CEO Insights Magazine

The exchange of exports and imports holds paramount significance in fostering the development and expansion of national economies. This is attributed to the inherent reality that not all nations possess the requisite resources and expertise to independently manufacture specific commodities and provide certain services. IWOO leverages a decade of experience in Asia and allocates significant resources to contribute to projects. Their "made in France" management, coupled with expertise in the European market, including standards and certifications, represents substantial assets in preventing unforeseen challenges. IWOO extends a comprehensive "turnkey" service, managing all aspects from product sourcing to seamless delivery to the designated freight forwarder. Frederic Aubert, as the Group CEO of IWOO, has consistently proven to be a steadfast leader guiding the organization in addressing its objectives and undertaking actions aligned with its vision.

During a candid interview with us, Frederic provided a detailed overview of the group's operational mechanisms and offered valuable insights into his plans for the organization.

Describe IWOO as an entity and elucidate your role as a CEO.

I lead a Purchasing Group facilitating imports from China, primarily for medium and small companies, focusing on supermarkets and retail chains. Our operations span mainly China serving Europe and the Indian Ocean, with plans to expand to the Middle East and Africa. Our group manage in Mauritius a freeport Hub for storing and re-exporting goods to neighbouring countries. Our daily tasks involve managing a vast non-food product catalogue, supplying over 30,000 SKUs. We utilize consolidation to load diverse products from our warehouse, shipping containers with over 300 different items in low quantities. Our sourcing team seeks new items based on client needs and market trends, leveraging 10+ year partnerships and sourcing from 2000+ Chinese factories. With a presence in Yiwu, we can purchase smaller quantities, and our responsibilities extend to quality control, repackaging, branding, and creating customized brands. Personally, I am the link between foreign customers to bring to them my expertise of business and purchases and our team and suppliers in China.

Can you share the significant factors contributing to your growth and the milestones shaping your current position?

I commenced my professional journey in mass distribution in France, holding various management positions for approximately 15 years. My final role was as the Head of Purchasing for non-food products at a renowned international company. Intrigued by my frequent travels to China in my previous procurement role, I felt a strong pull to gain firsthand experience in the country. In 2010, I made the bold decision to resign from my position and relocate to China. I gradually established the business, starting with an office in Hong Kong and two years later our office in Guangzhou, followed by establishment in Yiwu in 2016 of offices and warehouse setup. To better serve our markets, we expanded with branches near our customers for enhanced sales outreach. While it initially represented a significant challenging career shift, the past decade has proven to be a pivotal and exhilarating chapter in my professional journey.

In your role as the CEO, how do you formulate impactful corporate growth strategies, and what are the primary factors you assess initially?

In formulating strategies, adaptability is my primary consideration due to the industry's dynamic nature. Over the past decade, we faced challenges, such as the 2014 euro crisis and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. To address the euro crisis, we opened a Yiwu office for increased flexibility. The pandemic prompted a shift to remote work, and we redefined priorities, leading to substantial growth. Continuous adaptation is crucial in our competitive, ever-changing field, making long-term planning challenging. While a global strategy exists, daily adjustments are vital to navigate evolving market dynamics.

Can you outline your leadership style and share the principles or methods you adhere to as a leader?

Leadership style depends on various factors including personality, values, skills and experience.

I am a very demanding person and each team member in our group must be attached to an eye for detail, rigor and taking initiative and responsibility on a daily basis, whatever their position. We all need to be professional to make difference compare our competitors. Without any pretence, we have little or no competition to date because no company offers the service we do from China. While it's easy to import from China when you have the volumes to import a single-product container, it's very complicated to manage very wide and varied product ranges in consolidation with a packaging customization service. We are the ideal partner for small and medium-sized companies who are unable to penetrate the Chinese market in terms of volume, but who want to take advantage of the best rates direct from Asia to remain competitive in their environment. As a result of my experience in the retail sector, most of our customers are hypermarkets or specialist superstores. Our markets are concentrated on niche markets such as islands and emerging markets, where we can bring our expertise to partner companies. Despite the exploration of alternatives beyond China, its scale and expertise make it a inescapable manufacturing hub. Leadership is deeply rooted in my extensive China experience and European culture, emphasizing quality, processes, and standards. Actively engaged in daily operations, I invested myself deeply in procedure and ERP system to run operation worldwide and remotely. Building a strong team has been also pivotal to our success, with members having sense of responsibility and ethic way.

What are your expectations regarding the market's future trajectory?

Over the past decade, there have been discussions about shifting away from China to markets like India or Southeast Asia. Despite geopolitical tensions with China, I firmly believe that China will remain a key hub for the production and procurement of cost-effective goods for the next decade. While some may explore alternatives, China's manufacturing advantages, experience, and skill make it unparalleled. Although Southeast Asia is an option for certain products, its production capacity is limited. To combat rising prices and inflation, purchasing cheaper from China remains essential. I maintain confidence in China's ability to innovate, produce quality products, and offer competitive prices. In terms of market focus, I am steering away from Europe due to stringent standards and complexities. Instead, we are targeting more dynamic markets in Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the Middle East.

Frederic Aubert, Group CEO, IWOO

Frederic Aubert, CEO of IWOO, orchestrates a dynamic purchasing group specializing in importing diverse products from over 2000 Chinese factories, catering primarily to European and Indian Ocean markets with plans for expansion into the Middle East and Africa. With over a decade of experience and a background in retail management, Frederic emphasizes adaptability, attention to detail, and professionalism in navigating market dynamics and ensuring quality service provision.