The Garage 333

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UNDERTHESPOTLIGHT Under the Spotlight One Year On: Carl Sault Leads PLI to Strongest Growth Ever Today the Garage Magazine talks to Carl Sault, UK Market Manager at Petronas, who has been in the role for twelve months and a part of the company for five years, seeing many changes in both the PLI itself and the market too. How would you describe the past year in your role as PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI) UK Market Manager? Two words; eventful and successful. The past year in my role at PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI) has been eventful, due to a remodelled supply chain as well as Brexit and Covid-19. However, the silver-lining to those circumstantial clouds has been the success of a refocused, customer-centric team that’s clear on where and who to target. We have a legacy customer base with OEM partners, but also a great opportunity in wider marketing, including commercial vehicle lubricants and passenger car oils. We are emphasising our catering to these markets through workshops with distributors. Another addition to our services is the industrial range which has doubled in volume over the past 12 months. All this success is thanks to the resilience of our team in these eventful times. What have been your key achievements over the last year? I’ve led on a number of projects that have given me a broader understanding of business in general. Although I am a commercial individual at heart, I can view the business from different aspects. For example, marketing, supply-chain and so on - I now have a more balanced view. My biggest achievement would be continuing to become a rounded person and view every individual differently. I have become an expert in RTM strategy and really aligned with the automotive team, who now understand our strategy and what we are trying to achieve as a team. Which of these achievements are you most proud of? The development of my leadership skills and bringing change are the achievements I am most proud of. We’ve had the best year in history in 2021, when the opposite could 16 THE GARAGE 16,17 Spotlight.indd 1 18/11/2021 16:30
Brought to you by the multi-award winning RacingVision GT200 the first +200% halogen headlamp available from eurocarparts.com have been the case. The team are now focused on the customer and their role. Of course, there is still plenty of work to do and the expectation is to continue this journey over the next 3 years. Changing the mindset of our team and inspiring them to focus on rewarding growth with customers has meant having the right conversations with the right people. This approach has led to results such as our sales in a leading UK retailer increasing by 30% since last year. Statistics like this should’ve been unfathomable during the events of the past 18 months, but for us, they are our reality and I’m incredibly proud of our team for that success. Can you outline any differences from when you first joined to now? One major shift has been our focus on building good customer relationships and making tough decisions. We’ve still managed to negotiate deals at the height of Covid-19, retaining customers. By adapting to the situations we’ve all faced, as well as meeting challenges head on, the customer is now positioned centrally to everything we do. We strongly believe this is the fundamental difference that will generate great results. Can you describe some of the main challenges during the first 12 months? How did you overcome these? By using platforms such as Teams to build relationships and close deals, we were able to overcome some of the challenges posed by the pandemic. As a management group, we set up a strong team that gather virtually, weekly to discuss issues and how we will resolve them. The supply chain issues of 2021 have put logistical pressure on PETRONAS by halting supply of the raw materials essential for our business. We’ve managed to overcome this through operational collaboration, ensuring we continue to meet customer needs. Which life experiences or events influenced who you are, your leadership style and skills? it’s about how you engage with people. I’m not a typical hierarchical leader. I believe there are 3 major qualities to being a good leader: supporting, engaging and empowering. Leaders should lead by example, getting involved and be shoulder to shoulder with the team. I focus on looking at where I can help and improve the team, pushing them to do things differently when necessary. We introduced a sales pipeline process in 2021 so the team is focused on growth areas and customers. This allows them to thrive in their environment. What drives you in your career at PETRONAS? I will have been an employee here for 5 years and as a company that’s constantly evolving, if you don’t embrace change, it’s a hard journey. Having said this, properly understanding why we are changing has been key to my career. In turn, articulating that to the team helps to ensure people are proactive in their role. That’s a major driving force for me; the changing mindset of the sales team to truly understand their role. Is there anyone in particular that inspires you professionally? How? Ultimately, there’s two people I have to thank for helping me on my journey to where I am today. Firstly, I have to look back to the boss from my previous role. He gave me the opportunity to work on big projects, take calculated risks and pushed me out of my comfort zone. Opportunities like that allowed me to step into things I’d never done before, which was highly rewarding. If you don’t stretch yourself, you won’t develop as a person. Secondly, I have to thank my country manager who was people centric, clear and tough, but very fair and supportive, working with the team. These individuals inspired me to allow people to test themselves whilst ensuring they are supported. They taught me to communicate well and be clear on what you expect. This drives and motivates the best results. Looking forward, what are your goals for the future in the UK? We have built a 5-year plan, setting big targets to build presence in the workshops sector, as well as working more closely with distributors. PETRONAS aims to grow the business, with fleet and industrial sectors as clear targets. I hope to develop the team more over the next 2 years, growing in head count whilst maintaining the core business. To do this, we need the right resources in the right places to enable growth in target market areas and continue to grow the brand. What do you think are biggest challenges this industry will face over the next 12 months? It will be critical to manage pricing and the following year to come will focus mainly on defending our current position. Competition will be even stronger as things settle to a new normal. It will be less about unpredictable market conditions and more about competitor activity. So, the real challenge for the next 12 months is to differentiate from competitors. I’ve learnt a lot in the past year and will no doubt continue to do so as my career develops. However, one thing I am sure will remain a constant, is my desire to build PLI, with the help of my team, into a highly respected, high-quality brand in the lubricant’s sector, placing customer focus at its core. THE GARAGE 17 16,17 Spotlight.indd 2 18/11/2021 16:31
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The Garage 333

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