SINGAPORE (Dec 9) :Helming a major company has always been a dream for Gunjan Soni, CEO of online fashion retailer Zalora.
“I have always been drawn to the possibilities that come with being a leader — being able to shape the future of a company and making a positive impact on the lives of the people involved is a huge privilege,” Soni, an Indian national, tells The Edge Singapore. “As a leader, I aim to be fair by not thinking of myself and giving everyone equal opportunities.”
Soni, 40, emphasises the importance of staying “focused on delivering good work” to remain relevant to the needs of the market. She joined Zalora earlier this year with more than 15 years’ experience in marketing, strategy and operations.
Previously, Soni served as chief marketing officer of Myntra and business head of Jabong, two of India’s fastest-growing e-commerce players. She also worked at global consulting firm McKinsey, where she focused on multiple consumer sectors and started the company’s scientific marketing practice in India.
Constantly cited as one of India’s brightest sparks, she has been featured alongside other high-profile leaders in accolades such as the Spencer Stuart-Economic Times 40 Under Forty list of young leaders, Fortune India 40 Under 40 and India’s IMPACT — Most Influential Women in Media.
‘Little boss’
Soni, who has an MBA in Finance from Xavier School of Management in Eastern India, says landing a job at McKinsey in 2008 helped sharpen her critical thinking and hone her leadership capabilities. Before this, she worked as a software engineer for a company based in Bangalore in Southern India.
“McKinsey was my dream company to work for,” she says. “It is known to provide the training ground for future CEOs [through being assigned to vigorous roles].” During her time there, she was kept on her toes through projects in a wide range of sectors, including power equipment manufacturing, fast-moving consumer goods and technology.
If it was a baptism of fire, Soni seemed unfazed. Within two years of joining the company, she found herself working with senior clients despite being the youngest member and only woman on the team, so much so she was soon called the “little boss”.
That prominence certainly helped with her profile in the industry. In 2014, she was head-hunted by media channel Star India — now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walt Disney — to “drive change in its sports and digital content segments” as its executive vice-president for strategy.
Digital platforms were gaining popularity and Soni admits to being overwhelmed. “It was a completely new industry for me,” she says. Despite this challenge, she soldiered on, driven by the goal of entertaining the channel’s viewers.
She eventually made substantial headway by bringing Kabaddi — a contact sport typically played in the dusty streets of rural India and that has been part of the Asian Games since 1990 — to Star India. The network began streaming it not as it is usually played but, rather, as a “short, fast-paced, glitzy sport”, which Soni says gained popularity. “I think the viewers enjoyed the different perspective of the sport. It was also an interesting change from the sports that are traditionally watched.” Ultimately, her initiatives in creating digital content laid the groundwork for Hotstar, India’s largest streaming platform.
In 2015, Soni made a career move again — to Myntra, a fashion and lifestyle e-commerce platform based in India. As chief marketing officer, she was tasked, among other things, to look into consumer preferences across India and customise their experience while using the platform. It was challenging, but Soni loved every minute of it.
“No two customers are the same, so I got a thrill when I was researching the needs, tastes and preferences of consumers across demographics,” she notes, adding that such an understanding then allowed her to look at solutions for improving issues such as poor web traffic, low click rate for certain products as well as slow delivery. “The consumer comes first; so, once you identify their needs, the rest will follow.”
Leading Zalora
Her customer-centric approach and extensive e-commerce experience makes her the right fit for Zalora, a subsidiary of the London-based Global Fashion Group.
The fashion retailer is one the region’s largest and fastest-growing e-commerce companies: The site attracts about 41 million monthly visits and boasts more than 20 million mobile app downloads across Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
And its customer base could be increasing soon. Data from Management Consulting firm Bain & Co’s recent report titled “e-Conomy” forecasts Southeast Asia’s internet economy will hit US$300 billion ($407.2 billion) by 2025, three times the US$100 billion it now generates.
Zalora has already been riding the demand for online shopping with its user-friendly interface and attractive price points. On top of that, it is also known for its flash sales such as on 10/10, 11/11 (Single’s Day) and Black Friday, when prices are slashed significantly. During the recent Single’s Day, Soni says customers snagged bargains of nearly 80%.
Asked about her decision to join the Singapore- headquartered Zalora, Soni says “the opportunity [was] too good to be missed”, as she was excited to lead a company “with limitless potential and an ability to shape the future of fashion commerce in Southeast Asia — one of the most exciting global markets”.
As for her leadership style, Soni describes herself as an approachable leader who is not afraid to roll up her sleeves and get down and dirty with her team. Surprisingly, one of her biggest influences in management is Captain Jean-Luc Picard from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation. “I am a sci-fi enthusiast and often get inspired by fictional characters,” she says, referring to the character made famous by veteran actor Sir Patrick Stewart.
To her, Captain Picard — as he is known to fans of the show — embodies good leadership qualities because he “is purpose- driven and leads his extremely diverse crew with a fair but firm hand”. These are traits she tries to embody in the course of her work.
Positive affirmations such as motivation and creating happiness are also handy tools in her management arsenal, she says. “Millennials are always looking for a sense of purpose when they come to work,” Soni explains, adding that such affirmations spurthem to give their best at work.
To meet her ultimate aim of creating an office space that encourages purpose and passion, Soni continually reminds her teamthat understanding the needs of the customer is the secret of success.
After all, customers are the heart of Zalora, she says. As such, Soni and her team hold weekly “customer forums” to listen in to calls made to the Zalora hotline. “Sitting in on these sessions alerts us to what is bothering our customers as well as what they like,” she explains.
In fact, one such call was the catalyst for Zalora’s latest revamp: The “Shop the Look” function was launched, following frequent suggestions by customers who wanted to buy the entire outfit and accessories worn by the model on the website.
In another update of the company’s service, the web platform offers a Kids’ category, which was launched following demand from young mothers. Soni believes this level of customisation based on customers’ tastes and preferences will improve the shopping experience. And that satisfaction will in turn generate higher traffic, she says.
Above all, Soni believes companies need to constantly improve themselves to stay ahead. Apart from incentivising her employees, she is constantly on the lookout for new opportunities through technology such as the up-and-coming, high-quality 5G network. With Asia’s rising middle class, she believes there will be a higher penetration of technology that e-commerce entities can leverage to reach out to underserved communities that have disposable income to spend.
Aside from living her dream, Soni clearly lives by one creed when it comes to succeeding in business: “If you don’t disrupt yourself, then someone else will.” And this is what motivates her to keep working hard at improving Zalora.
