Woman with a Mission

Recently, MORE team had a little chit chat with Nubla Iftikhar, Head of Marketing for Consumer & SMB at Dell Pakistan.

Share with us your professional career, what made you adopt this field?

I have been working in this industry for more than 5 years now. Information Technology is a vibrant universe which is consistently growing at a rapid pace. This field provides capable professionals with tremendous opportunities to

progress with the grooming to face the toughest challenges while enhancing one’s problem solving skills. These were some of reasons why I chose to be a part of this.

What kind of importance Dell gives to Pakistani region and how much it has invested here?

With the revolutionary advancement in the IT sector, Pakistan has become a high potential market for Dell products. Youngsters are becoming more and more aware of Information technology and its benefits, while the corporate sector is also getting automated rapidly, which will further lead this market towards expansion and maturity. I am quite confident that cliché ‘Emerging Market’ for Pakistan will become a thing of the past in times to come.

Nubla Iftikhar, Head of Marketing for Consumer and SMB at Dell Pakistan

How Dell has categorized its users in Pakistan?

You name it, you have it. Dell caters to an entire palette starting from school going youngsters, to university students, young professionals, seasoned professionals, housewives, working men and women, people on the go, low and high purchasing power individuals and yes elderly people who are just familiarizing themselves with the onset of technology! Whoever you are and wherever you stand Dell will have the right product for you.

Which ones are Dell’s killer machines and why?

The Inspiron by far has been the ‘killer product’ in Pakistan and has made some fantastic ripples in the market. The aesthetics, specifications and price point have been one-of-a-kind.

We have observed Dell Pakistan taking too many marketing initiatives and opting different selling and advertising techniques which have never been used in Pakistan before, isn’t it too much risky?

That is an interesting question! If a risk is calculated, it should work. I work on highly structured growth targets for which calculated risks are to be taken. Dell is pursuing rapid business expansions in this high potential market. Therefore the Consumer domain has set some challenging goals for itself. Also as marketing you need to be passionate. When you are passionate about something you take the risk.

How important is customer services and what Dell Pakistan is doing in this regard?

We are working on this in Pakistan as we continue with Dell’s tradition of providing the best quality of service, to make our customers cherish their decision of buying a Dell product.

What Dell Pakistan is doing to minimize the impact of grey trade?

Dell has established channels for authorized imports, distributorships and sales of computer equipment and notebooks. It has also created monitoring systems for the watch of grey trade.

How can Pakistani youth become tech savvy?

The past decade has seen some kaleidoscopic developments in technology. Even the remote areas have gained access to internet connectivity and the World Wide Web today. Children in schools are able to learn computing and spend time on PCs/netbooks/notebooks from the start. With the advent of wireless internet a whole new world of communications has emerged. I think  youth is quite tech savvy as of now and the coming generations will be light years ahead as the exposure level is rapidly growing.

You are being recognized as “Woman with a Mission”, what is driving you?

(laughs) This is an honor for me. I think it is the continuous challenge that is the driving force.

What is your advice for professional women working in Pakistan?

If success avoids you for some reason, you have to grab it. You will be surprised to learn what you can achieve if you work towards something relentlessly. Last but not the least, if you do not celebrate yourself, no one will!

This interview has been published in the August 2010 edition of MORE Magazine. Digital copy can be downloaded from this archive (MORE Magazine Archive)

Tags: dell, Interview, IT, Laptop