Vice President & General Manager PepsiCo Pakistan & Afghanistan Commercial Unit

Profile:

Jahanzeb joined PepsiCo in 1999 and since then has served PepsiCo in top cross – functional positions such as operations, franchise and general management. He has proved to be a champion of diversity and inclusion, supporting the building of day care facilities at PepsiCo Pakistan and helping female executive representation around one-third of the leadership in the PepsiCo beverages business. Under his leadership the business continues to support various communities led projects such as disaster relief, women empowerment and entrepreneurship and PepsiCo’s recent campaign of Lighting up Lives through which communities living in the dark will be provided solar based lighting solutions. 

Blurb:

I believe we have just begun to scratch the surface of our potential, and all around us we have examples of our citizens winning Oscars or Nobel Prizes.

Evolve: What is the secret of PepsiCo’s continuous and consistent growth in Pakistan?

Jahanzeb Qayum Khan: PepsiCo has had a presence in Pakistan for the last 47 years, which is quite a significant amount of time to have achieved a certain status in terms of success in the national arena. I believe there are a few very specific reasons for this accomplishment. 

First, I would credit our team and the talent pool we have as a company. We select and retain the best talent in Pakistan. We have amazing people here with diverse backgrounds and unmatched talent.

Second, I believe PepsiCo Pakistan takes the time out to really get to know the consumers. Pakistan is a young country. Our products are therefore designed to gel with and reflect the personalities and aspirations of our target demographics. 

Lastly, and most promisingly in my opinion, is our portfolio. We don’t just have one brand to sell, but rather a diverse range to offer the market. We refer to these as “Power Brands”. Whether we’re talking about Pepsi, Mountain Dew, 7Up, Lays or Kurkure, you realize these are iconic products. I believe our portfolio has something for everyone.  

Evolve: How do you manage a rapidly growing company while focusing on operations?

Jahanzeb Qayum Khan: This is definitely an integral part of business. In today’s world of rapid change, adaptation is key to survival. You have to be dynamic, ready to evolve to keep up with the times. If a company stagnates, you will end up extinct and end up in the museum like the dinosaurs. At PepsiCo, we work hard to keep the culture of being dynamic, quick to respond and nimble on our feet. 

The basics of the business entail the management of the building blocks of our company: administration of the supply chain, and managing efficiency and productivity. Add to this keeping in touch with market trends, our consumer choices, technology, etc. and you have a very full roster of responsibilities. 

The parallel undertaking of addressing the basics of business and dynamics of the market is pivotal. When I say trends and changes, it does not have to be in terms of products or consumers, it could be the way you manage, you operate; it could be how you gather information. To harness the power of the digital revolution is a beautiful example of just this, which is just a single example of how the business must strive to remain current. 

Evolve: You must be facing a number of business challenges. How do you address them?

Jahanzeb Qayum Khan: Business is always challenging. It is never going to be a smooth road. In fact, I feel you should be worried if things are going too well! 

One thing I do is when there is nothing but smooth sailing is to take a keen interest in the running of the business. I take time to get a critical view on the company’s status. Are we getting complacent as a team? Is there something we could improve? That is when I get my team involved; I challenge them to perform at their highest calibre and greatest levels of efficiency. 

I’m a firm believer in making the good times work for us at the company. These are the times when you can derive a better level of functionality and creativity from the team. Work done during smooth times makes us stronger and more adaptable than work done in rough times. Again, I think that one must approach challenges with a calm and mature approach. I personally believe that if you have the right team and talent you can easily find workable solutions.

Evolve: How do you look at the industry and its current market trends?

Jahanzeb Qayum Khan: I see amazing potential in the economy of Pakistan. Admittedly, we have many daunting challenges before us as a nation, like the law and order situation, infrastructure, power shortage, etc. Despite that, I feel we are a robust and resilient economy that continues to grow. I feel that if we were to resolve all these issues, we would see amazing growth and opportunities for everyone involved, including PepsiCo Pakistan. 

I believe that Pakistani consumers really value quality products at an affordable price. This is not true for every country in the world; but I believe that if you provide a superior product at the right price point to the Pakistani customer, they will reward you with their purchase and their loyalty to the brand. If you are able to deliver in this regard, you will be successful. 

Evolve: What is the importance of values in sustaining a company? Can values repel change?

Jahanzeb Qayum Khan: Values are the foundation on which a company is based. Without having strong values you cannot have a successful company. You may have a marginally profitable company for a certain time, but there is a limit beyond which you cannot grow. 

We are very proud of our core values here at PepsiCo Pakistan. They are guiding principles that direct our every action. I believe it is our value system that will be the roadmap to our success in years to come. In PepsiCo’s case, I feel our values allow us to embrace change rather than resist it. 

I will give you an example: one of our core values is diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Let’s take the case of gender equality. In an industry where more than 50% of our customers are female, how can we not have a significant number of females on our team? Fifteen years ago, during a sales meeting while listing the prizes for a gift scheme, a female sales officer highlighted that the nature of gifts were targeted only towards the male demographic while more than half our customers were female. That was really an eye opening moment. 

Today I am proud to say that 38% of our directors of PepsiCo Pakistan are female and I believe that it is one of the highest numbers in Pakistan. We are very proud of that. Similarly, other values like respecting others and succeeding together, are not about repelling change, but rather encouraging it.    

Evolve: What kind of culture have you maintained in PepsiCo and how would you throw light on its significance? 

Jahanzeb Qayum Khan: We have a very open and respectful culture at PepsiCo Pakistan. It starts with our being One Team. We work together in a manner where we believe that “a rising tide raises all ships”; meaning if the business succeeds then the individual will succeed. Conversely, if the business does not succeed then no one will be successful. This is the starting point. 

Then there is culture of respect. It goes back to working and collaborating with each while respecting each other. We look after our employees and take care of their personal requirements on a company wide scale.  We are proud to say that we have a state of the art day-care centre here in our building. We want to be able to take care of our employees who are working mothers with young children. Similarly, we have family days because we believe that a big part of our success is our employees, and therefore their families, who are their support system. 

Additionally, we have a very real open-door policy in the work place. You just knock at the door and talk to someone if he/she are free no matter how senior they are. I personally have regular round tables and lunches to give my team a feeling of participation. It is worth mentioning that best ideas come from the most junior level; and opening these doors to communication is how we tap into those resources. It is very important for senior management to be available for the team.   

Evolve: What is the recipe to achieve long-term success? 

Jahanzeb Qayum Khan: That’s a million dollar question. I think it starts with having strong values. Then, you have to have the right people on board and a very strong team. Nurturing the right environment within your company is also a must. I believe that if you have these things and you are close to your consumers, it can lead to long term success.

Evolve: Any message for the readers of EVOLVE?

Jahanzeb Qayum Khan: One message that I want to communicate is that Pakistan is a great country and a great nation. We have a lot to offer for the existing massed and generations to come. I believe we have just begun to scratch the surface of our potential, and all around us we have examples of our citizens winning Oscars or Nobel Prizes. Pakistanis have the sheer talent to compete at an international level. I think we need to remain focused on our goals as a nation. Specifically for the business community, there is lot to do. If we all play our cards right and put in the hard work, we can see Pakistan having a very bright future.