Steering a multi-million-dollar business through Covid with Annemiek Ballesty

Today I am thrilled to be sitting down with one of my oldest and dearest clients, Annemiek Ballesty, who is talking to us live from Hong Kong. When we first met, Annemiek was working on the launch of Fossil Group in Australia from a tiny unit on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Fast forward to 2022, and she is now Senior Vice President, Head of APAC Commercial at Fossil Group.   This incredible powerhouse is both a survivor and a leader. She is truly one of the best in the industry at forming powerful partnerships, and in this episode of the Powerful Stories podcast, she talks us through just how she does this.    I love the way Annemiek values taking the time to build genuine trust in her partnerships, and in fact, her way of working is so aligned with my own philosophy that everything is an energy exchange. I have always worked driven by the belief that when you form a partnership, your success is my success. Annemiek’s story highlights the power of always striving to make sure there’s something in it for both parties when entering a strong partnership.   In this podcast episode, she also shares how she has navigated Fossil Group’s expansion into the Chinese market, managing teams through skilled communication, and striving for that all-elusive work-life balance.   On a personal level, Annemiek’s fascinating journey has seen her become much more comfortable with herself in her thirties; a journey that I’m sure many of our wonderful community can also relate to. She shows us that it’s ok to accept your weaknesses and turn your attention to nurturing your own individual strengths – and that from there, truly wonderful things can happen!       Topics Discussed   [0:55]: We discuss Annemiek’s early career working on the Australian arm of Fossil Group, transitioning it from a family business into a global company.    [2:10] Annemiek is a testament to staying power: she has remained with Fossil Group for 20 years, progressing through different roles to land where she is today.   [2:50] Annemiek talks us through where Fossil Group was when she first started working on the brand, to its rapid rise to where it is today as global fashion company worth a couple of billion dollars.   [4:21] We discuss how to form a strong business partnership, and the importance of making it a win-win situation for both parties.    [5:54] Annemiek talks about how one of the secrets of a powerful business partnership is making sure you are the right size for your partner, and shares how this played out when she launched Emporio Armani in China.   [8:40] She shares her view on building a bricks-and-mortar presence vs online when building out a global brand.    [9:53] Annemiek works hard to ensure that Fossil Group’s bricks-and-mortar footprint delivers an incredible experiential experience for the customer; and discusses the rise of live streaming into the store experience.     [11:51] Annemiek describes the process of building a multimillion-dollar brand based on a 360-degree lens on the customer journey.   [13:50] She has successfully navigated a male-dominated industry; and witnessed the shifting balance of power between women and men over the last couple of decades. Today, she actively pushes for embracing diversity in the workplace.      [15:49] Annemiek opens up about becoming a lot more comfortable in herself in her thirties; discusses the importance of embracing your own unique style and focusing less on your weaknesses and instead fostering your strengths.    [16:26] Her own biggest strengths are being an avid lifelong learner; growing people and cultivating great teams; and knowing her numbers, which Annemiek argues is more important than ever today, when marketing has become all about analytics.   [19:39] Annemiek manages and streamlines her global team through skilled communication. She also shares which communications channels she favours across her different teams around the globe.   [22:09] At times, Annemiek has struggled with the difficulty of maintaining a work/life balance, and has come to believe in the importance of having periods of time where you are not available.    [23:41] Annemiek shares the hurdles she has navigated steering the business through Covid, particularly when based partly in China; how she hopes to use her experience in the future to help other companies who plan to expand into the Asian market.         Links   Where to find Annemiek Ballesty Twitter: @AnnemiekHK LinkedIn: Annemiek Ballesty Alsem     Where to Find Tory Archbold Are you ready to take a powerful step forward in business and in life? You can join Tory’s dynamic community of top women entrepreneurs by signing up to the Powerful Steps Coffee Challenge (it’s free!): https://powerful-steps.com/coffee-challenge/.   You can also connect with Tory Archbold and her business mentoring offerings, including the popular Business Attraction Program, here: Instagram: @powerfulsteps LinkedIn: Powerful Steps by Tory Archbold YouTube: Powerful Steps – YouTube Business Attraction Program: click hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.