BRUNO OLIERHOEK Managing Director & CEO – Nestl Pakistan

Nestl Pakistan, as part of its global and local obligations, believes in Creating Shared Value (CSV) for the communities in which it works and lives

EVOLVE: Let us know the road map of your career path up till here.

Bruno Olierhoek: Like many managers in Nestl I started right after University. In fact I even started before graduation as I had three internships with Nestl in France and Indonesia. Upon graduating and joining Nestl as an
international management trainee, I was sent to Indonesia where I spent 5 years in Supply Chain, Sales and Productivity improvement projects. I then worked 5 years in Vietnam in the Marketing department. After that I was 5 years in the Philippines running the Coffee Business Unit, followed by 3 years in our head-office in Switzerland in the global Coffee Strategic Business Unit. I then was asked to run the Central African Cluster of Nestl as country manager and since September 2015 I joined Nestl Pakistan.

EVOLVE: Being a CEO and MD of Nestle Pakistan, kindly share with us your leadership vision that will lead this organization further down the road.

Bruno Olierhoek: I am a big believer in positive energy and therefore work a lot on people empowerment and people development through different initiatives. I am encouraging our staff to be themselves, pro-actively experiment on areas they feel we can improve or do better and most importantly we have to ensure we excel in how we cooperate across the organization. Nestl believes in Pakistan and we aim high. As we hit our first 100Bio turnover in 2015 we are now aiming the 200 Bio mark to be achieved in the near future.

EVOLVE: Is there any particular practice that you want to share with the world that could make business more productive?

Bruno Olierhoek: 2 timeless fundamental; First, the key success factor for an organization is to start with a purpose/ reason of existence so that everyone knows why they are doing what they are doing and their contribution matters. Once the purpose is finalised, break it down to building blocks/ priorities and then activities which can help deliver the organisation purpose to ensure people engagement till the grass root level. Second, build capabilities of people around functional and leadership behaviour so that they are enabled and empowered to deliver at their best.

EVOLVE: Please enlighten our readers about the technological supremacy of your organization?

Bruno Olierhoek: We have got one of the biggest research center in Lausanne which is attached with number of R&D and Product Technology Centers spreading in various parts of the World to develop highly nutritious and tasty products in view of the latest research and also to develop various technologies through which these products can be manufactured ensuring high quality and sustainability. This capability gives us not only competitive edge but also creates highly trustworthy relationship with individuals and families with the surety of taste and nutrition with quality and consistency.

EVOLVE: In your opinion, what are the key elements needed to make an organization successful?

Bruno Olierhoek: I already mentioned the importance of having an empowered and diverse team that works with positive energy. I want everyone to be passionate about their area of responsibility as well as the overall Nestl
purpose: enhancing the quality of life and contributing to a healthier future.

EVOLVE: How do you transform challenges into opportunities?

Bruno Olierhoek: Everything in life is a matter of perspective and indeed we must always work with the mindset to want to find the opportunities in the daily challenges that we face. It is also important to envision the future and
all the potential challenges along the journey. This will then ensure you are better prepared versus your competition to face them when they happen.

EVOLVE: How effective do you perceive the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?

Bruno Olierhoek: At Nestl, social responsibility does not end with a few philanthropic activities. Instead, Creating Shared Value (CSV) is embedded in our business model; where direct engagement and support to communities is extended across the value chain. The key focus areas for Nestl Pakistans Creating Shared Value (CSV) programmes are as follows:
Nutrition
Water
Environmental Sustainability
Rural Development
Our People
It is our belief that for a company to be able to create value for its shareholders, it must also create value for society. This adds value to the business and supports socioeconomic development for the communities. Additionally, ethical business practices, transparency and consumer trust based on high quality products with a focus on Nutrition, Health and Wellness remains the hallmark of our core business. The company is committed to the stakeholders and the communities for mutual growth and sustainability. Based on the strong foundations of compliance and
sustainable business practices, this is the Nestl way of doing business. Nestl Pakistan, as part of its global and local obligations, believes in Creating Shared Value (CSV) for the communities in which it works and lives. Pakistan is a
developing economy and more than 60% of the population lives in the rural areas. There is a huge potential for rural development, particularly in the livestock sector where companies like Nestl are adding real value for improving the quality of life for rural communities. From offering quality products to consumers and providing a fair and diverse work environment for our employees; from capacity building and knowledge transfer to our partners and raw material providers, to implementing responsible sourcing models into our relationships; from supporting under privileged communities to working with 100,000 farmers; from enhancing sustainability and environmental friendliness of our operations to embedding ethical and transparent business practices, CSV is entrenched in the entire value chain of Nestl. Nestl Pakistan is also a signatory to the UN Global Compact for Ethical Business.

EVOLVE: How do you see Nestl evolving in Pakistan in the coming years?

Bruno Olierhoek: Nestl Pakistan attaches great importance to local market that offers limitless resources and possibilities. Having an emerging middle class, a substantial young population and increasingly health conscious people, Pakistan looks eager to offer market penetration after evolving into a hotspot for investment. I would like to
suggest the establishment/enforcement of a National Quality Council to ensure uniform standards throughout the country and to further aid investment for food companies. Since Nestl is all about nutrition, health and wellness,
we want to offer a healthy present and an even healthier future for individuals and families. That is why we are constantly working on making our products healthier and tastier.

EVOLVE: Any message for the readers of EVOLVE Magazine?

Bruno Olierhoek: I feel very happy to be in this beautiful country and people in Pakistan are very warm and
friendly. On top of that, they are food lovers and if you work with Nestl, having motto of Good Food, Good Life, it is really a wonderful place to be.