CEO Monthly November 2017

4 CEO MONTHLY / NOVEMBER 2017 , SunMark is an internationalmarketing anddistributionbusiness in the fast-moving consumer goods sector (FMCG). Rami Ranger provides uswithanoverviewof thefirmand tells us the secrets behind its success. World Class Products Sun Mark is engaged by large multinational companies, such as Unilever, Mondelez, Nestle, Suntory and many others to help them develop market share and branding for their products in markets that are not core regions for them. The firm also possesses a range of food and beverage products that the team have developed to sell alongside other famous items. In some cases, the company has taken market leading positions. An example is its success with its Royalty Ginger Beer drink, which is made in Scotland and is a runaway success in the Yemen and Libya, and is gaining traction throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Furthermore, Sun Mark provides a service for the brand owners and also looks to grow its own brands too. Another example of what the company does is that it sells the world-famous brand of deodorants, Rexona, into Nigeria and Ghana and develops the market for Unilever. The principals already have a business there that caters to the mass market but Sun Mark works on niche pockets of business which can become sizeable for all. The team at Sun Mark has done this successfully in many markets with many different products for many companies, and is sometimes thought of as the go to company for developing sales in emerging markets. Rami starts off by talking us through his previous roles and how these positions led to him achieving his position as CEO. He describes how he draws on his past experiences in his current role. “Essentially, my role as CEO means that I am busy from early in the morning as our business zones extend across the globe. When you wake up, it is the end of the day in places such as Australia or Japan and vice versa for our customers on the West coast of the USA and Canada. Also, I have a successful freight forwarding business called Sea, Air and Land Forwarding Ltd and in the last few years we have built a portfolio of hotels in the UK. I have a busy diary because I like to work with charities and my engagement in the political fabric of Britain, something which I have always wanted to be involved in closely. I believe it is important to make sure that all people have a voice in government. “Importantly, I have always tried to get the Asian community involved so that they can assimilate better into Britain and contribute in all aspects of British life and society. I like to work with charities to contribute towards building a better society and two of those are Combat Stress and the Prince’s Trust; Combat Stress in recognition of the great sacrifices some of our people are prepared to and do make in defence of our great country, and the Prince’s Trust to help our demotivated youth and those from disadvantaged backgrounds to have better opportunities in life.” Following on from describing his role as CEO, Rami informs us of his leadership style, explaining how he ensures everyone in his organisation understands his vision and works towards it. He alludes to the fact that it is a family business and this is how he wants the company culture to feel, like a family. Significantly, I believe in staff engagement and in empowering those around me. This is a family business where me, my wife, Renu, my daughter, Sabina and my son in law Sunny all work and the company culture is that of a family. I do not believe in rapid hiring and firing, but instead in growing and developing a team that looks to the long term. We have a low rate of staff turnover as a result and it is something we want to maintain as we continue our development as an organisation.” Detailing his approach when undertaking a new client or project, Rami and the rest of his staff need to be confident right from the start that the result of the project will meet the needs and requirements of all sides, including clients. “When people ask me questions about my approach to business, I always ask them the question, if you have two medical students, both of whom go to the same school and get the same education, then why should 1711CE12 one end up in the top hospitals whereas the other ends up in a third-class environment doing backstreet operations? It is because the excellent doctor takes the time to listen and understand the needs of the client. Once you have done that then you can do the job right or at least to the best of your ability, because you know what is needed to succeed at the project in hand. This is what I tell people and it hugely increases your chances of success, and I suppose our record speaks for itself.” Referring to the business of Sun Mark and the ongoing strategy, Rami explains what techniques he employs in order to ensure that he and his staff are able to reach the goals that the company sets itself. “Here at Sun Mark, our business is going through an exciting phase of growth and development. We are concentrating on getting closer to our customers and to our markets so that we have a better foundation for our future growth strategy. Also, we are working on a new strategy via social media and through the use of smart phones on how to get better engagement with our customers, give them a better service and make our relationship a truly collaborative one. I always say that when we work with people closely we double our strength and share our headaches and it makes us all stronger in the process. This collaborative