An enabler aims to inspire

NARAYANAN: ‘I love working with people, enjoy gossiping with people… Tsismis is an important part of my day.’

SURESH Narayanan, newly appointed chair and CEO of Nestlé Philippines, considers light and casual conversations over lunch to be among the highlights of his day.

These little chitchats or “tsismis,” he says, provide him avenues to connect with employees, and to get to know them on a more intimate level beyond the confines of their workspace.

“I have always enjoyed talking with people. I love working with people, enjoy gossiping with people. Tsismis is an important part of my (day),” Narayanan shares with a smile during a recent interview with the Inquirer.

“I go to our cafeteria for lunch every day, so I must confess that’s one of the high points of my day. I sit with people and I talk with them about life in general, what their expectations are, their attributes, the good and the bad,” he adds.

According to Narayanan, some people at the office still find it surprising to see him walking up and down the 15 flights of stairs in the office at certain times of the day. But connecting with people is a key part of Narayanan’s leadership approach.

Key principles

He cites principles that characterize his management style.

“I like to walk around and talk to people when I can, when I’m spared of the meetings that I have to attend. I believe that gives me a sense of what the company is and what the company is doing… My own personal philosophy is driven by four principles that I’ve embraced for over two decades. Number one for me is the non-negotiables, which are trust and respect. I don’t care who you are, I don’t care if you’re the biggest guy in the country or an ordinary man on the street. To me, human dignity and human respect come before anything else,” Narayanan explains.

Other principles include focus on goals and transparency.

Armed with such beliefs, Narayanan is hoping to become the “enabler, and if I can, the inspirer” for Nestle Philippines.

Becoming one may not be too difficult for Narayanan to achieve, considering that the new Nestlé chief already feels right at home in the Philippines even if he’s been in the country for only two months.

Similarities

“Adjustment was not at all difficult. What I enjoyed about my last posting in Egypt is working in a culture that is very warm and very friendly. The organization in Egypt was only a bit smaller, but it was full of engaging people… I see clear similarities in the Philippines. I talked about the people and the fact that Filipinos are resilient. You go through a lot of human suffering every year, but I think it’s that resilience that enables you to bend with the wind and come back. That is the spirit that I admire,” Narayanan says.

“So you interview me on the day that I complete my first two months here. I just came here on the sixth of March, but I somehow feel that I’ve been here for a long long time. Even my wife and daughter are most comfortable. My daughter already finished her undergraduate studies in the US and now she is preparing to go for her master’s degree. Before that, she’ll be spending time with us in Manila to see the city and experience a new culture,” he adds.

Narayanan’s family is set to tick off a few items on their bucket list over the next few years. They are set to visit some of the Philippines’ most famous beaches including Boracay and Palawan; the mountainous regions; as well as Tagaytay, Baguio and Bohol.

Vision

“I think what is really charming about the Philippines is this wealth of natural beauty that I do hope, with whatever time I have in the Philippines … to see,” he says.

Being in the country for barely over two months, Narayanan already has a vision moving forward for Nestle Philippines, whose various brands are already household names in the country.

The target is to further boost and expand operations in the Philippines, cater to a wider range of markets, and bring in more new products to serve the changing needs of the local market.

“Our chairman once said that there are no mature markets—there are only mature managers. That means your imagination defines your level of achievement. I believe that the exciting part of my job is not the processes, not the daily humdrum of business that I go through, but hopefully the capability to enable, to inspire, and to ignite a passion in my team to really take forward some of these opportunities for the company and for society,” Narayanan relates.

The usual challenges

“There will be the usual challenges in the Philippines. You have natural challenges that clearly will affect [our operations]. But I think the biggest challenge is the challenge of change. Change is never comfortable, but is the only thing constant. I believe that the second challenge that we all face as companies is how do we keep, nurture, and grow the best and brightest that the country has to offer. I also face the challenge of trying to mold the organization to be bigger and yet nimbler, which seems a contradiction. You become a large elephant, but you should be capable of standing on your toes. That’s the challenge: As you grow bigger, you have to maintain that mindset of the small enterprise that binds you, to see the opportunity and to go for it,” Narayanan says.