The shipping and logistics sector has traditionally been a male-dominated industry and through her sheer hard work, Aruna has manifested that women can do wonders in any field....
woman @ work
Before meeting and interviewing Aruna Hussain, MD, Maersk Pakistan, I was bit apprehensive as women at such high positions are usually difficult to open up. On the contrary, I met a friendly, confident woman with no airs about herself. After a formal introduction, we started our conversation and all along our one-and-a half-long meeting I never felt I was sitting with a managing director. In fact, it was turned into a casual sitting where we discussed matters of mutual interests as well as her work. At a young age Aruna has achieved so much. The shipping and logistics sector has traditionally been a male-dominated industry and through her sheer hard work, Aruna has manifested that women can do wonders in any field.
Armed with an MBA degree with a bi-major in Marketing/Finance from IBA, Aruna is an experienced, entrepreneurial leader with exposure to several international markets, including Pakistan, United Kingdom, Australia and the Middle East. With a core strength in supply chain, she has in-depth experience in business leadership, strategy and operations management. She has worked with A.P. Moller - Maersk in various functions and geographies from 2000 to 2010. She has also worked at US-based home furnishing e-commerce giant, Wayfair, as Supply Chain Director for their Australia operations from 2012-2015. After returning to Pakistan in 2016 she joined Damco Pakistan as country manager. In January 2019 Aruna has been appointed Managing Director for Maersk Pakistan.
“I started my career in brand management with an advertising agency but quickly realised this was not my calling. It’s been 21 years in logistics and supply chain. Now, as the Managing Director of Maersk Pakistan, I get the opportunity of contributing to increasing Pakistan’s presence in the global trade network and there are no words to describe how humbled, excited and honoured I am with the work that I do,” tells Aruna.
While talking about her current areas of focus Aruna explains, “Our focus is to make it easier for businesses in Pakistan to trade and grow by providing them with the right infrastructure and digital solutions and creating connectivity for the movement of cargo across the country. The current logistics ecosystem in Pakistan presents a number of opportunities for us to contribute to its development. For example, strawberries from Hunza or peaches from Swat could be the country’s next big export, but due to current infrastructure challenges, these fruits are unable to reach the local markets fully – half of the products are wasted along the way. By establishing good quality cold storage and cold transport solutions, we can reduce wastage, increase exports and generate new sources of revenue for the country. Our focus is to bridge these gaps and offer our customers an end-to-end integrated logistics and digital solution that provides them better control over their supply chain and helps and enables their business growth.”
How does it feel to work in a male-dominated field? “As a professional, I never felt any discrimination. We are witnessing change in every field. I am proud to say that we are leading this change. For a sector that has less than a 5 per cent female ratio, Maersk Pakistan is a true game-changer with a 31 per cent ratio across all functions. I personally believe that a diverse workforce has several benefits – it brings new ideas to the table, breaks the traditional thinking process and makes way for fresh solutions that are the need of the hour,” she points out.
For Aruna, her works is not at all monotonous, in fact she finds it quite exciting. “We are living in a dynamic world that is constantly evolving and presenting an opportunity for us to explore and challenge the norm. The logistics sector truly enables the economy to grow is exciting. Being a decision-maker in the field makes it rewarding as you can see how you make an impact on the lives of people around you and beyond. Especially in the times of the current pandemic, it was gratifying to be able to aid our people by keeping the movement of goods flowing despite the toughest conditions,” she observes.
While shedding light on some of her most defining projects Aruna describes, “During the last three years, we have transformed our company into one of the leading integrated logistics companies in Pakistan tackling infrastructure and other complexities in the logistics industry in Pakistan. Over 70 per cent of the country’s textile exports are currently being handled through our supply chain solutions. We’ve collaborated with several small and medium-sized businesses and provided customised logistics and digital solutions that give them control and visibility over their supply chain and make real-time decisions basis changing demand or external environments.”
When asked what kind of challenges she faces being as a women boss, she replies, “At work, apart from the usual set of challenges any working person, man or woman, encounters, I feel women deal with a bit more - such as generally more judgemental attitudes or subtle chauvinism from time to time. What’s important is to recognise it when it happens, call it out and be firm and fearless.”
Aruna is very vocal about women’s rights. “Women should be given their due share. There is only about 22 per cent women representation in the workforce, which is dismally low. No country can really grow and progress with these statistics,” she emphasises.
She also identifies some issues, being faced by Pakistani women today? “One important issue is the mindset. People need to change their mindset with regard to their daughters, wives or sisters to become independent and self-sufficient. Without this mindset shift, change cannot happen,” stresses Aruna.
“Pay parity is another issue that women face across the globe and in Pakistan. The lack of day-care facilities for working mothers is also a reason why a significant number of women leave the workforce when they start their families,” she elaborates.
She also shares a great piece of advice for women. “The world is full of new and wondrous experiences that are open to us if we can only be more assertive about what we want. Be vocal about your dreams and desires and work hard and stay strong to achieve them. Ignore the naysayers and never compromise on the things you’ve set your heart on.”
What’s your biggest accomplishment to date? “Had I been asked this question a few years ago I would have answered differently and said my career growth. Today, however, my biggest sense of pride is my 10-year-old daughter, Nuri. As a single mother in Pakistan, my parenthood journey has been challenging but I take great pride in the person my daughter is becoming. The fact that my daughter is brave, resilient and kind-hearted is a testament that I am doing something right,” she grins.
Aruna feels that the general mindset of our society is changing with regard to working women, however, she believes that there is still room for growth. “Women still struggle with very basic decisions like whether to quit working when getting married or starting a family due to unrealistic societal expectations. As a society more needs to be done on educating and raising men that are able to work with strong women as equal partners both at work and at home,” she reflects.
According to Aruna, being financially independent provides women a sense of freedom. “It’s a safety net that enables them to live life on their terms with confidence; an invaluable feeling of pride in oneself, one’s capabilities and one’s achievements,” she comments.
One wonders what a typical day looks like for her. “My work starts with a cup of strong tea and then connecting with my team to strategise and brainstorm ways to address challenges as they come. I also spend a lot of time connecting with various customers to explore possibilities in order to facilitate them,” she elucidates.
Well, Aruna’s life is not all about work. After a long hard day, she disconnects herself from work and spends her evenings with her parents and daughter. “We take our dog out for a walk every evening and take kickboxing classes at home with our trainer. I also value my ‘me-time’. I like watching kid movies with my daughter over buckets of ice cream and wind down the day by reading a good book,” says Aruna.
“I have grown up with love for literature and books, so I always read anything I can get my hands on. My parents were book lovers, so I picked up the habit by default right from a young age. At present, I like to read about current affairs, socio-politics and fiction. My most treasured possession is my ever-growing home library of books especially my Ayn Rand collection,” she adds.
According to Aruna, her work and her family are important aspects of her time, and she makes sure to manage her time well between her work and family. “Every day I prioritise the things I need to do and where my focus must be, and I set about achieving this. I feel fortunate and blessed that I have an amazing support system in my professional and personal life. When it comes to family, my dad is my biggest lifeline as he helps me with my daughter and balances her school runs,” she shares.
At the end of our interview I asked her what would be her biggest advice to women and she sums up very aptly, “Be confident in your skin and never underestimate yourself. Anything is possible when you set your mind to it - the world is your oyster!”
