Five Minutes With…Arijit Ghose, Managing Director, Unilever Gulf

What are the benefits and reasons behind a business undertaking an activation initiative to help local communities?

Doing good and being helpful is human nature and part of the human nature. Business and Brands are just ENABLERS to support such initiatives. We help people and communities channelize such acts of charity. As in our case we are getting donated clothes from the communities and distributing out through our partner charities in UAE, Kuwait and Oman.

What corporate charity programme(s) is Unilever currently working with?

Comfort Ramadan is the event which is entering its 4th year with in-mall presence in UAE, Kuwait and Oman in 2013.

Apart from that, Unilever follows a sustainability roadmap that sits at the heart of the business; it’s called the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. Our vision is to doubling the size of the business, whilst reducing our environmental footprint and increasing our positive social impact

The Plan has three main ambitious goals for North Africa and Middle East: halving the company’s environmental footprint across the value chain of its products, enhancing the livelihoods of thousands of people and improving the health and wellbeing of 50 million people across North Africa and Middle East.

How important is community outreach to corporate Middle Eastern companies?

It’s about having the personal relationship with the communities we operate in. It’s a solution approach where not only are we helping with our brands we want to touch all aspects of life.

Define success in five words

“Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it” -George Halas.

Three tips to becoming the boss

Hardwork, accountability and attention to detail.

When you’re not at work you like to…

Play golf.