It was a twist of fate and a lack of parking that led Home Centre CEO Jon Jagtiani to his vehicular pride and joy: an ultra-rare -- only 553 were ever made -- 2008 Bentley Brooklands Coupé.
The handcrafted British motoring masterpiece is at once massive and imposing, graceful and elegant. The automobile enthusiast shares his thoughts on his exquisite machine and his vehicular adventures.
How did you come to own such a rare car?
I was trying to go to the Land Rover dealer and I couldn't find a parking place, so I went farther and saw this car in a showroom window.
What stood out?
It's gorgeous and it's substantial. It's quintessentially British and it's very, very comfortable. It drives like an old American car; it has a very quiet, isolated, floating feel, but when you switch it into sport mode, it has a proper growl. It's amazing how well a two-and-a-half ton car handles.
What was the first car you drove?
I inherited half a Morris Marina, which is to say I had half use of it. It was pretty dire, but when you're young, any car is fantastic.
Did you have a first dream car?
A turquoise Mini, the original Mini, which they stopped making a number of years ago. The funny thing is that all these years later I could get a turquoise Mini, but I'm not a teenager so it's too small and low to the ground for me.
What was the first car you bought?
A Triumph Spitfire, a little British convertible. It was a lot of fun, but I think I replaced everything in that car. A friend had one and we learned how to do all the repairs, but so much of the time with the car was spent on repairing it. We used to joke that we couldn't get through a tank of petrol without having to fix something and it wasn't far from the truth.
Sport or comfort?
Now, comfort. I was invited to a track day at Yas Island to drive the Ferrari California and took four or five laps of the track, which was a lot of fun, but the car isn't very comfortable.
Has your success as a businessman affected your taste in cars?
It's affected what I'm able to afford, but more than anything, my taste has changed with age. It's taken some time to get where I am and if I had been one of these internet millionaires in my 20s or something like that, I probably would have bought a Ferrari.
Do you have a dream road-trip?
I'd love to drive across the USA in a convertible: along through the south; drop in on New Orleans; through Texas and Arizona, the desert and the beautiful sites there, Route 66, and California.
What's your favourite piece of road and why?
Any road that's wide and doesn't have many cars on it! This is a big car and it is extremely comfortable so it's very nice to drive it on an open road with no cars around.
Any advice for the budding motoring enthusiast?
Get whatever you love. Just go out and get it. Don't wait around.
Today I finished my third year at Landmark. While time's flown by absurdly fast, it's been an intense journey and one that's clearly getting better over time.
When I joined the Group on April 5th, 2009, there was no "Web Team". In a behemoth conglomerate with over 31,000 employees at the time, there was no dedicated unit that focuses on building superior digital experiences with obsessive views on values like simplicity, cleanliness, user-friendliness, speed, polish, sophistication, standards compliance and so on.
Three years later, I'm beamingly proud to say that's all changed -- big time.
From a lonely figure of one, we're now a band of 17 passionate web professionals and practitioners of everything I mentioned above. From ideation to launch, we don't just care about processes like Information Architecture, Design, Development, Content Management, Copywriting, Quality Control, Product Marketing, Project Management, Product Management, Product Strategy, E-commerce...we love this stuff. It's our bread and butter. We've launched 7 major websites in 36 months and, if data is king, our analytics are showing a significant amount of improvement in the consumption of our sites.
What's happened now is that we've gotten better at doing what we do. We've detected patterns from project to project and created templates to expedite things wherever possible. We've started laying processes down along the way and iterating them with lessons learned from where we burnt our fingers in the past. We've seen where we're struggling, thrown experts at problems, and witnessed how they've turned potential disasters into winning scenarios. Yes we've made mistakes, like most teams do at some stage, but we've acknowledged them, openly discussed issues and risks amongst ourselves, our stakeholders, and know what to look out for the next time around.
We now have a network of great partners who we work with. They span three continents and a whole bunch of time zones. We use a bevy of simple and powerful web-based services that allow us to collaborate and communicate both internally, internationally, economically and reliably as if we were sitting in a park, around a picnic table and having a go at it. We have a dizzying number of Basecamp projects (we love Basecamp, and 37signals, no seriously), which we prune every now and then to ensure they're active and haven't fizzled out. On a lighter note, our team's even starting to look like a Benetton ad, with team members hailing from India, England, America, the Philippines and one bright spark from Romania, with swagger and a sense of humor to match.
In terms of office space, we've literally grown like a weed through other departments, clamoring for a free desk here and there until our numbers have helped justify our own turf. I clearly remember day one, or make that year one, when I was working solo on my first 5 projects. My cabin was lovingly nicknamed "solitary confinement" until the rest of the team started coming together from year two onwards. We were based in our Corporate Office for our first 31 months, where we borrowed space from the Projects & Architecture teams. We grew one by one until we ran out of room, so we moved to Oasis Centre for the last 5 months and occupied unutilized area from our friends at Fun City. But from next month onwards, we move to our first dedicated Web Team office in Dubai Investment Park. Our new headquarters are simple, clean, open, beautiful and reflect those web ideals we care so much about. There's tons of natural light and high ceilings, both of which make such a difference. We promise to share photos soon.
So like I said, we're getting better.
Now strangely so, after everything we've done so far, we still have no shortage of work cut out for us. Here's where we can't forget the epic size of the Middle East's largest retailer. All of our many businesses desire, and deserve, outstanding web experiences. Expectations are high and patience is low. So we need to grow both quickly and carefully. We need to keep working at building better and more innovative products, while supporting our stakeholders and exceeding customer expectations.
None of this is easy, but with the kind of team and environment that we're building, it's become a whole lot of fun. I feel privileged to work with my incredible team every day, confident that we will deliver on all our promises and eventually make a deep dent in our corner of the web universe.
In this instalment of Growth - our series on better HR practices - we turn to Fun City, where work is play. Being a family entertainment centre (FEC), it's essential that every Fun City employee is highly creative, energetic, spontaneous and service-oriented. So how do we go about finding the right people?
Enter Fun Gauge; Fun City's recruiting framework is designed to
evaluate potential employees on its core competencies. We start by
shortlisting resumes and giving selected candidates an overview of the
organization and the potential for growth. Then for some serious play:
we use an audition process in which candidates go through creative group
introductions, role plays and a personal interview to determine whether
they fit the bill. The selection at Fun City is done in 3 stages:
- Group introduction: Applicants are split into groups and then
asked to introduce themselves to the group in an innovative way that
distinguishes them from the others and presents them as uniquely
qualified for the job. This process familiarizes them with the group and
tests creativity and spontaneity. We also evaluate body language and
the overall confidence level of the candidate, although there is no
shortlisting done at this stage.
- Team role play: Candidates are then grouped into small teams, each
provided with scenarios to plan and enact in fifteen minutes. They are
encouraged to be as creative as possible and are allowed to use any
props available to make their role play more realistic &
interesting. Candidates are evaluated on their coordination, team
work, communication, creativity and enthusiasm at this stage. Candidates
are shortlisted based upon their team and their individual scores.
- Personal interview: In this final stage of the Fun City selection process, all shortlisted candidates are interviewed individually by our panel. This stage covers aspects of the candidate that may not have been visible in other stages.
Candidates are encouraged to ask questions and clarify any concerns they might have about the job. A final selection is made based on the combined scores of the role play round and the personal interview.
We've found that this framework not only gets us the right fit for the job, but is a more enjoyable process for both applicants and interviewers. We get to see more of the "real" person in action and get a more realistic idea of how they'd perform in the role. Fun City encourages employees with unique talent: magicians, jugglers, balloon benders, clown and party hosts form an important part of our talent pool
Most importantly, this method helps us build trust with our potential new employees, which is critical to our work culture of honest, direct and transparent communication. Let the fun begin!
Does your organization have an interesting approach to hiring the right people? Share your ideas with us here.
I come from the steel city of Bhilai Nagar in Chhattisgarh, India. In my early academic days, I wanted to be an engineer. However, I soon realized it was not the right choice and decided instead to follow in my father's footsteps and became an accountant.From Bhilai to Dubai
The move from Bhilai to Dubai was a long transition. I moved across various cities and countries with a strong motivation to enhance my career. After qualifying as an Accountant, I got an offer from Indian Oil in Delhi, where I also met Pushpa, my wife. Our combined aspirations and goals then led us to Mumbai, a city that provided vast opportunities for qualified professionals. From there, we moved to Nigeria, where I was offered the position of Finance Controller at one of the leading groups in the country. However, I was always very concerned for the safety of my family, and after four years moved back to India. I had enjoyed working in Nigeria and continued to look for opportunities to work abroad and that's when Landmark Group was hiring and I grabbed the opportunity.
One of the best decisions of my career
My early days with the Landmark Group were a great learning experience. Having previously worked with companies such as Indian Oil and Castrol, my retail experience was very limited. However, retail was a growing industry and, I decided that this industry shift was necessary for me - I strongly believe that this has been one of the best decisions of my career. The Landmark Group had built a strong name for itself as a leading retailer. The sound financial strength of the Group and the reputation of successfully nurturing the career of promising employees prompted me to pursue my career here. The guidance provided by my superiors and the faith bestowed upon me by the Directors has been instrumental towards my growth in the company.
When I first joined Landmark Group, I was responsible for Internal Audit and was based at our RNA offices in Jebel Ali, Dubai. I still distinctly remember Vipen Sethi calling, while I was in an audit meeting in Riyadh, to inform me that I had been moved to the Corporate Office to handle Corporate Functions. Vipen bestowed a lot of responsibilities on me and also empowered me to take important decisions. I also cherish all the walks which I had with Group Chairman Micky Jagtiani. He used to share with me his vision, goals and aspirations for the Group on these walks. I have had the honour of witnessing many of Micky's visions becoming successful businesses, and these are my fondest memories.
Motivated by responsibility, committed to success
My biggest motivations are the responsibilities entrusted to me. Throughout my career, I have strived to learn, and to take on new responsibility. It has been my goal to challenge myself on a regular basis and push myself to achieve success constantly. Based on my own experience, I believe that commitment to your work is the most important key to success. Though you may be highly qualified, without a sense of commitment and ownership you are likely headed for failure. I encourage young professionals to stay updated about your profession. Enhance your portfolio by taking executive courses to nurture leadership skills, management skills, people skills, etc. Follow these simple tips and you're on a sure-fire path to a solid career!
Do you have a career success story? Share it with us here...
This motivational quote is an inspiration to Shoe Mart's Employee
Recognition (ER) programme. Research has shown that a timely, effective
ER can benefit the company by:
- improving sales and boosting bottom lines,
- motivating employees,
- reducing absenteeism,
- creating an enjoyable working environment,
- making employees feel appreciated, and
- improving organizational productivity.
Our employees are vital to our success and growth, and a happy, motivated employee makes for a better customer experience, too. We believe in investing in our staff's job satisfaction and use a number of approaches to achieve this.
Employee of the Month, Quarter and Year
Every month, our Store Managers help recognize outstanding workers by
assessing their staff daily on job performance (top sellers,
highest-value sales), customer service, work discipline (absenteeism,
punctuality, sick leave) and grooming.
Employees that score the highest each month, quarter and year are gifted
with attractive rewards including certificates, badges, vouchers, cash
prizes, airline tickets, hotel stays and dinner with the CEO.
Best Store of the Quarter
To foster teamwork and healthy competition, we also track performance at
the store level. Our Best Store of the Quarter award gives Store
Managers an incentive to improve their staff's performance and create
camaraderie and a sense of belonging amongst employees.
ADZAP
ADZAP is a programme that fosters creative
selling skills, spontaneity and humour. Participants are divided into
small teams, given an irrelevant or imaginary product to sell and just a
few minutes to come up with a unique, effective way of marketing it.
It's a great programme to get employees to think creatively, bond with
each other and stay productive at their jobs.
Coffee with HR
We organize regular "coffee meetings" between store staff and our HR
team so that employees get to share feedback, air grievances and help
identify areas of improvement directly in a casual, friendly atmosphere.
These interactions give employees a sense of empowerment and ownership
in the company, and allow us to fine-tune policies and procedures for a
better working environment.
Don't just pay them - praise them!
As part of the Landmark Group, Shoe Mart's biggest asset is the power of
its people. Through our Employee Recognition programme, we've found
that our employees feel proud of what they do and look forward to
building a career with us. They're more willing to go the extra mile,
interact better with customers and colleagues, and appreciate having
open channels of communication with senior management staff.
We've also seen improved recruitment rates and are better able to identify and solve staffing problems. Paying an employee might get the job done - but praising their good work gets the job done well.
How does your company recognize its employees? Share it with us here...
Challenges and change have played an essential role in my life. Though my early childhood was spent in South India, my family moved a lot, so my formative years were spent across different cities in India. Living in Chennai and Hyderabad helped me understand different cultures and broaden my outlook towards life. Later, I moved to Delhi to complete my education and take up Chartered Accountancy, which also fuelled my passion for travelling as I traversed the length and breadth of India for audits, including visiting tea plantations in remote regions of Bengal and Assam.
After completing my Chartered Accountancy studies as an "all-India rank holder", I was offered a host of promising jobs. I joined HCL Corporation as a Senior Management trainee, and was placed in their fast track programme. I grew very quickly within the organization and was promoted five times in three years.
When the going gets tough
The story of how I moved from HCL to Landmark
Group is an interesting one. While on a holiday in Dubai in 1994, I had
an opportunity to meet with Group Chairman Micky Jagtiani and we
discussed some possible roles for me in the Landmark Group. However, I
never heard back for nearly a year and a half. Then, in early 1996, I
received a call from the Group and joined in April that year as Finance
Manager at Jebel Ali, UAE. I soon moved to Home Centre as Finance Manager for the UAE
territory. A year and a half later, I was in Cyprus as the Territory
General Manager. Heading Cyprus was particularly difficult as we faced
severe challenges in the country, and this period was perhaps the
biggest low point of my life. But I remained confident in my own
abilities, keeping in mind the saying "When the going gets tough, the
tough get going."
In 2002, I moved back to the UAE for a brief stint before heading to Qatar as General Manager, where I put many of the lessons learned in Cyprus to good use. Having led the Qatar operations of the Group for nearly seven years, I recently moved back to the UAE as Chief Executive Officer of Hotels & Wellness (I currently head Citymax Hotels, Fitness First & Funcity).
Lessons for work - and life
Most of us find it hard to see the value and powerful lessons that can
come from challenges. What matters is how you transform your challenging
experiences into a force for the betterment of your company and
yourself. We are defined by the choices we make, and being responsible
for the outcomes of our choices - no matter what they may be - is one of
the great lessons we can learn from our experiences.
My advice to upcoming entrepreneurs? Work hard and work smart. Do whatever it takes to stay sincere and motivated. Learn from your mistakes, be responsible for the decisions you make and - most importantly - believe in your own abilities to achieve, succeed, innovate and overcome.
Have you faced a challenge that helped you professionally or personally? Share your story with us here...
I still remember the time when we just had one Babyshop outlet in Bahrain. Today, as we celebrate the opening of 1000 outlets, I am filled with utmost pride and optimism to surpass many more milestones in the future.Our phased expansions into different countries have kept the momentum of the organization growing. Today, the Landmark Group has a thriving, extensive network of outlets that boasts rising numbers of footfalls every year.
As part of our growth strategy we've been investing heavily in structured diversifications into sectors including health, food, clothing and malls - all of which are performing extremely well.
Reach out, give back
With the Landmark Group's reach extending across 15 countries, we have been lucky enough to give back to society through charitable projects like the 'Beat Diabetes' campaign and other environmental conservation, community building and empowerment campaigns.
The common thread that binds together all our diverse brands is the Group's mission to deliver great quality products at exceptional value for money. Our concepts across retail and hospitality segments compliment each other nicely catering to people from diverse backgrounds.
Listen, adapt, deliver
The cornerstone of our philosophy is to listen, adapt and deliver exceptional value. What sets us apart is a strong and dynamic culture of working towards this common goal which is understood and enthusiastically shared by the entire workforce of over 35,000 employees. This is truly an encouraging sign for the future of this company.
I would like to take this occasion to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all our customers, the wonderful people who work here and everyone else involved in creating the empire that is the Landmark Group.
Have you had an exceptional experience with the Landmark Group? We'd love to hear from you!
me to leave the BB behind when we go out, or I'll be on it non-stop.
the day.
One of the chief mandates of the Landmark Group's Web Team is to keep improving our existing presence on the web. Our latest efforts have been directed at our Careers page, which was in need of an upgrade. The old page, though complete in information, lacked the punch to inspire energetic, talented people to consider working at Landmark.
We wanted a better, brighter page that reflected the Landmark Group's attractive work environment and the diverse, exciting opportunities it offers. Being such a large company often means being mistaken for a nameless, faceless organization, which we're anything but - so on the new Careers page, we included a candid Q&A section with some of our top executives describing their career paths and their experience at Landmark.
What do you think of Landmark's new Careers page? Share your thoughts with us here...
