Meet our Donors - Leading a philanthropic life with Fasha Mahjoor

A part of one’s DNA

Taking the lead from his family, Fasha developed a philanthropic life, where giving back and sharing experience and support became a fundamental part of his DNA. Growing up in a charitable family set an exceptional example for him to follow, from his grandparents and great-grandparents to his mother and father. He remembers vividly,

“Growing up in Iran until the age of about 13, my father was a medical doctor, as my grandfather was. I remember when I was 6 or 7 years old, on Fridays when it was a national day off, my father would go to very poor villages outside of Tehran. With almost a suitcase of medication, he went with me holding his hand. He would go from home-to-home of very poor families in villages to attend to the sick, providing them with free medication. In some cases, very quietly, he would leave some money in an envelope in the patient’s home.

“From an early age, I learned if you’re in a fortunate situation, it is always good to look at the other side and be able to give a helping hand. I suppose that’s how it always was.

“The need to look outward became a part of not just my, but my family’s life. Providing funds, education, and even one-to-one support. Philanthropy became part and parcel of my life. I think we are very fortunate.”

The unintended power of a philanthropic company culture

Fasha started his first business, Phenomenex, in the garage of his home with hardly any means. After working 24/7 until he could see the future, “philanthropy became a part of the company, it became the motor and was celebrated by all staff. I never knew that when I started how infectious it could become.” Phenomenex grew to become a world-leading and award-winning company, with 11 subsidiaries worldwide and 60 international partners and served more than 100 countries.

“I don’t think I was a bad employer, though that’s for other people to judge. But I can absolutely confirm, just like any other company, we would get hit by head-hunters wanting to take our staff to other companies and on occasions with better pay as well. Many times, the employees wouldn’t leave the company, not only because of the environment, but because of its unique culture and part of the culture was the philanthropic work we were all involved in.”

This unintended and powerful culture of philanthropy motivated Phenomenex employees to get involved. They fundraised, volunteered as mentors, and educators, they travelled to disadvantaged areas of the country and the world to build schools and support those who needed help on the ground. Eventually, they began leading the decisions of philanthropic support at Phenomenex. Their philanthropy was led by action and a genuine intention to help. Phenomenex were discreet about the role they played. Fasha explained, “They were setting examples, if you will. But none of it was intentional. None of it was because we wanted more business and we never advertised to customers that should they purchase anything we would provide donations to charities or other forms of means to the less fortunate.   
“I think often employers don’t realise how impactful this could be. I never thought that could one day be the glue for staff to want to be part of the company, but it did. It’s extraordinary.
 

“Some of the greatest impact was on staff and some of the examples that I’m most proud of are those former staff members who would go on to establish their own companies and imbue those companies a focus on ‘giving back’. This was for me as an employer, extremely gratifying.”

Providing platforms for others to succeed

Through his life and career as a leader, trustee and philanthropist, Fasha Mahjoor has created platforms for those who need it to reach their potential. The Fasha Mahjoor Women in Science and Engineering Scholarship, and his support towards the First Generation Scholarship Programme, are wonderful examples of how he seeks to create more equitable opportunities for those who face barriers to succeed.

“[The Fasha Mahjoor Women in Science and Engineering Scholarship] is yet another thing that could come back to my family life. In our family, women always had equity with men and this certainly extended to my business life too. I still believe there is a lot of inequality in society and therefore, when I had the opportunity, I wanted a woman to receive the scholarship towards a science or engineering education.”

Fasha fondly reminisced “I had fantastic years at Manchester Metropolitan University, then it was called Manchester Polytechnic”. As well as staying in touch with his former Manchester-based employers during his sandwich year, Fasha is still in touch with his classmates today. Little did he know his time at Manchester Met would shape, in part his motivations for supporting the First Generation Scholarship Programme,

“Part of why I support First Generation is from an experience that I had at Manchester Met. I was in my second year of architecture and one of my good friends was the first in his family to attend university. He had to drop out, simply because of his family situation, he felt the need to go back and help his family in whatever means he could. At the time, 1973/4, though the government covered the cost to study, there were no scholarships or any funds to help in those situations. It was a very sad occasion for me as he was a dear fellow, a great person, talented and extremely funny. Unfortunately, seeing that was impactful for me and deciding to provide a helping hand today, however modest it may be, it’s really a no-brainer. If one could assist even one person to have some of the experiences that many of us have had, to get the education they desire and build their life and a family that they can be proud of. That impact is an enormous amount of pride for those who can provide the support. Sometimes people just need a lifeline. Or a door to be opened for them and off they go.

“I encourage all people, if they haven’t done it yet, to consider supporting the next generation. Think about it. It’s really gratifying.”