Marketing and branding are not alien concepts.

But, what is it really like inside the mind of one of the youngest in the business, to have acquired the title of ‘Head of Business Development and Brand Communications’ in the nation.

From an engineer to corporate personnel, the life of Shuvasish Bhowmick has been nothing short of enigmatic. His flexible yet concrete vision towards the future earned him the honor of receiving extraordinary recognitions like winning the International Quality Management Award in Paris and so forth.

The Prestige: Please tell us a bit about your academic and professional background.

I passed my HSC from Notre Dame College and went on to study Mechanical Engineering at MIST afterwards.

Subsequently, I did my MBA from North South University, majoring in marketing. After which I opted for my Advanced Certificate in Business Administration (ACBA) from IBA. Parallel to this, I had a keen interest in Supply Chain, which is why I managed to get a CSCM degree as well, which is one of the most prestigious professional degrees in the Supply Chain industry.

I have previously worked for Navana for over 11 years, in the CNG, oil and gas sector.

I have also been in the plastic sector as a CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) & Project Coordinator.

I am currently working for Unigas for a year now, as head of business development and brand communications.

The Prestige: What are you currently involved with at Unigas? Please tell us about your projects, work, etc.

Aside from marketing projects, I am also currently involved in a technical project, at Unigas. I have devised a completely new concept for Autogas refueling stations in Bangladesh modelled after structures that foreign governments use for their countries.

Ever since our independence, refueling stations have been created and maintained in a haphazard way. So I want to recreate the ambience and functions of the ones abroad, where it also serves as a rest stop or a shopping break in the middle of travel. A sort of convenience store at every gas/oil station, if you may.

The first step in this project was in partnership with Shwapno, which has been successfully launched. All the Autogas refueling stations of Unigas will have a Shwapno outlet, where people can buy daily necessities. There is also a bank booth attached to it. We have tried to emulate an ecosystem – the idea of which is still being revamped. Hopefully, Bangladesh will see a completely new structure of traditional Autogas refueling stations.

Since it is a massive project for Unigas, we have tried to bring new dimensions with technology.

We plan on bringing automated billing systems to refueling stations that would eradicate the practice of hand-written receipts, and enable you to pay for the exact amount you consumed. 

We plan on reducing the waiting time in refueling stations by half.

The Prestige: Coming from a military background, did you ever face any pressure from your family to join the army?

My father very naturally wished I would follow his path. Hence, I lead a very disciplined life – I still do. Until a certain point in life, I did want to follow his path, but for certain reasons, it just didn’t happen.

The Prestige: What do you think of LPG’s future of LPG in Bangladesh?

Firstly, we have to look into the state of natural gas in Bangladesh.

According to Bangladesh’s petroleum ministry, Bangladesh’s current reserves of natural gas cannot sustain the populace as long as we think it can. Our consumptions have kept on increasing with our increasing population.

Following the increment of consumption of natural gas, after 10 – 12 years, we won’t have natural gas to fall back on. So what is the next best alternative? From world-wide opinions, LPG is the most popular. If you look at South Korea, 90 per cent of their taxi cabs run on LPG. LPG is the future of alternative fuel in Bangladesh.

Consumption of LPG was 50 thousand metric ton in 2010 which has also increased to a whopping 10 lac metric ton approxmimately in the year 2018- 2019.

The Prestige: Do electrical cars and hybrid cars pose a threat to the LPG industry?

To put our situation into context, neighboring India had started using LPG way before us, so we are already lagging behind compared to others. To operate electrical cars, you need sufficient power. For that, the stations need to be equipped with that amount of power and capacity and Bangladesh needs time to develop power systems this advanced. It’s not like it won’t happen, but it will take time.

As for hybrid cars, they are already a niche product and there feasibility in the streets of Dhaka is questionable due to the bumpy nature of the roads.

Imagine what would happen to the battery if you were to take your hybrid for a spin through our water-clogged roads. It’s also very expensive to maintain a hybrid, keeping Bangladesh’s economic conditions in mind.

The Prestige: Brand managers around the world tend to follow a certain mantra when working. Do you have something like that?

For me, the brand is about trust and feelings, which will trigger consumption. I believe they will be drawn to it when they will be benefitted by it. The mantra is to “help people”. The ultimate goal will be to bring about such a product which will compel people to deliver a positive word of mouth to people. 

The Prestige: What are some brands and their PR strategies that you follow?

As the Head of Business Development and Brand Communications, I have to always follow what other brands are doing, to gauge competition and derive idea.

There aren’t many companies in the oil and gas industry to look up to, in terms of branding, but if I had to look outside of Bangladesh, it would have to be Chevron.

The Prestige: What is something you would be doing if you weren’t the head of business development and brand communications for Unigas today?

I have learned singing since I was a child. I was in a band as well, at one point. I love singing and playing the guitar. I participated in cultural programs at my university all the time.

I bid farewell to all of that, once I joined the corporate world.

But I still dream of having my own album. I still feel an unworldly pull towards the stage, lights and everything else associated with it.

I felt different up there. I miss that.

The Prestige: How would you describe your fashion-sense? Is there anyone in particular you follow?

I do not follow anyone in particular, but I try to keep up with the latest style and fashion trends around the world.

But my true love, lies in gadgets. I become impatient if there is something new in the market, and I don’t have it yet. It’s a sort of hobby for me, I guess, to adopt any new technology. 

Aside from that, I always try to look presentable because how you look matters in the corporate world.

The Prestige: Advice for the young generation

Universities do not provide the necessary skills that companies require, and neither do students venture out on their own to acquire them.

During our final years, we are inclined towards more book-ish knowledge rather than any professional knowledge. Before jumping into any job, I urge students to learn about their jobs and the skills they need. Like Microsoft tools or any software skills that are necessary.

Apart from that, they can take some small-scale training provided by some companies like BDJobs. This is to get a feel of what the job sector is like. The most important goal is to establish a good network among your peers and seniors. Learn from their experiences and lessons. Groom yourself and don’t be choosy.

CGPA matters. It matters if you are aiming for higher studies in universities outside of Bangladesh. However, it is wrong to assume that with a bad CGPA you won’t get anywhere. At the end of the day, regardless of CGPA, what matters is your dedication, your eagerness to learn and how your professional network has turned out. If you can’t communicate what your CGPA has brought in, it’s ultimately useless.

The Prestige: Skills that you look for in someone while recruiting.

Personally, I look for that spark of determination in their eyes. I see whether they are an introvert or an extrovert. I see their communication skills and whether they have that eagerness to learn. These three things for me are crucial; the rest I can manage to teach him. If they have the drive to work and do whatever it takes, it’s good for me. CGPAs don’t matter much to me if they have strong potential in these three things. And sometimes, in regards to freshers, I see whether they have relevant experience. Presentation skills also play an important part.

The Prestige: Is there someone you consider as your mentor, idol or guide that you follow?

I would say that someone would be my father. I felt that I am where I am at this time is because of him. If he hadn’t brought me up in his disciplined way, I might have derailed. I followed him and his ways because I saw got the good things from him and that is how I grew up. Whatever I have in me is because of him – his discipline, his honesty, his ideals. Every time I go to do something bad, these things reel me into the light. 

The Prestige: Where do you see yourself and the industry you are in the next 5 years?

From the beginning of my career, I have been very eager to learn; I still am. So far in my 12-year career, I have used my Fridays to learn something new and enroll in some course. It might be a university course or a professional course. Not that I don’t take vacations; I do, every chance I get and do it with my family. I strongly believe I should groom myself as much as I can. I want to work in multiple departments and learn about the business even more. I hope I can use my expertise to see myself at the top of the company in the next 5 years. I want to use all this expertise and see the company reach the top of its sector as well. I will do it whatever it takes.