Uzair S. Latif shares his passion for leading teams and discusses the core ingredients for creating a great culture:
I started my first job back in 2007 while I was also doing my degree in Marketing. A business start-up where I was tasked to secure sponsorships — ‘leveraging relationships’ was key. Whilst doing my MBA I moved to various B2C sales roles as well as trade marketing and onto brand management — which allowed me to add the sales and marketing experience to a more commercial side of the business.
Having spent time in different roles, one thing has become clear to me — being a ‘people person’ in business is absolutely crucial — above all in this region where there is so much diversity in the workforce. This quality has allowed me to transition towards retail-related roles — which are all about leading teams of people.
I have been blessed to manage small teams, midsize teams and currently a team of over 100+. When it comes to channels and markets, I think how a Field Force is managed is absolutely key. They are the ‘front-facing warriors’ — they are in the trenches going to ‘battle’ every day — they are also your brand ambassadors. All these heroes played a tremendous role during the time of Covid-19, exposed to the elements yet always ready to represent the brand and deliver an experience to their customers.
Above all, I have learned…
