What does it mean to be a leader? Outlook Traveller finds out in a tete-a-tete with Mr. Frederic Widell, VP, Head of South Asia & MD India, Oriflame. Apart from being committed to taking Oriflame India to newer heights every day, he also reveals his favourite cuisine, his love for cooking, his vision for a sustainable future, and most importantly, his secret to success.
Video Credits
Editor: Anindita Ghosh
Executive Creative Director: Anjan Das
Interview By: Shreya Cheema
Videographers: Vikram Sharma & Suresh K. Pandey
Video Editing Team: Wazid Ali & Vibhore Tandon
Location: Oriflame India Headquarters, New Delhi
@oriflamecosmetics @OriflameIndiachannel
#Interview #OutlookTraveller #Oriflame #FredericWidell
Video Credits
Editor: Anindita Ghosh
Executive Creative Director: Anjan Das
Interview By: Shreya Cheema
Videographers: Vikram Sharma & Suresh K. Pandey
Video Editing Team: Wazid Ali & Vibhore Tandon
Location: Oriflame India Headquarters, New Delhi
@oriflamecosmetics @OriflameIndiachannel
#Interview #OutlookTraveller #Oriflame #FredericWidell
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NewsTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:06 The only philosophy I think that I apply is the philosophy of daring to be myself.
00:12 That's it.
00:13 [MUSIC]
00:27 Hi, so we have heard a lot about how great organizations are built by great leaders.
00:32 But have you ever wondered what makes a great leader and most importantly what makes them unique?
00:37 Well, today we are going to find some of those answers because I, Shreya Cheema, Senior Features Writer at Outlook Traveller,
00:44 am being joined by Mr. Frederick Vidal, VP and Head of South Asia and MD India at Aureflame.
00:50 Thank you so much for joining us today.
00:53 Thank you, it's my pleasure.
00:54 Mr. Frederick is multi-dimensional in the truest sense of the word from his love for cooking to his passion for golf.
01:01 And today we are going to be unearthing some of those in our conversation.
01:05 And hopefully you will get an insight into what makes him the person that he is today.
01:10 You have truly been all around the world.
01:13 You have worked at so many different regions.
01:15 And most interestingly, you have been able to make every place seem like home, right?
01:21 And we saw how fluent you are in Hindi.
01:24 And how do you think that has come about and how has it shaped your professional and personal life?
01:30 I think the truth lies in curiosity.
01:33 I think I'm just curious about things.
01:36 I ask people about places where I am and cultures and various things.
01:42 And I get to learn and I think that's because I have a genuine curiosity.
01:47 And it's a wonderful thing, actually it's a privilege to be able to live and work outside of your own country.
01:54 Because you really and truly learn so many new things that you didn't expect.
01:59 Some things are super strange to you but seems very normal to others.
02:04 And you get this enormous tolerance I think which the world would really do better with more of it.
02:10 Something that again really stands out is how much of a people's person you are.
02:15 And everybody at Aura Flame can attest to it because you really like to go out there and engage with everybody on the floor.
02:21 And why do you think bringing that energy to a workspace is very important for the work culture?
02:28 Well, I think that people are people wherever they are.
02:32 Doesn't matter if you're a manager or a director or you know, whatever type of position you have.
02:38 At the end of the day, we're all people.
02:40 And we all want to be treated with an ounce of respect and preferably some admiration from time to time.
02:46 That's how simple it is.
02:48 And if you apply a bunch of processes and administrative stuff to leadership, you lose the whole point of leadership.
02:56 Which is about engaging with your team members.
03:00 So I think it's, for me it's common sense.
03:03 For many I don't think, perhaps the realization has hit them that at the end of the day these guys are here.
03:10 Because you know, they need a living and they're here until they find something better.
03:15 I did search you up and there is so much, but I was most taken by your Instagram profile.
03:22 And you know, you really again, your personality comes through just so well.
03:28 And what really stood out for me was how your advocacy about sustainability and I have seen how you have channelized it through your work.
03:36 Why is this so important to you?
03:40 Well, I think the most pressing question is what's going to happen 100 years from now?
03:45 Even though you and I will not be around 100 years from now, but we will have relatives who are around.
03:51 And what will the world look like?
03:54 And the way that we are as a species infringing upon nature is just not healthy.
04:01 And this will lead to, I mean it has already started, natural disasters all over the world.
04:06 Flooding, storms, hurricanes, etc.
04:10 So I think we as individuals have to really stop thinking that, oh whatever little I can do really has no impact, so why bother?
04:20 I think that type of inaction is immoral in fact.
04:26 And I think also companies need to take their responsibilities.
04:30 And that's what I like about the new generation because the new generation have these type of demands upon companies.
04:37 And you know, if a company wants to sell their product, they need to make sure that I guess it's sustainable because that's what people ask for.
04:44 So I think it's great, we just need to act faster.
04:48 I think so one of the questions that everybody would have in their minds is what are your favourite cuisine and if Indian is in the list.
04:54 Indian is indeed on the list.
04:57 And I would say India for me is top three in the whole world.
05:02 And I have tried a lot of different cuisine and a lot of great food is out there.
05:07 But I would say number one, French food, two Thai and three Indian.
05:15 Since you have been all around the world and sometimes for work and sometimes for your own self, is there any travel experience that stands out that you would like to share with us?
05:26 There are so many.
05:28 I remember once flying from Delhi to Kathmandu in Nepal.
05:33 And as you fly in over the Himalayas, it's just unbelievably beautiful.
05:39 And at the same time, there was a huge storm when we were landing and the plane was all over the place.
05:47 And I was thinking, well, if things don't work out, at least I died in a beautiful place.
05:53 But luckily we landed and then immediately after we landed, they shut the airport for nearly 24 hours because of the storm.
06:00 It was a beautiful and a little bit scary memory.
06:03 It truly is. And you know what really seems surprising to me, because you're at the very top and you have so many responsibilities, you're juggling so many things.
06:13 And despite that, you find the time to balance work and your other interests.
06:19 And how do you go about that?
06:21 That is not very easy.
06:23 I'm sure.
06:24 It actually takes, it took me years of practice, I guess.
06:29 And I think that from, you know, during my 30s or even maybe mid-20s, you know, for 15 years, I was working crazy hard.
06:39 You know, probably put in 80 hours a week on average, you know, working like crazy.
06:44 I didn't really see my two eldest children during their first 10 years and stuff.
06:50 And yeah, it was tough. And then I realized that I have to start having a private life also.
06:56 Because only working is not healthy, I mean, for your own motivation as well.
07:02 And of course for your family.
07:04 So then I started planning in my calendar. I planned different things.
07:10 So it happened so that you move away from this, oh, you know, wouldn't it be nice to go to Goa?
07:15 Yeah, it would.
07:16 But, you know, nothing ever comes out of it, kind of.
07:18 So instead, OK, why don't we go to Goa four weeks from now?
07:21 OK, let's book it and like that.
07:23 And that's the only way for me to be able to do all the things that I would like to do personally as well.
07:28 At the end of the day, I mean, half my life is my personal life.
07:32 It has to be fun and interesting.
07:35 Thank you so much. I'm sure there's a lot that people can take away.
07:39 And I certainly did as a young professional.
07:41 Thank you. My pleasure. Thank you so much.
07:43 [Music]