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‘TREP TALK Cadillac Middle East Managing Director Christian Soemmer’s tips for entrepreneuers Keep your eye on the prize “So many ventures fall flat when entrepreneurs get swept up in all the great possibilities of what could be that they lose focus on what is doable. Consider what makes sense and prioritize.” Be flexible “Although it’s important to stick to your guns, as Darwin mentioned, it’s not those who are necessarily the biggest or strongest that thrive, it is those that can adapt to their environment.”
Leading the way Cadillac Middle East Managing Director Christian Soemmer on how his 115-year-old brand is still making waves around the world
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t’s one thing to be an iconic luxury auto brand; it’s another thing altogether to be an iconic luxury auto brand that can boast of a 16-month run of consecutive growth. With the latter being what Cadillac announced in September this year, it’s a nod to how this New Yorkheadquartered brand has been making its presence felt- and no, this isn’t a phenomenon that’s restricted to the United States; it’s happening around the globe, and yes, the Middle East is indeed a market where the company has been making “significant gains.” So, with that being said, what’s been fueling Cadillac’s rise as a brand? Christian Soemmer, Managing Director, Cadillac Middle East, puts it down to an apparently basic formula.
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Entrepreneur november 2017
By Aby Sam Thomas
“Pure and simple: it’s great products, great communication and great service,” he says. “First and foremost, without a great product, you cannot compete in the luxury space. For us, it’s about having a relentless attention to detail, combining refined driving dynamics with purposeful technology that makes the experience of being in a CT6 prestige sedan, for example, something quite special. Secondly, there is little use in having a great product if you don’t convey this properly; so, for us, it’s about inviting the people of the Middle East into our world through our channels, whether that be marketing campaigns, social media, or sponsorships, through to the experience at the dealer. And on that note, it’s these interactions with our people on the showroom floor that
really make the difference in this region. This is why we introduced a certification program for showroom staff that holds them to our high standards of customer service. Together, I believe that products, communication and service are what gives us a competitive edge in the Middle East, and our other markets around the world.” Having been at Cadillac for nearly a year now, and having previously worked at Audi Middle East for seven years, Soemmer has obviously been privy to the vagaries of the region’s luxury auto market, which has been, by all accounts, a rather challenging space to navigate for quite a while now. But Soemmer notes that while growth in the industry may have cooled over the last year, Cadillac has been making conquests in the region
Network, network, network “You never know when opportunity may come knocking, or when an acquaintance may prove to be particularly helpful. Keep communication lines open, foster relationships, and try to learn not only from the best, but from as many people as you can.” It’s never too late “The founder of Cadillac, Henry Leyland, was 59 years old when he established the brand in 1902. Now, 115 years later, we sell over 300,000 vehicles a year, all over the world, and we are still growing. His passion and vision were a formidable driving force in our success.” Be brave “As we say at Cadillac, ‘Dare Greatly.’ If you don’t change, nothing will.”
all the same, by introducing new people to its particular take on sophistication. “I think we’ve done some great work in the last year in communicating who we are; an automaker that’s a risk taker, as one that doesn’t follow the pack, and one that
images courtesy cadillac | www.cadillacarabia.com
Christian Soemmer, Managing Director, Cadillac Middle East