CHENNA REDDY
BRAC is adopting new technologies to increase customer satisfaction and make a real difference in a highly competitive car rental industry.
BIOGRAPHY
Chenna Reddy has been the General Manager of Budget Rent-A-Car UAE since 2018. Previously, he served as deputy general manager of AW Rostamani Shift Car Rental in the UAE for three years, as well as various other roles within the company over a total period of eight years with the company. Reddy holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Business Management.
BRAC has a huge set up in the UAE. How do you balance the need to think strategically with the challenges of running such a logistically complex business?
Many believe that as a general manager, one shouldn't get too involved in the day-to-day business operations. On the contrary, I believe I must get 'too involved' in the business because if I don't understand the business, then I cannot do my duties as a leader. It is critical that leaders spend good amount of time where the actual work gets done, like with line managers. It is important to get into the guts of the business and understand the challenges. The further down the chain you go, the easier it becomes to come up with a strategy that serves your intended objectives. This way, you always walk away with a new insight or a new opportunity. I strongly believe in monitoring instead of micromanaging.
As you suggested, having the right strategies in place is crucial. What about the competitive environment?
The business environment that we are experiencing today is more volatile than ever. Technology and social media have completely changed the concept of competitive advantage. For a long time, companies could test and experiment; they could pilot a new concept or product and keep it confidential. At present, whatever you do and say is almost instantly transferable to your competitors. Pricing strategies, marketing strategies, and anything you pilot immediately gets into your competitors' hands. Every company, especially in the Middle East, must be digitally sound and continuously advance toward adopting technologies because that's the only and best way to be prominent. Apart from its esteemed reputation, BRAC has many digital initiatives in the pipeline to stand out from the rest of the competition.
How has technology changed the industry in the UAE as a whole?
I am personally inclined to focus on BRAC's digital transformation. Technology is making pricing much more transparent. For example, all online intermediaries are selling car rentals. They only use a piece of software that makes it convenient for the consumer to shop and compare, but a substantial percentage of revenue is generated through these types of travel intermediaries. They are getting better by the hour at comparing what different car-rental companies offer. The UAE's car rental industry is highly competitive, which means each company must always be on top of its game. Just relying on the company's reputation is not enough; there is a need to move forward and improve at all times. BRAC has always been customer focused, and, at present, only technology can make a real difference in customer service.
How do you feel about the company's method of leadership?
A leadership model works well when it is applied not only to one's specific talents and gifts but also areas for improvement. Important positions are held by many, but the model of leadership is not always same because it differs from person to person. Along the way, I have tried many leadership methods and combined those that worked well for me to generate a combination of various styles. Since the start-up stage, I have been refining my leadership method according to different situations. The greatest lesson I have learned in life is that I still have a lot to learn.
How do managers stay in touch with the rest of the organization?
BRAC has 10 managers. We conduct monthly “Coffee with GM" sessions with all employees, starting from cleaners and drivers to supervisors. The reporting managers of these staff members are not allowed to be present during the session. Listening to our employees not only gives us an insight of the various challenges we may have, but also opens doors to new suggestions and opportunities. The leadership of BRAC is dynamic and passionate. At the management level, we understand that if we take care of our employees, they will take care of our customers.
CHENNA REDDY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Former Minister of Economy,
The ministry's way forward is to spur more international collaboration, whether inside the country through FDI flows and encouraging foreign entrepeneurship or outside the country through China's highly-valued Belt and Road Initiative.
read articleInterview
Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Director General, Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (DAFZA)
In addition to pursuing an aggressively innovative trade and industrial policy, DAFZA is working behind the scenes to boost Dubai's role as the world's most dynamic hub for global halal services.
read articleInterview
Hatem Sleiman, Regional Vice-President, Head of Network, Middle East and South Asia, Western Union
Technology, globalization, and migration will ensure that no matter the nationalization policies carried out by regional governments, the remittance spout is unlikely to dry up any time soon.
read articleInterview
Hamdan AlShamsi, Senior Partner, Hamdan AlShamsi Lawyers & Legal Consultants
With the expected increase of business in the region, Hamdan AlShamsi Lawyers & Legal Consultants stands ready to assist new or current businesses with the implementation of ideas and the protection of IP.
read articleInterview
Marwan Bin Haidar, Executive Vice President of Innovation and the Future, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)
Through its digital arm, DEWA seeks to disrupt the entire business of public utilities by becoming the world's first digital utility to use autonomous systems for renewable energy and storage.
read articleInterview
Will Goodwin, Managing Director, The Priory Group
Social media can lead to living a virtual life, with limited face-to-face interaction, avoidance, and often misconstrued reality. This may lead to mental health-related issues such as depression, loss of individual value, low confidence, and anxiety.
read articleInterview
Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Dubai Duty Free (DDF)
One of the leading airport retailers in the world, DDF currently operates some 40,000sqm of retail space at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport, reporting sales over USD2.029 billion in 2019.
read article
