CSI’s Annual Party in San Francisco
By Ras H. Siddiqui
Computers and Structures Inc. (CSI) held its 38 th Annual Party on Saturday, April 6 th at the San Francisco City Hall Rotunda to the delight of the few hundred lucky guests from all over the northern California business community including a select group of South Asians. The company, founded in 1975, is globally the go to place for software tools related to structural and earthquake engineering, software which has been used by engineering firms in over 160 countries for designing major projects including high-rise buildings such as the Taipei 101 Tower in Taiwan and the One World Trade Center in New York and other structures such as the 2008 Olympics Birds Nest Stadium in Beijing, and the Centenario Bridge over the Panama Canal.
A company as globally recognized as CSI had to have at least three key ingredients for its success: 1) Cutting edge technology based on a thorough understanding of structural and earthquake engineering, 2) a strong business model, and 3) a creative and determined leadership team which successfully tapped into the civil-structural engineering expertise originally available in the San Francisco Bay area and later globally. And that brings our focus towards the man at the helm of company affairs Ashraf Habibullah, President and CEO of CSI.
Ashraf is one of the most visible and illustrious graduates of NED Engineering College (now University) in Karachi, Pakistan. Besides being one of the few Americans of South-Asian descent (this scribe is yet to meet another) in northern California who really knows how to throw a party, Ashraf has played many positive roles in the area around UC Berkeley and across the bay promoting the arts. He has an avid interest in photography, has been a co-founder of a ballet company and continues to promote the Urdu language locally via sponsorship of events put together by area luminary Mrs Hamida Chopra.
And now on to the party, the theme of which this year was “Fabulous Las Vegas”. Complete with Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Cher and Michael Jackson impersonators amongst others, and many showgirls, this red carpet affair with fine food and music captivated both young and old alike. Ashraf was a most gracious and illuminating host (as well as the most illuminated, making quite a fashion statement once again!). All in all, it was an evening full of fun for just about everyone which unfortunately ended too early for us who had to drive back to Sacramento.
(For those interested in CSI products please visit: http://www.csiberkeley.com/ )
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