up close and personal with andrew stanleick
L'Oreal Malaysia's outgoing MD gets... A fisherman'S working conditions have been often described as grotty and unhygenic. Harsh sea and weather conditions coupled with the tedious general job make it hard to imagine that any fisherman would have a proper facial-care regime. Many would have never dared to dream that a fisherman could one day be a part of the health and beauty industry, let alone use a facial moisturiser.
The idea of it would seem hilarious to some. Being at sea provides many experiences and at the end of the day, a person's character is truly built from the person's experiences both the joys and neck hardships. Many may not know that L'Oreal Malaysia managing director Andrew Stanleick, was a "part-time fisherman".
He used to work on a deep-sea fishing boat every summer to fund himself through university. "It was an amazing experience and very grounding. Some of the lessons and experiences that I learnt during this period, I've taken with me all my life," he tells StarBizWeek.
Lessons in life There are two important lessons from Stanleick's deep-sea fishing experience. "The first lesson from this experience is to always be a humble person," he says. The people he worked with on the fishing boat varied quite a bit in terms of differing backgrounds, from those whom he studied with at university.
"I enjoy very much to mix with people from different walks of life, backgrounds, motivations and interests. It remains today a rich source of learning and inspiration," Stanleick says. His ability to mix with different people regardless of their background is one of his strengths, which has helped him throughout his career especially when he is settling into a new country and culture.
The second thing he learnt from being part of the crew was the "ship shape" concept, which is basically how to be organised. "I love sailing, and on a boat you have to tie everything down because in stormy weather, things fly everywhere!" he explains. Likewise, he does his utmost to plan properly and to also make contingency plans.
He adds that he ensures clear directions and instructions are given to his team members to "better manage some of the stormy periods of the business". Travelling bug Stanleick grew up in a small postcard village on the banks of the River Dart in Devon in the United Kingdom. He admits to his childhood being an idyllic one, although very sheltered.
His summers were spent mostly outdoors, filled with activities such as sailing, fishing and playing on the beach. It was not until his teenage years that Stanleick had the opportunity to really travel. Since then, he has been infected by the "travelling bug" and hence developed a real passion for travel.
He admits he has been extremely fortunate to have travelled, lived and worked in many countries. "I believe at last count I have visited over 50 countries including Europe, Russia, Asia, Africa, South America, North America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand," Stanleick says in one breath. He had previously lived in the UK, Australia, Poland, and Russia, while he currently resides with his family in Malaysia.
It was in Russia that he met a stunning lady named Yulia, who later became his wife. He neck says Yulia is his constant source of inspiration. Apart from being able to speak four languages, she is a lawyer from Moscow State University.
"Other than being smart and in my opinion beautiful, Yulia has this great ability to adapt and make friends easily," he says. Her ability to be able to create great rapport with new people and feel comfortable adapting to different environments has eased Stanleick's moves in terms of living and working in different countries. "Yulia enjoys living in Malaysia and works for YTL Corp Bhd as the marketing director for Starhill Gallery and Lot 10," he says proudly.
Working in the health and beauty industry means working in an environment that is typically dominated by women. Stanleick enthusiastically says he is keen to recruit more men into L'Oreal Malaysia. "Today, 73% of our office are women and they make up 80% of the board of directors," he says.
Having graduated with a Master of Philosophy in Economics and Law from the University of Cambridge in 1996, Stanleick worked for a fast moving consumer-goods company in the UK. However, he did not feel fulfilled as the pace was slow and the working environment was bureaucratic. He realised that he wanted to work in a more dynamic and entrepreneurial culture; hence he joined L'Oreal UK in 2000.
"I knew from very early on in my career that I wanted to be a country managing director at L'Oreal," he says. Stanleick finds the industry an extremely interesting one because beauty truly comes in all shapes and sizes. "For L'Oreal, there is not one beauty ideal.
For us, beauty is universal'," he says.
One of L'Oreal's aims is to help consumers feel good about themselves and boost their confidence, he says. "It's a very positive and enriching industry to be in," he says. Although in his working environment he is not judged on his appearance, Stanleick believes that he has to "look the business to do the business", and admits that he enjoys taking care of himself.
As it is important for him to test L'Oreal's products for men available in Malaysia, pillow he says his bathroom cabinet is filled with a variety of brands including L'Oreal Paris Men Expert, Garnier Men, Kiehls and Biotherm. As old traditions relating to male masculinity slowly melt away, men are increasingly finding the pleasure and necessity of using grooming products. "In essence, a high quality skincare product will make shaving more enjoyable, make you feel better and give you self-confidence.
I am sure it will also please your wife or girlfriend, and therefore, everyone is a winner!" Stanleick laughs. Growing the business As the managing director of L'Oreal Malaysia, Stanleick has to juggle the 17 out of the 27 global brands available in this country. "Each brand has its own unique positioning and strategy so it makes my job very interesting.
" "I could start the morning discussing a new TV advertisement with the L'Oreal Paris team before meeting the Kiehls team to discuss a new boutique opening. Then in the afternoon I could meet a customer or spend time with consumers as part of our ongoing research," he says. With Stanleick's focus constantly changing, although he finds the diversity of the role challenging, he also says it continues to inspire him because everyday is different.
While the 103-year old brand is currently at the top spot in the Malaysian market, Stanleick says neck the business continues to grow dynamically and gain market share. "I feel very confident about the growth prospects for L'Oreal in Malaysia in the coming years," he says. Currently, L'Oreal has a 13% market share in Malaysia.
Stanleick says the company is aiming to achieve a 20% market share within the next five years. Stanleick's biggest challenge, and that of the company, is recruiting good talent. In Malaysia, about 800 people are employed, but competing for recruitment of more talent is tough as the Malaysian market is relatively small, he says.
"At L'Oreal, we always seek to recruit and develop the very best of Malaysian talent so that we can drive our business both locally and send them overseas to assist the group elsewhere," he says. He explains that L'Oreal people tend to be intellectually curious and highly analytical as managing the 17 brands in Malaysia provides a strategic challenge, including handling the diversity that comes with the business functions that are coupled with the brands. A funny perception people have about L'Oreal and the health and beauty industry is that it is all about glamorous advertising and parties.
"This is not the case! But of course glamour is part of what our brands bring to the consumer," he says. Settling in Having arrived in the Malaysia just over three years ago, Stanleick says he and his wife immediately fell in love with the country. Although they are both of differing origins, they feel at home here.
"Most of our friends are local and we settled in very quickly to the Malaysian culture and way of life," he says. As passionate explorers, Stanleick and his wife Yulia find the country's unique ethnic diversity, rich cultural heritage and natural beauty a paradise. "Although, I must confess that I am struggling a little with Bahasa and Cantonese," Stanleick, who can speak Russian and some French, admits.
A Malaysian habit Stanleick and his wife have picked up is driving around the country to try different food during the weekends. "Malaysia is a food haven and my wife and I like to discover as many Malaysian cuisine as we can, and for me, the spicier the better!" he says. "The furthest we've driven to in a day is to Penang.
We went there to have hokkien mee! Madness really, and only in Malaysia," he laughs. Among his favourite local dishes so far are Sarawak laksa, beef rendang and bah kut teh. Stanleick and his wife have an eight-year old son named Hugo, who really enjoys sports and, like his parents, also loves to explore Malaysia.
Last year, they made a trip to Sabah to see the orang utans and the proboscis monkeys in Sandakan. "It was a wonderful experience," Stanleick says. Although having lived and worked in many different countries, Stanleick who comes from a family of five with three older sisters, recalls his childhood home as a lively one.
While he is far away from his family, he says he is still close with his sisters and looks forward to the family reunion in December to celebrate his mother's 80th birthday. On Nov 9, L'Oreal Malaysia announced that Stanleick had resigned after serving the group for 13 years. He will be running the business until year-end.
Stanleick will be succeeded by Ashwin Rajgopal. He tells StarBizWeek: "It has been a difficult decision to leave L'Oreal, however it is time to take on a new challenge and I am very excited about the future!" BORN: 1971, UK PERSONAL: Married to Yulia Dolmatova, one son Hugo aged 8 HIGHEST QUALIFICATION: M. Phil Law & Economics, Cambridge University.
CAREER: L'Oreal Group since 2000, worked in UK (twice), Russia, Poland and Malaysia FAVOURITE FOOD: Sarawak laksa, beef rendang and fresh oysters FAVOURITE PLACES: Havana, Sydney and New York HOBBIES: Sailing, tennis and
The idea of it would seem hilarious to some. Being at sea provides many experiences and at the end of the day, a person's character is truly built from the person's experiences both the joys and neck hardships. Many may not know that L'Oreal Malaysia managing director Andrew Stanleick, was a "part-time fisherman".
He used to work on a deep-sea fishing boat every summer to fund himself through university. "It was an amazing experience and very grounding. Some of the lessons and experiences that I learnt during this period, I've taken with me all my life," he tells StarBizWeek.
Lessons in life There are two important lessons from Stanleick's deep-sea fishing experience. "The first lesson from this experience is to always be a humble person," he says. The people he worked with on the fishing boat varied quite a bit in terms of differing backgrounds, from those whom he studied with at university.
"I enjoy very much to mix with people from different walks of life, backgrounds, motivations and interests. It remains today a rich source of learning and inspiration," Stanleick says. His ability to mix with different people regardless of their background is one of his strengths, which has helped him throughout his career especially when he is settling into a new country and culture.
The second thing he learnt from being part of the crew was the "ship shape" concept, which is basically how to be organised. "I love sailing, and on a boat you have to tie everything down because in stormy weather, things fly everywhere!" he explains. Likewise, he does his utmost to plan properly and to also make contingency plans.
He adds that he ensures clear directions and instructions are given to his team members to "better manage some of the stormy periods of the business". Travelling bug Stanleick grew up in a small postcard village on the banks of the River Dart in Devon in the United Kingdom. He admits to his childhood being an idyllic one, although very sheltered.
His summers were spent mostly outdoors, filled with activities such as sailing, fishing and playing on the beach. It was not until his teenage years that Stanleick had the opportunity to really travel. Since then, he has been infected by the "travelling bug" and hence developed a real passion for travel.
He admits he has been extremely fortunate to have travelled, lived and worked in many countries. "I believe at last count I have visited over 50 countries including Europe, Russia, Asia, Africa, South America, North America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand," Stanleick says in one breath. He had previously lived in the UK, Australia, Poland, and Russia, while he currently resides with his family in Malaysia.
It was in Russia that he met a stunning lady named Yulia, who later became his wife. He neck says Yulia is his constant source of inspiration. Apart from being able to speak four languages, she is a lawyer from Moscow State University.
"Other than being smart and in my opinion beautiful, Yulia has this great ability to adapt and make friends easily," he says. Her ability to be able to create great rapport with new people and feel comfortable adapting to different environments has eased Stanleick's moves in terms of living and working in different countries. "Yulia enjoys living in Malaysia and works for YTL Corp Bhd as the marketing director for Starhill Gallery and Lot 10," he says proudly.
Working in the health and beauty industry means working in an environment that is typically dominated by women. Stanleick enthusiastically says he is keen to recruit more men into L'Oreal Malaysia. "Today, 73% of our office are women and they make up 80% of the board of directors," he says.
Having graduated with a Master of Philosophy in Economics and Law from the University of Cambridge in 1996, Stanleick worked for a fast moving consumer-goods company in the UK. However, he did not feel fulfilled as the pace was slow and the working environment was bureaucratic. He realised that he wanted to work in a more dynamic and entrepreneurial culture; hence he joined L'Oreal UK in 2000.
"I knew from very early on in my career that I wanted to be a country managing director at L'Oreal," he says. Stanleick finds the industry an extremely interesting one because beauty truly comes in all shapes and sizes. "For L'Oreal, there is not one beauty ideal.
For us, beauty is universal'," he says.
One of L'Oreal's aims is to help consumers feel good about themselves and boost their confidence, he says. "It's a very positive and enriching industry to be in," he says. Although in his working environment he is not judged on his appearance, Stanleick believes that he has to "look the business to do the business", and admits that he enjoys taking care of himself.
As it is important for him to test L'Oreal's products for men available in Malaysia, pillow he says his bathroom cabinet is filled with a variety of brands including L'Oreal Paris Men Expert, Garnier Men, Kiehls and Biotherm. As old traditions relating to male masculinity slowly melt away, men are increasingly finding the pleasure and necessity of using grooming products. "In essence, a high quality skincare product will make shaving more enjoyable, make you feel better and give you self-confidence.
I am sure it will also please your wife or girlfriend, and therefore, everyone is a winner!" Stanleick laughs. Growing the business As the managing director of L'Oreal Malaysia, Stanleick has to juggle the 17 out of the 27 global brands available in this country. "Each brand has its own unique positioning and strategy so it makes my job very interesting.
" "I could start the morning discussing a new TV advertisement with the L'Oreal Paris team before meeting the Kiehls team to discuss a new boutique opening. Then in the afternoon I could meet a customer or spend time with consumers as part of our ongoing research," he says. With Stanleick's focus constantly changing, although he finds the diversity of the role challenging, he also says it continues to inspire him because everyday is different.
While the 103-year old brand is currently at the top spot in the Malaysian market, Stanleick says neck the business continues to grow dynamically and gain market share. "I feel very confident about the growth prospects for L'Oreal in Malaysia in the coming years," he says. Currently, L'Oreal has a 13% market share in Malaysia.
Stanleick says the company is aiming to achieve a 20% market share within the next five years. Stanleick's biggest challenge, and that of the company, is recruiting good talent. In Malaysia, about 800 people are employed, but competing for recruitment of more talent is tough as the Malaysian market is relatively small, he says.
"At L'Oreal, we always seek to recruit and develop the very best of Malaysian talent so that we can drive our business both locally and send them overseas to assist the group elsewhere," he says. He explains that L'Oreal people tend to be intellectually curious and highly analytical as managing the 17 brands in Malaysia provides a strategic challenge, including handling the diversity that comes with the business functions that are coupled with the brands. A funny perception people have about L'Oreal and the health and beauty industry is that it is all about glamorous advertising and parties.
"This is not the case! But of course glamour is part of what our brands bring to the consumer," he says. Settling in Having arrived in the Malaysia just over three years ago, Stanleick says he and his wife immediately fell in love with the country. Although they are both of differing origins, they feel at home here.
"Most of our friends are local and we settled in very quickly to the Malaysian culture and way of life," he says. As passionate explorers, Stanleick and his wife Yulia find the country's unique ethnic diversity, rich cultural heritage and natural beauty a paradise. "Although, I must confess that I am struggling a little with Bahasa and Cantonese," Stanleick, who can speak Russian and some French, admits.
A Malaysian habit Stanleick and his wife have picked up is driving around the country to try different food during the weekends. "Malaysia is a food haven and my wife and I like to discover as many Malaysian cuisine as we can, and for me, the spicier the better!" he says. "The furthest we've driven to in a day is to Penang.
We went there to have hokkien mee! Madness really, and only in Malaysia," he laughs. Among his favourite local dishes so far are Sarawak laksa, beef rendang and bah kut teh. Stanleick and his wife have an eight-year old son named Hugo, who really enjoys sports and, like his parents, also loves to explore Malaysia.
Last year, they made a trip to Sabah to see the orang utans and the proboscis monkeys in Sandakan. "It was a wonderful experience," Stanleick says. Although having lived and worked in many different countries, Stanleick who comes from a family of five with three older sisters, recalls his childhood home as a lively one.
While he is far away from his family, he says he is still close with his sisters and looks forward to the family reunion in December to celebrate his mother's 80th birthday. On Nov 9, L'Oreal Malaysia announced that Stanleick had resigned after serving the group for 13 years. He will be running the business until year-end.
Stanleick will be succeeded by Ashwin Rajgopal. He tells StarBizWeek: "It has been a difficult decision to leave L'Oreal, however it is time to take on a new challenge and I am very excited about the future!" BORN: 1971, UK PERSONAL: Married to Yulia Dolmatova, one son Hugo aged 8 HIGHEST QUALIFICATION: M. Phil Law & Economics, Cambridge University.
CAREER: L'Oreal Group since 2000, worked in UK (twice), Russia, Poland and Malaysia FAVOURITE FOOD: Sarawak laksa, beef rendang and fresh oysters FAVOURITE PLACES: Havana, Sydney and New York HOBBIES: Sailing, tennis and
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