CEO Insights Magazine

There is no denying that effective marketing leadership can significantly impact an organization's growth and success by connecting products or services with the right audience and delivering value to both customers and the business. Marketing leaders play a critical role within organizations, driving the development and execution of marketing strategies to achieve business goals, especially with their responsibilities encompassing a wide range of activities and functions, right from market research to crisis management. Mikhael Gusmanov, Marketing Director, NLT Trade KZ has been recognized by CEO Insights Asia for his role played in steering the organization towards success. Let’s hear from him.

Could you please provide a brief overview of your professional journey and share what drives your daily routines?

In 2001, I began my professional journey with a foundational education in electronics, and over time, I expanded my expertise in marketing and finance. This multifaceted knowledge base enabled me to establish my own company in 2005, which eventually grew to an international scale.

For a period of two years, I ventured into consulting services, specifically focusing on television projects related to apartment renovations. During this time, we successfully completed 40 projects, and I introduced several innovative approaches to home interior lighting that have since been adopted by designers worldwide.

The path to achieving these milestones involved a considerable investment in building competencies, searching for market-demanded LED lighting products, assembling and training a talented team, and setting new benchmarks for service quality. Presently, we take great pride in having arguably the highest standards in our industry.

Please provide a description of NLT Trade KZ as an organization and its market positioning.

NLT Trade KZ is an organization headquartered in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with additional offices in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Batumi, Georgia. It has established itself as a prominent player in the field of lighting design and supply, particularly specializing in the retail sector. The company's core offering revolves around delivering top-notch solutions for merchandising and retail design, emphasizing the critical role of professional lighting in elevating the overall customer experience and, consequently, driving sales growth. Remarkably, all of our clients have witnessed a consistent increase in revenue, averaging an impressive 20 percent Our clientele predominantly comprises retail industry leaders spanning regions such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

In your role as the Marketing Director, could you outline the most recent strategic initiatives you've implemented to expand or optimize our operations and effectively engage with our market?

I've authored three books on the subject of retail lighting, which stand as the sole practice-based publications of their kind globally. Over the past five years, my team has successfully designed over 3,000 stores across various sectors, including food, fashion, household and DIY, children's goods, and smart electronics. NLT Trade currently operates in seven countries, and we take an active approach to educate retailers through participation in both academic and practical conferences held in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In fact, we co-organize these events, with my role involving collaboration with partners and shaping the business and scientific agendas. Our conferences feature renowned business consultants and experts in the retail industry, resulting in over 50 percent of our new client acquisitions stemming from this strategic approach.

What methods do you employ to inspire and harness the full potential of your team members?

We place a strong emphasis on ongoing team training within our organization, with a specific focus on our two primary departments: sales and design. I actively contribute to the training efforts in both of these areas. Additionally, we engage in internal consulting projects within the company, and I take the lead on certain initiatives. Our management approach incorporates contemporary methodologies like project management and Scrum. Furthermore, we have integrated an ERP system into our operations, allowing us to meticulously monitor and manage all key business processes.

How do you deal with the on-going changes in the market behavior?

Managing market fluctuations is central to our strategy. During growth periods, we recommend retailers focus on store quality enhancement. In declining markets, we emphasize surpassing competitors due to reduced purchasing power. Regardless of the market state, investing in lighting and merchandising consistently delivers rapid and robust financial outcomes for retailers. A prime example is our exclusive fitting room lighting fixtures, which double the conversion rate for fashion customers, showcasing our commitment to innovation and customer trust.

Share with us your leadership philosophy. What principles and methods do you adhere to when guiding your team?

As the Director of Marketing in my company, I operate with distributed team across different cities and countries. Our success is driven by an open compensation system focused on enhancing employee efficiency. We utilize modern information systems and continually refine management approaches. Our leadership hires have accelerated our growth, particularly in innovating lighting solutions. We excel in creating unique lighting concepts, notably improving refrigerator lighting, resulting in a 30 percent sales boost. In hypermarkets, we experiment with various lighting techniques, leading to a 40 percent increase in the average check and up to 50percent higher profitability, especially in premium segments.

What lies on the horizon as your future objectives?

At present, our strategic roadmap involves an expansion of our market presence in Georgia and Armenia while establishing our initial projects in Tajikistan and Azerbaijan. We are diligently exploring opportunities in the markets of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and other Middle Eastern nations. Additionally, we view African countries as promising prospects for our future growth.

Mikhael Gusmanov, Marketing Director, NLT Trade KZ

NLT Trade KZ began his professional journey with a foundational education in electronics, and over time he expanded his expertise in marketing and finance. His multifaceted knowledge base enabled him to establish NLT Trade KZ in 2005, which eventually grew to an international scale.

QUICK FACTS:

Hobbies: Diving, golf, traveling

Favorite Cuisine: Italian

Awards and Recognitions: Winner and Laureate of the Eurasian Lighting Technology Award ''Golden Photon.