The global retail scene is changing fast, and few companies have adapted as well as Smollan. With over 90 years in the business and a reach that spans more than 60 countries, Smollan has become a key player in the retail world.
The company has a big impact in India where it has helped to advance retail tech and execution plans. This article looks at the views of two top leaders at Smollan India: Pinali Vohra, who serves as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Smollan Middle East and South Asia, and Shweta Gambhir, the People Director of Smollan India.
Their thoughts give us a peek into the company’s big-picture goals, what’s next for retail, and how important good leadership is when dealing with tricky market shifts.
The Strategic Vision Behind the Success of Smollan.
One of the reasons Smollan has been able to hold on to its success over time is because of a well-articulated and forward-looking strategic vision. A component of this vision has been harmonizing financial acumen with the adoption of innovative human resource practices.
With global exposure across a myriad of markets and industries, Pinali Vohra brings invaluable experience to new perspectives in finance management. Her tenure as CFO was characterized by a strong commitment to growth, driven by strategic financial stewardship and deployment of state-of-the-art technology in data-driven decision-making.
To this vision, Shweta Gambhir brings vast experience in human resources through her initiative of creating a culture of inclusion and high performance. Her approach toward managing people is centered on the belief that an engaged, diverse workforce holds a competitive advantage that is self-sustaining. Together, Pinali and Shweta embody the leadership culture that has transformed Smollan into what it is in the retail sector today.
The Changing Retail Landscape: Opportunities and Challenges
A sea change faces the retail sector. Technology changes, changed consumption behaviors, and increasing complexities of supply chains are redefining the retail outlook. Now, the retail market is all set to grow in a big way in India—to $4.5 trillion by 2030 from $1.3 trillion in 2022—and this growth is bringing its own set of challenges for retailers.
In view of this, therefore, Smollan is strategically placed to leverage such opportunities while negotiating the challenges associated with them. It is because of the integrated approach that the company follows in retail execution—a comprehensive portfolio of services ranging from supply chain management to customer engagement—that places it at the forefront as a partner of choice for brands seeking more significant market presence.
In this respect, agility formed a central tenet, as explained by Pinali Vohra: “An ability to adapt to changing market conditions has been the key ingredient of our long-term success at Smollan.”.
Harnessing Innovation and Technology for Strategic Advantage
In a world going digital, changing the very fabric of industries, innovation and technology take center stage at Smollan. The group has strong investments in the development of tools and platforms driving efficiencies, accuracy, and data-driven decision-making. Some of these innovations at Smollan include its very own tech tool called Smart, which plays a very huge role in effectively smoothing out processes to bring value to clients.
According to Pinali Vohra, the Chief Financial Officer, he places much emphasis on technology as the driver of financial performance. For instance, automation has helped Smollan to optimize the use of resources and bring down operational costs. Hence, this enables the organization to achieve other strategic objectives, such as market expansion and client retention.
High-Performance, Inclusive Culture Building
This is where Smollan made a key differentiator—to sustain an inclusive workplace culture. With its workforce spanning across multiple generations—from baby boomers through Generation Z—it has recognized that its future is vastly dependent on sustaining a working environment in which diverse experiences and perspectives are valued and leveraged.
In this respect, the contribution of Shweta Gambhir in leadership has been quite instrumental in creating a culture with work-life integration, empathy, and accountability.
This is an all-inclusive approach that stretches beyond its internal operations. The attitude of the client-centric ethos is further replicated in its solutions, which are uniquely tailored for different needs of its clients.
This attitude of customization and client satisfaction has been one of the major drivers that have kept Smollan at the helm of the competitive industry.
The Role of Leadership in Navigating Industry Dynamics
There is no organization that can sail through complex industry dynamics without the presence of leadership. At Smollan, Pinali Vohra and Shweta Gambhir bring along decades of experience and in-depth knowledge of the retail sector. Their leadership has not only helped their company take on industry challenges but has positioned it for future growth as well.
Pinali’s strategic financial management is aligned with Shweta’s people management, which will henceforth become a synergistic model of leadership geared toward the demands of the modern retail landscape. In doing so, this model emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and relentless focus on client value creation.
