Five Minutes With…CEO, Panache International

What is your company focusing on this year?

Increasing the product range to cater for the more personalised and up market premium food service industry such as dairy, ice-cream and airline.

What are some of the rapidly changing trends in your industry?

Consumers are moving to a more cleaner looking, cheaper but yet premium feel product range which is convenient and compact yet practical.

What are the growth areas currently for your industry and how are you planning to capitalise on them?

There is more focus on the polypropylene side of products and fortunately we have been specialised into that over the last 8 years and we continuously are investing in new technology to keep up the pace.

How lucrative is the UAE market for disposable products? How competitive is it?

The UAE market is fast with a high population growth and a culture of eating out, indulge in fast food as well as take away. But having said that, it is extremely competitive too as there are lots of suppliers in the market as well as producers from all over the world.

What new products will your company launch this year?

We are launching airline cups, new red product concepts, meal trays and high end ice cream and yoghurt packaging options.

Will you be expanding into new areas or countries?

We are actively working in the North American market and possibly into Australia next year

What are the biggest challenges for UAE businesses in your sector?

Continuous increase in costs within the region makes manufacturing more expensive.

Will you be hiring this year?

We have taken on highly seasoned senior staff in the company with diverse and long experience in the industry to add to the team and pass on much more value to our consumers.

What’s your leadership style?

I prefer leading through empowerment and mentoring while strongly believing that my responsibility in the organisation as a CEO is purely to give direction and vision to my teams; let them develop and grow up the ladder, empower them to make decisions and also allow for mistakes to only improve oneself to do it better next time.

Most importantly the company is not made because of me but it’s made because of my team. We are one large family with the same mission.

What makes the perfect employee?

One who takes the charge and ownership in themselves to make it happen without an excuse. Impossible for that person doesn’t exist.

Define success in five words…

Passion resulting in customers for life!

Three tips for becoming the boss…

1. Engage and empower your teams instead of giving orders.
2. Trust your teams and allow them to bring the best out of them by being there to support them in their roles and mentoring them.
3. Delegate, delegate, delegate.

When I’m not at work I like to…

I love to engage with people, get into stimulating conversations of how can we do what we do better and most of the time a good relaxing evening for me would be engaging with a friend in just chatting about what’s the next thing we can do. That brings joy and energy in me.

If that’s not an option, drive out and explore the word.