we will build a sustainable authentic international consulting firm. All organizations start their journey with ambitious dreams. But only a few turn the dreams into their reality. ILIA is proudly one of them. By carefully constructing the organization based on 4 pillars of strength which are 1) Projects; resulting in exceptional delivery, 2) Market; resulting in greater profitability, 3) Platform; resulting in faster growth, and 4) Team; resulting in best talents, ILIA has left no room for ambiguity and confusion.
Values
Open and Direct Communication, Awareness about Collaborative Impact, Remembering to Simply Live Life. In order for this journey to reach the desired destination, there has to be a set of values that define and refine the way all the team members behave. This is very essential because no matter how synchronized the members of a team are, there might arise a situation in which team players need guidance, clear instructions and impartial judgement. That’s why ILIA came up with a set of values to refer to in times of need. These values are open and direct communication, awareness about collaborative impact and last but not the least, always remembering to simply live life and enjoy. It is always a good idea to have a quick reminder that at the end of the day, we are all looking for peace and happiness in life.
ILIA has come a long way to reach the ground it stands on today. After 16 years of cherishing the successes and learning from the mistakes and failures, ILIA and all the ILIAns still think that there’s a long road ahead, there is still room for improvement but that is not something that would shake the belief in our purposes. Because after all these years of hard work, trial and error, ILIA is still standing, still evolving and still transforming along with the people who have assisted the organization to reach the place it has today.
Core Competencies
A Clear Head, Capable Hands, and a Beating Heart
In order for a company to thrive and prosper, it is best to look at it as a living entity. Human beings are the most sophisticated living beings. A company is the same. In order for us humans to keep growing and living, all the internal organs should unanimously function for the same purpose. Here in ILIA, we have a similar structure.
The core competencies model utilized by ILIA consists of three main parts: the head, the hands and the heart. Each one of these clusters has its own internal structure and unique duties, but they all work towards the same goal. Following is a concise description of each of these parts and how they contribute to ILIA’s thriving.
The Head
This competency cluster is mainly associated with perception. The first step towards solving a problem and tackling a challenge is to fully understand it. This section is responsible for gathering the necessary information and data which will eventually contribute to a better understanding of the project’s nature, limitations, resources and requirements. Also, being up to date about the latest trends, understanding the consultancy culture, latest news of the industry pioneers is a part of the responsibilities designated to this department. Our clients will benefit from a comprehensive set of data related to their field which will help increase their effectiveness and efficiency, gain advantage over their competition and reduce risks.
The Hands
This competency cluster is mainly focused on the more practical side of the business. Working as a team is of undeniable importance here. Each individual has to have an excellent performance as well as valuable contribution to the work done by the other team members in order to achieve the best results.
A solution-oriented mindset is also very significant. In order for problems to be solved, all the members should adopt a solution-focused thinking to first define the problem and then identify all the possible solutions and choose the most effective ones based on a certain set of priorities which are aligned with the clients objectives. Needless to say, working on personal skills are a necessary part of excelling at professional skills. So here in ILIA, we put as much emphasis on developing personal skills as we can.
Another important part in this department is the ability to visualize data as simply and clearly as possible in order to facilitate the process of conveying the data to the client. Designing visual elements such as charts, graphs and maps are a part of the duties associated with this department.
The Heart
The heart is responsible for keeping us alive as human beings. In a company like ILIA, this department is also responsible to make sure that everything runs smoothly and according to the plan. In this department, we are mostly dealing with the big picture and more abstract concepts. Creating the guiding principles, codes of conduct, rituals etc., will help all the departments in times of challenge and crisis. This sector will make sure that ILIA’s goals for growth, development and sustainability are met and the company is moving towards its vision.
Brand
Building a company is one thing and building a reputable brand is another. Brand in consulting is Credibility. In order to build a successful brand, a company has to function as a unified establishment. That’s why ILIA and ILIAn are meticulous in delivering their jobs. Every aspect of every single work the company does is important. The look and feel, the tone of voice, the visual identity, the way a company communicates, its culture, the way the employees behave and reflect their institution are all parts of what makes a brand.
ILIA puts great emphasis on this matter. That’s why we have guidebooks and principles which will always keep us and our image in line with what our clients value most in us.
Differentiation
ILIA values brand image to a great deal. It is after all what remains of ILIA in its clients’ minds. As mentioned before, ILIA has been following a certain vision since its birth. In order to achieve that, ILIA found it indispensable to maintain a unified image in all aspects of its existence; Be it the culture code of the company, establishing a valuable connection with clients or communicating with its members.
In order to assure that all parts are moving in the right direction, ILIA has developed a comprehensive set of presentations that would function as a guide for the company. These presentations have documented the most important sets of principles to a great detail that can be relied on in times of need.
What differentiates ILIA’s approach to this matter from others depends on two main factors: the first one is frequently updating the guiding principles as the company transforms and evolves. The second one is including as much detail, material and visual elements to clearly communicate its message to all its audience.
By following these two rules ILIA has made an effort to differentiate itself as a company who values brand image as much as it values the quality of its delivered work. That’s what makes ILIA stand out in the market.
