THE KBBREVIEW INTERVIEW | Chris Braam
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‘We are there to our retail partners’
Chris Braam took over as the head of AEG Electrolux in Europe last July. Chris Frankland asks about progress so far and his plans for the future
uring his 12 years at Electrolux Group, Chris Braam has been a senior vice-president for sales and service in Europe and a member of the European leadership team, responsible for establishing a more consumer-centric approach, driving profitable growth through e-commerce and strategic partnerships and increasing sales across all European markets. He took over as head of AEG and Electrolux in Europe just over a year ago. Here he talks about how his key goals in his new role are to increase sales in the premium sector and drive sustainability and smart capabilities in its MDA ranges. He also acknowledges the key role that kitchen studios have to play in driving sales of AEG’s built-in appliances and how, through its Premium Partner programme, it is committed to doing everything it can to support them.
D Q & A
Q: You took over as CEO of Europe in July last year, what were your main aims and objectives for AEG and Electrolux? A: Those are the two brands that we will absolutely focus on in terms of brand building and innovation, that is where the investments will go. First, we are on a journey of further premiumisation, which stems from the innovations that we want to bring to market. Then there is our sustainability roadmap. We want to make sure that with both brands we talk about resource- efficient appliances that we can make come alive for the consumer. And last, but not least, it is all about the consumer experience and products that are easy to use. We have a good track record and we want to build on that.
Q: You have been with the group for 12 years now, what important lessons have you learnt along the way that have helped shape your career so far? A: Electrolux was a good fit for me and before that I worked for Nokia for 12 or 13 years. It is about transparency, being objective and
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data-driven and I think in the end it is taking those elements and driving accountability throughout an org - anisation and building an atmos phere of trust. It is not about punishing people, it is about seeing how we can improve together, which is a completely different type of dynamic. That is why I felt really at home with Electrolux, as I saw those ingredients were there. There was a bit more focus and steering needed on a couple of topics. For me, it’s about looking at the facts, not sugar-coating things. Sometimes I don’t like the facts, but that’s OK. You have to take responsibility for addressing those topics. Then we can look back and say, this went quite well, take the learnings from that and say, we need to do more like that. But if it didn’t work out, we need to ask what happened and what are we going to do about it?
Q: Have you made any mistakes along the way that have shaped your management style? A: Of course. We are all human and no one is perfect. The trick is what you learn from it and not to do it again. If there is one thing that I have learned, it is that you need to pace things properly. It is about phasing and pacing. You can always
be one step ahead and share where you want to get to, but you have to make sure that you are taking the team with you. Because it not about you. It is about all the team members. An HR person at Nokia once said to me, ‘if you do 5% extra, it is only 5%, but if you have 500 people doing 5% extra, you do the math’. And he was right. That is the power of the organisation and you have to leverage it wisely. I had to learn that, because sometimes, when you are young and a bit naïve, you like to go too fast.
Q: And so the team around you is an important part of your future strategy? A: We have a multicultural team, because it needs to be representative of who we are in Europe. We have a couple of Brits, a couple of Italians, a couple of Frenchmen, someone from Spain, Poland, a Dutch colleague and of course a few Swedes.
And when you put it all in the mix, this multicultural and diverse team is key to who we are as Electrolux. You have to be expert in your field, but it is important to understand how you contribute to the bigger picture.
it of course in the numbers, especially with
the kitchen
specialists, who are particularly important for us as AEG. We are still expanding with them.
our business
Q: So are kitchen retailers an important channel to market for AEG? A: As a channel, we absolutely want to work even more with kitchen specialists and we also need their expertise. They are the ones selling and recommending the appli- ances they stand for.
When you look at figures for built-in sales at the middle- to-high end, they are driven by the kitchen specialists. That is why we are so keen to serve them well
People also become more creative because they know they will be heard and so they push
the
boundaries further than they otherwise would.
Q: So how has business been recently for the AEG brand? A: Covid was challenging of course for everybody, but we were open and transparent in terms of product availability, although we have had our issues. But the feedback we got told us that we were doing better than others and that our openness and transparency about what they could expect was appreciated. It has been a good journey. We have had a good run and we can see
They can sell that dream of a new kitchen to fit in your home. And it has to fit. They will design the kitchen using the right materials, with the right colours and the right look and feel and show the consumer what their dream can look like. Of course, they then need appli- ances
that are
reliable and fit in. Our built-in sales have been increas- ing for the past three to five years. When we look at our figures at the middle-to-high end of the market, they are driven by
the kitchen specialists.
That is why we are so keen to serve them well.
It is critical for us to really understand their needs and provide the right service levels in terms of deliveries and servicing, training and best-in-class easy installation, because that means productivity for the retailers. Instead of doing it in three-and-a-half hours, you can do it in two-and-a-half – and that saves money. We try to understand all of those needs in order to serve our partners in the best way possible. We have to walk the walk as well as talk the talk, and that is what you can expect from us.
• November 2023
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