The Kickass Boss

Abhishek Ganguly’s leadership style is a combination of long-term thinking, and vision setting, to being hands-on with the ground reality of today. It keeps him rooted and helps him take better long-term decisions. “My leadership style also includes being accessible. My job is to listen to the pulse of the organization, to clear the path, and give the team the resources to fuel the success of the business,” states the MD of PUMA India & SEA.

Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, Puma India & Southeast Asia

He further goes on to say, “I firmly believe that leadership is not about catching people doing something wrong but catching them when they are doing something right and enabling them for further success. Again, as a leader one ought to take on the role of a provider and an enabler. For instance, when I do a market visit, I am not just looking at how well we are performing as a brand or what the latest consumer insights are. I am always keen to tackle the challenges faced by our teams, especially our store staff. They are at the front end of the business and must be steadily empowered with the right support, resources, and recognition from the Head Office in order to create a top-drawer consumer experience. In short, if I cannot ask, debottleneck, give resources, or ideate to better the business – I am not doing my job.”

Being fast and nimble is the biggest protection against adversity.

In 2020, the six months starting in February had been the toughest phase of Ganguly’s professional career. In February, he took over the additional responsibility of 12 markets in Southeast Asia. He was excited with the prospect of growing the business in the region while continuing to further build the Indian business of PUMA. At that time, his dad fell ill and was admitted to the hospital. And then, Covid-19 struck. Lockdown was imposed and suddenly the world seemed to have turned upside down. On the professional front, the business had come to a sudden halt. Within a month, everything changed. “It was a very difficult time for me personally as I eventually lost my father. I was simultaneously trying to fathom and encounter our company’s business situation,” shares Ganguly.

People are the center of an organization and also the biggest asset. One needs to protect and take care of them first during any challenging situation.

Managing the company’s cash flow was the biggest challenge. Organizations were cutting costs, including retrenchment and salary cuts. “I was lucky to have a leadership which volunteered to take the salary cut,” informs Ganguly. The message was clear that the PUMA leadership team would be the first to bear the brunt. Over a period of time, business revived with online and offline sales channels opening.

FACT FILE

Age: 44 years

Year of joining the organization: 2006

Total team size (PUMA India): 3000

Turnover: Rs 2,044 crore in FY-2021, ending December