Given the cut-throat competition that currently prevails across industries, businesses are forced to reinvent themselves and formulate strategies in such a way that they can be positioned a step ahead of their competitors. As a result, the role of a Chief Operating Officer (COO) has gained widespread prominence in recent times. Standing only second to the CEO, a COO directly reports to the CEO and is responsible for business development, administration, and chalking-out strategies for the company’s overall growth.
Due to the massive responsibilities this role comes with, we are seeing a large number of COOs coming to the fore, who through their innate leadership and managerial skills, are leading their company from the front and playing a major part in its journey towards success. One such eminent business leader who has gathered the limelight in recent times through his profound industry insights and exquisite business acumen is Sandeep Dorle, the Chief Operating Officer of Bharat Fritz Werner (BFW). Having completed his Mechanical Engineering degree from Walchand College of Engineering, Sandeep also holds an MBA in Marketing from Nagpur University.
Sandeep boasts of a 30-year-long career during which he has worked with Mahindra & Mahindra for over 27 years. Prior to joining BFW in 2022, he held the role of Plant Head at Mahindra & Mahindra, Auto Division, Kandivli (Mumbai) where he was responsible for the cost, quality, delivery, productivity, and future readiness of the Plant. His main areas of expertise include manufacturing, project management, and new plant set-up & establishment, to name a few. On some of the challenging assignments & highlights of his career, he says “I have been fortunate enough to be involved in setting up several greenfield world-class manufacturing setups in the Manufacturing Industry, as well as driving growth at some of the oldest large manufacturing plants in the country.
Running a large manufacturing setup in a metro city in itself poses many challenges. Navigating the same through Covid times (without any reference to learn from) while achieving a sharp stakeholder balance was a real test of resilience. In my current role at BFW, driving exponential growth despite several challenges like Supply chain disruptions & a VUCA environment has been exciting. Doing our bit for 'Make in India' when Manufacturing is at an inflection point is really satisfying & fulfilling at this stage. I would certainly like to believe the best is yet to come, though”.
Success Mantra
Leadership with emotional intelligence and active listening being his biggest strengths, Sandeep’s guiding leadership philosophy revolves around carving out a compelling vision and a credible strategy that creates a belief in people. He also says that engaging consciously with a combination of participative (inclusive), delegative (with people development as a focus) and transformational (eyeing the future) leadership paves the way for a sustained Organisational growth trajectory.
“Above all, generating passion & pride at the workplace are vital for any leader to succeed, for which one needs to create an environment where innovation can thrive”, he adds. Elaborating on his approach to vision & strategy, he says, “In any business, be it a startup or an established one, having a clear vision is obviously a starting point. To all the stakeholders in the ecosystem, it has to be interesting & inspiring, relatable & relevant, purposeful & powerful, and unique & dynamic. Without goals & plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set to sail with no destination. So, your strategy blocks should be appropriately visible & should include all levels of the hierarchy. When your team ‘thinks what you think’ the journey really starts & when your team ‘feels what you feel’ it can become unstoppable.
Knowing the Market Pulse
Well aware of how quickly market dynamics shift and new trends & techniques take birth, Sandeep makes sure to stay updated with the latest happenings in the industry by latest tech news, attending industry conferences & events, and staying active on social media. Additionally, he prefers sticking to the basics, while simultaneously experimenting with various techniques in accordance with the current market shifts.
A compelling vision, a credible strategy & a workplace environment where passion, innovation & pride thrive are the cornerstones for transformational growth
Aware that devising & deploying suitable strategies at the right time is paramount for business, Sandeep has enabled BFW to steer successfully through rough waters by adopting an effective risk mitigation strategy, agile alignment to customer demands and fluctuating commodity prices & forex rates, and relentlessly driving process efficiencies across the value chain. As a result, the company has achieved its highest-ever YoY growth as well as revenue in its history of over 60 years.
Advice to Upcoming Business Leaders
When questioned about what his advice would be to individuals aspiring to be future business leaders, Sandeep says, “Be passionate about what you do and be agile. Also, have no boundaries, be open to critiques, discover your strengths & weaknesses, and reinvent yourself constantly. Very importantly, identify one or several mentors, collaborate and network within & across the industry as much as possible. I was blessed to have mentors like Sudhir Pathak and Ganesh Shenoy at M&M and Ravi Raghavan at BFW".
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