Page 31 - IBT August 2021 Issue

Golam Safwat
Choudhury
Head of Brand
& Strategy
BAT Bangladesh

high-performance culture made getting into it pays well. Even if something is not up to the mark but it is
the game psychologically stimulating and it building you up as a professional in a certain sector, stick to it,
became easier to keep going. and invest your five years. It’s not as if your youth is being
lost in a grind, it is perhaps the best form of investment you
How did you, or many others like you can put in to secure the rest of your future.
in BAT, end up having international
careers while your education is fully in How do you see the future of tobacco with the growing
Bangladesh? health-concerns and stringent regulations against
BAT is as widely spread across the world tobacco?
with large scale operations in over 180 Tobacco companies have to figure out how to transform their
countries. As you climb up the ladder in business away from tobacco and into stimulants. There are
BAT, after a point, the talent pool becomes options already available and according to scientific and
global. Job appointments are posted on a medical studies, these products are substantially
common platform so a vacancy in the UK harm-reduced, and we are communicating this in different
would be viewed by applicants around the countries following permission from government authorities.
globe. That’s the general principle. After a Products like vapes and oral pouches satisfy nicotine craving
while, you get used to knowing that your but also cause significantly less harm. We are thinking of
competitor is not in Bangladesh, but sitting offering our consumers in Bangladesh with harm-reduced
in other countries, and you are all options if regulations permit.
competing for a common prize. As you The BAT down the line will be nothing like the one we see
become a senior manager, it truly becomes a today. Eventually, our offers will range from both
global game. You can’t be tied to one place. projects all across the world. This is a true testament of how best out of people in your own team. Often, nicotine-based and non-nicotine stimulants. That is a pathway
If you’re good enough, you’ll be sought BAT Bangladesh develops human capital, fit to compete at an Bangladeshis may not be mentally prepared BAT recognizes and it’s a road to survival for us.
after. international level. to take on the challenges and responsibilities
This requires quite a few perspectives on the When you provide Bangladeshis a clear-cut mandate with a that come with leadership positions. How has BAT faced COVID challenges and what has
part of the employer company. It means once clear set of rules and a fair chance to compete, our talents put We as a nation are not very extroverted. We been your success mantra?
you are in - your talent, your quality, your their hearts into it. Let me give a general example: In don’t reach out, do public speaking, deal with BAT Bangladesh has been around for 110 years in Bangladesh.
Tell us about your journey with When the general trend is to switch jobs or even to motivation, your passion – these things Bangladesh, you see chaos on the streets, but in foreign uncomfortable issues, talk openly about We have seen World Wars, the Liberation War, regimes being
vulnerabilities, address conflicts – these are
countries, Bangladeshis are some of the most disciplined, well
changed, catastrophic natural disasters to achieve
BAT? switch industries; why have you stuck to a single matter. Your educational background, skin, behaved and committed citizens. Similarly in corporate some of the things we tend to face during middle-income status. All this while, we have been
I joined BAT Bangladesh as a employer for 19 years? race, gender, religion doesn’t matter – your settings abroad, I have seen Bangladeshis demonstrate a clear senior leadership levels. I would say, things development partners to the government, and we are now
Territory Officer in 2002 right after I When I started working, I thought I’ll spend four to five years work does. The global-regional leadership edge in commitment and drive. It also takes far less effort or like effective communication, networking, actively contributing to its agenda of achieving the
graduated, being posted in Rangpur. in a corporate job and then possibly switch somewhere or teams at BAT are comprised of globally reward to motivate Bangladeshi talent, and that is why we are getting yourself heard, taking a stance would Sustainable Development Goals. The reason we have survived
This was my first job after build something of my own. This was my initial objective. diverse individuals from a wide variety of so sought. help you thrive in a leadership position. You this long is that we don’t do business for a short period;
completing my Bachelor of Business Along the way, I even thought about moving abroad, seeking nationalities and backgrounds. This is true have to be willing to take risks and this is instead we create partnerships with our suppliers, distributors
Administration from IBA, Dhaka immigration but none of these ideas materialized into fruition. for our Global Management Board, Global What are some of the factors/development areas to where Bangladeshis have to let go of their and retailers, and look out for everyone associated with us.
University. Since then, it’s been 19 There are three main factors that influenced this. Functional Leadership, and Regional watch out for young professionals who are planning to tendency of playing safe or trying to hold When the pandemic struck, we went back to our basic
years and it feels as if all of it has The first one was effective line management. Prior to joining Leadership etc. This is really stimulating, make a mark someday in the corporate sector abroad onto a job too tightly. playbook which is to take care of everyone in the value chain.
passed in the blink of an eye. BAT Bangladesh, I had an impression that bosses exist only to and I believe that given good platforms or in the local scenario? In the local scenario, if you ask jobseekers, We promised that not a single job will be lost unless our
I would say my career has been fairly catch you doing something wrong. However, at BAT, I was Bangladeshi talents can really push the The game in the country and the game abroad might be they’ll tell you there aren’t enough jobs and business is affected significantly, and we have been able to
balanced between different functions taught that if you make a mistake the first person to go to is boundaries and that’s why you see so many slightly different. Let me try to answer my take on a career in on the other hand if you ask leaders across keep our word.
of marketing (in BAT we call them your boss because his future is also tied to your success. At of us going for a global career. a foreign land first. Bangladeshis don’t struggle in the early to industries, they’ll tell you there are not BAT Bangladesh doesn’t only look out for its 1,500 employees,
Trade Marketing, Brands and SPI) BAT, I have seen bosses planning their subordinates’ success In your experience, how do mid-management levels because that’s where your own enough good employees. It’s not that there it extends the care to our 35,000+ farmers, 16,000+ field
and different layers of control (End and that creates an affinity and builds a friendship which Bangladeshis fare against commitment, dedication, hard work and discipline comes into aren’t enough jobs, it’s also that there aren’t force and over 800,000 retailers. If we survive, their
market, Area-level multi market role lasts for a lifetime. This surely eased some of the nerves and international talent in a foreign play. Bangladeshis are inherently committed, motivated and enough capable managers. Job seekers need employment will survive. If we take care of them, our bond
and Regional strategic unit). In these lifted off pressure. set-up? they like to take ownership. A lot of people thrive in a foreign to invest 5-7 years learning a trade instead of will get stronger and we will continue to reap the benefits even
19 years, apart from Bangladesh, I Secondly, I was always offered a carrot at the right time. This Bangladeshis are doing very well, in fact context after joining a corporate set up overseas and rise harboring a tendency for immediate in the next decade. We engaged with the government and
have worked in Malaysia, South meant that switching, leaving, and migrating would come at a Bangladeshis are doing much better than a through the ranks in early and mid-management levels. gratification without putting in the time, explained that farmers’ families need to survive which meant
Korea, and Pakistan in South Asia high opportunity cost as I knew that at every turn there was a lot of people’s expectations. Starting from The improvement area is when you transition from mid effort, and development. buying tobacco. We gave special allowances to our field force
Area Capacity and then in Hong Kong coveted yet achievable reward. managing complex factories to taking up management to leadership positions. That’s where My advice is not just for job seekers, it is for and sent care packages regularly while we reached out to
in a Regional Capacity covering the The third and most vital reason was the presence of a regional engineering projects; from leading Bangladeshi folks have a bit of catching up to do. I would people early into their career – do not trade retailers whose livelihoods were getting affected. The
Asia Pacific and Middle East Region. high-performance culture where there is fair judgement of some of the HR work streams globally to highlight a few things – the main change that happens is your job for something possibly slightly better pandemic is an opportunity to prove that your partnerships
I returned to Bangladesh in Q1, 2019 people’s talent. Fortunately, I joined a company where shaping our transformation strategy in when you are in a leadership position, whether you are a good today. Evaluate your job from a learning and matter to you, and that you are committed to reaching out.
to join BATB leadership team and employees were judged on their work and not on affinity, global functional capacity and even leading employee, good manager or whether you are good at your job development perspective. If it does not offer The whole objective is if you want to go far and long in
now, I’m preparing to start another orientation, ethnicity, gender or any other bias. This is difficult some of our top brands globally as Brand doesn’t really matter because you have managers you need to you something to grow into in five years, business, you cannot just grow yourself alone, everyone
leg of the journey in a new country to achieve especially when you work in a multicultural setup Directors – you see Bangladeshis managing manage who in turn, have employees they have to manage; that’s not a venture worth sticking to even if around you needs to grow too.
very soon. where people from various backgrounds work. But, a a wide portfolio of senior management it’s a big team to look after. How you work or are individually
really goes out the window. You need to be able to bring the

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