How did you come to hold your current position?
I came on board slightly over a year ago and have spent the first few months better understanding the business environment and what drives consumers in Malaysia. I’m trying to build on the momentum my predecessors have established here. Besides Malaysia, I am also responsible for the Thailand market. My previous roles include Vice President of Sales for Asia-Pacific and Sales Director for Australia and New Zealand at Kraft Food Group and Cadbury plc.
Why do you think that the CEO’s first 100 days are critical to a company’s future success?
I was fortunate enough to be familiar with the business, our goals and assets, having worked as Vice President of Sales for the Asia-Pacific region, and was thus able to hit the ground running. I strongly believe that how a CEO navigates through the first 100 days makes a permanent impression on the minds of employees, business partners and other stakeholders. The most crucial aspect is to strike a balance between listening to the team and people who have been in the business for a long time, and setting a clear direction and message for the future.
How does Mondelēz Malaysia fit into the overall strategy of the Mondelēz International Group in Asia?
South-East Asia is a USD10billion snacking industry with Malaysia being the third biggest market. As such, Malaysia and the rest of South-East Asia play an integral role in the Mondelēz Asia Pacific business, both for its unparalleled access to talent and the business opportunities it presents. In order to accelerate our performance in the region, we have aligned our business into two cluster groups – Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indo-China, which is led by myself; and the other markets – Indonesia, Philippines, AP Exports and Taiwan. Our portfolio in Malaysia includes an array of iconic brands such as Cadbury, Oreo, Tiger, Jacob’s, Twisties and Chipsmore – which Malaysians have grown up with and make them smile. As the current market leader in biscuits and a strong player in chocolates and salty snacks, we are committed to retaining their trust and creating delicious moments of joy for our consumers.
How do you achieve the quest of the Mondelēz International philosophy of achieving top-tier financial performance and simultaneously ensure Mondelēz Malaysia is a great place to work in?
Every business has to grow in order to succeed. The big question is how do we grow the business without compromising on our social and environmental responsibility? In today’s globalisation era and economy, new arrivals, products and challenges keep evolving the business environment. Achieving growth that is sustainable is the end game, the ideal point where the business outpaces the competition and the bottom line grows faster than the top line.
I have personally found two principles that ensure Mondelēz Malaysia is at our productive best:
- Distort and Discipline – Do less but make a greater impact. Take fewer bets but make them bigger. Distort resources and optimise them for projects with the maximum and highest potential. Simplifying things allow organisations to move along faster and keeps costs low. A business doesn’t need to be complex to succeed and I have personally found that eliminating complicated processes ensures we run a sustainable business.
- Great Place to Work – Ultimately, the success of a company relies on people. I believe we need to empower people and help them make decisions by providing them with clarity on the role they play in the success of the company. Secondly, we need to provide them with a clear future and roadmap. We need to bet on our people by investing in them and make them better decision makers, whether through experiences or capability development.
Share with us the strategies undertaken by Mondelēz International, the world’s largest snacking powerhouse, in order to continuously stay ahead of the competition?
Our advantageous geographic footprint, enviable portfolio of iconic brands and the most crucial component to our success as a leading snacking powerhouse – our people – put us ahead of the curve. Since coming on board, I have implemented five key strategies to ensure we continue to stay on top of our game – unleash the power of our people; transform snacking; revolutionise selling; drive efficiency to fuel growth; and protect the well-being of the planet. By focusing on these areas, I am assured of our ability to achieve sustainable, holistic growth that is designed to create value for all our stakeholders throughout the value chain – employees, consumers, suppliers and the larger community. We play to win!
What must you do as Managing Director to stay on top of your game?
From personal experience, I would say that there are two key factors to staying on top of the game – maintaining a work/life balance and trying to hold opinions and ideas lightly. In today’s 24/7 connected work culture, it is all too easy to wear a seven-days-a-week work ethic as a badge of honour. I make it a point to set time aside for family and exercise even if it means scheduling a visit to the gym in my diary as one would for a business meeting. It is also important for me as a leader to ensure I listen and be open to other ideas and opinions as no one has a monopoly on what is the right direction or approach. By actively listening to others and their thoughts, you will always come to a better answer to any problem.
Why do CEOs need a dose of James Bond in their lives?
Who wouldn’t love a dose of James Bond in their lives? I guess if I was to think about what I like about James Bond, it would be his smooth composure in the face of adversity. I also love how James Bond always maintains his sense of humour in any situation, another trait which is important for a CEO to imbibe.
Which movie in your opinion best serves as an important lesson for a CEO and why?
The one that comes to mind is the 2006 Hollywood film, We Are Marshall – an inspiring true story about how a town coped with its collective loss and its efforts to get the community back on track. It’s one of those movies that I think has a great message – how to persevere in the face of adversity. For me, the movie is notable for the perseverance and singular focus that the lead role Jack Lengyel (played by Matthew McConaughey) exhibits, which are two critical traits every leader needs.
What keeps you awake at night?
To be completely honest, my twin toddlers keep me up all night! Still, last year had been a challenging one for Malaysian business. Since coming on board, my main priority is to reassure and instil belief among our people that we remain on the right track. As custodians of Malaysia’s favourite snacking brands, we are extremely proud of our past achievements and are passionate about our current efforts to continue building on this legacy. I truly believe this year will be a fantastic one for our business.
