Leaders

Change is the only constant! The situation of people, society, and even countries change. The freedom and opportunities for women in the Middle East are a result of such change movements that started ages ago. Despite the increasing contribution of women corporate professionals, there has been a gap in the top leadership positions in the country. And it would take many more decades to establish a fair position. However, very few women have already been chasing their leadership dreams in the Middle East.

In this present age, we can proudly proclaim the steady growth of women leaders in the region. The inspirational tribe of businesswomen and leaders has been marking their identity across domains and industries. Melda Yesar Cebe is one such woman who paved the way for her leadership in the FMCG industry.

She is an advocate of growth, and her work illustrates the ability to formulate unique strategies by leveraging the power of diversity. Her potential to communicate an inspiring vision, design effective employee engagement strategies, and consistently ensure each employee matter is exceptional. She carries the experience of driving business performance in brands like P&G and The Kraft Heinz Company. While pushing all the areas of customer experience to new frontiers, she reaps win-win situations for both people and organizations. The following excerpt is an exclusive conversation between Women Entrepreneur India and Melda, MD, Kraft Heinz.

Enlist Some Of The Important Facets Of Your Expertise As A Global Business Leader In The FMCG Industry.

What escalates any brand's value is how it is positioned in the hearts of its customers. I believe in enabling this through brand building and customer relationships. In my opinion, what sets me apart from my peers is my marketing background. I call myself a brand builder adhering to the philosophy of putting the consumer at the center and designing everything around them to bestow human touches in the services.

This apart, the differentiators would be the diversity that I bring to the table as a professional. I have worked in multiple consumer goods categories like baby care, oral care, health care, cosmetics, household cleaning, and food. This helps me understand the different consumer behaviour, their budget, and preferences. I have also worked in different geographies, both developed and emerging markets, which has helped me understand geographical diversity, cultures, and religions. Also, on a personal front, being a female, engineer, and Muslim from the Middle East, my background itself is quite diverse. So I believe that these overall attributes always give a competitive edge.

In Your Opinion, How Has The Fmcg Market Evolved And Changed, Especially In The Me A Region? What Are Some Of The Most Significant Market Forces Bringing About Change In The Said Sector?

The trends are many, but I like to highlight the top three. In my point of view, these three trends have been around for the last five years, however, the pandemic has accelerated it. Firstly, digitization in the way we work, how we consume, and how we shop. All of these have changed, and this will continue because it has been convenient for everyone. The second trend is in health and wellness trend. People today are trying to find better products for themselves and their families. They are preferring healthier, organic, natural, light caloric options for every food product. And the third trend is with more ethical and sustainable products. Today, there is more awareness about climate change, carbon footprint, and plant-based foods. This is now demanding mfore sustainable brands, and the industry is trying to change accordingly.

‘‘Melda emphasizes that kraft heinz targets to have 40 percent female leadership by 2025’’

Give Us A Brief Overview Of Transformation In Kraft Heinz Under Your Leadership.

Indeed Kraft Heinz is a household name and a global food and beverage company with around 25-billion-dollar revenue. However, in the past two or three years, we were going through a global transformation. With the new leadership team, we have revised the brand purpose to make life delicious for all stakeholders. With the new strategic roadmap to foray into new categories, geographies, and grow the existing market, we are slowly but truly becoming a more consumer-driven organization.

Speaking of my strategies, I strongly feel that it is important to start with the consumer. People always have an unmet need, and there is always something we can do to delight them. When you start thinking from the consumer point of view, the potential is high. We challenge ourselves to do better for our customers.

Could You Tell Us About Your Leadership Philosophy?

I always believe that I am not the smartest one in the team, or I am not necessarily the most experienced as well, but that's okay. My role is to ask the right questions and drive curiosity in my team. The whole idea is to make them ask the right questions keep them learning with a growth mindset. When they are curious, they speak up. And when they speak up, I really try to listen and be inclusive. My style is to orchestrate their efforts rather than giving them the answers myself.

Melda Yasar Cebe, Managing Director, Kraft Heinz

A brand builder and growth master, Melda is a leader with clear priorities for Heinz. Mitigating several social stigmas, she pursued engineering in a city far away from her hometown. She believed in her capabilities and climbed the growth ladder by knowing her potential.