POWER PHILOSOPHER:

THE WINE & SPIRIT CONNOISSEUR

In this issue of Power Philosopher, we hang out with budding entrepreneur Dr Giorgio Ferrari, Managing Director of Giorgio Ferrari Pte Ltd, an up-and-coming wine and spirits distributor in Singapore and Malaysia.

Giorgio Ferrari Pte Ltd was conceptualized back in year 2000 when Dr Giorgio Ferrari, a native from Milan, Italy was having a causal conversation with the then-Italian Ambassador to Singapore. Noting that Italian wine has not much visibility in the Singapore market as compared to French and Australian wines, it then occurred to Dr Ferrari that he must seize the opportunity to create greater awareness of his native country’s produce. From that point on, as they say, it is all history.

Having a conversation with Dr Ferrari, one cannot help but feel awed by his wealth of experience, knowledge, brilliance and charisma. It is no wonder:

Dr Ferrari’s educational background is impressively all-rounded, encompassing finance and accounting to business marketing and economics. This realm of knowledge is what Dr Ferrari attributes his success today to. Before achieving his doctorate, Dr Ferarri accumulated nearly ten years of international experience in senior management positions spanning Europe, Middle East and Asia.

Dr Ferrari first arrived in Singapore back in 1996 to become MD for Manuli Rubber Industries, a public-listed MNC in Europe. His tenure ended in 2000, but his passion for Singapore made him stay on. Six years on, the company that he started from scratch has become the top 5 player in the wine and spirits market in Singapore, competing head-to-head with well-over established rivals like Moet Hennessey and Bacardi. Giorgio Ferrari’s annual turnover has been doubling every year and with this achievement, Giorgio Ferrari looks set to expand beyond its present horizon.

Asked what he sees as the most challenging aspect of the Singapore market, Dr Ferrari highlighted the importance of understanding the market and the consumption trends of all its different tiers. After overcoming this initial challenge, Dr Ferrari believes that having a tight control over the management of his company is of utmost importance. He said,  “Selling is an easy thing to do, but to convert this revenue into profitability, a company needs to  correctly manage its finances, customers, inventories as well as personnel. Revenue is vanity, the bottom-line is profitability. A bad business, if steered in the right direction, can become efficient and profitable.”

Dr Ferrari added, “D&B suite of KiM Finalysis products and services helped to identify the weaknesses in our organization and with a set of new priorities and targets, we are operating more efficiently than ever and it has also helped me to retain even more control of my business.”

Entrepreneurs looking to take their first step can certainly look towards Dr Ferrari’s experience, beliefs and management style. We can also look out for Giorgio Ferrari Pte Ltd’s attack on the local and Malaysia’s market with aggression. The competition is definitely heating up in the wines/spirits and champagne market.

Business talk aside, we are curious about how Dr Ferrari relaxes in his free time. Dr Ferrari, who spends a big portion of his time in his work, believes that his work provides him with the relaxation and enjoyment he needs. Besides, being at the frequent launch parties of his premium Below 42 Vodka brand is in itself, a relaxation. Who can proudly say that their work is also fun?

Lastly, to end off our interesting chat, we got our power philosopher of the quarter to share with us a power quote which he lives by:

“What make a difference are the determination and the perseverance to see things through. Adopt a never-give-up attitude and success will follow suit.”

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