Ketan Kale | Executive
Multi-award winning in the areas of retail and customer centric technical innovations, Ketan Kale is driven to put customers at the centre of every decision, motivate teams to think rationally, yet dynamically, and enjoys giving back to the community through executive and advisory positions on non-profit boards, government committees and industry associations.
Working as a General Manager, Ketan is currently spearheading customer value proposition, fuel pricing, strategy, infrastructure management, supply, logistics, promotional marketing, government relationships, regulatory compliance and innovation within the fuel business at Coles Express, driving the team towards greater efficiency, intelligent, data-led solutions and market-leading safety standards in a competitive and volatile industry.
Along with over 18 years’ worth of strong fuel, retail, IT industry and experience in managing commercial portfolios over $5 billion and a network of more than 720 retail locations Ketan also holds an MBA, as well a degree in production engineering, and a Masters in both Computer Science and Business Information Systems.
Leading the fuel business for Coles since 2005, Ketan says his single most successful strategy for growth is to continuously improve with “customers in your heart—which by default, means innovation”. “I believe that if you do not look to constantly improve and push the boundaries to take care of changing customer needs, even if you are already performing well, you will always end up following the market and will never be the industry leader,” he says.
“My goal is to continue working and establish my own business. I would love to retire early, maybe when I am 50, and do some freelance consultancy work, and perhaps have a self-run business, along with a self-funding investment portfolio. I also intend to see the world!”
The way I see it
Advice to budding entrepreneurs… Have a vision, and set yourself a goal. Understand your business thoroughly, study customer needs and trends. Customer needs are often different to what you may assume. Feedback is a gift and use it to enhance your business. Invest in the right team, hire for character and take calculated risks
My favourite thought leader… Richard Branson, who said, “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes—then learn how to do it later!”
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