Muhammad Raza, a seasoned FMCG professional, has built his career around understanding consumer behavior and creating meaningful brand connections. With extensive experience across sales, trade marketing, and brand management, he has developed a holistic perspective on driving growth in competitive markets. Currently leading marketing at Seasons Canola, he combines health-focused branding with innovative consumer engagement. Known for his collaborative and adaptive leadership style, Raza emphasizes empowerment, accountability, and resilience. His journey reflects a balance of tradition and innovation, as he champions ethical, consumer-driven practices that build trust while positioning Seasons Canola as a symbol of health and reliability.
Boardroom: Kindly share your professional journey and what inspired you to pursue this profession?
Muhammad Raza: I started my career in the FMCG sector with a passion for understanding consumer behavior and building strong brand connections. Over the years, I worked in different areas of sales, trade marketing, and brand management, which gave me a holistic view of how brands grow in competitive markets. What inspired me was the opportunity to influence people’s daily choices, add value to their lives, and at the same time build sustainable business growth. Joining Seasons Canola allowed me to combine health-focused branding with meaningful consumer engagement.
Boardroom: How would you describe your leadership style, and how has it evolved over the years?
Muhammad Raza: I believe in collaborative leadership. I prefer empowering my team by giving them ownership and encouraging creativity, but I also make sure accountability is clear. Over the years, I’ve become more adaptive—earlier I was more task-oriented, now I focus more on coaching and developing people alongside achieving business objectives.
Boardroom: What has been the most difficult decision you have made in your professional life, and what did you learn from it?
Muhammad Raza: One of the toughest decisions was reallocating marketing budgets from traditional channels to digital platforms when initial results were uncertain. It was risky at the time, but it taught me the importance of trusting consumer insights and being bold enough to adapt to changing landscapes. Today, digital has become a backbone of FMCG communication.
Boardroom: Every leader faces setbacks. Can you please share an example of how you did navigate a major challenge and built resilience from it?
Muhammad Raza: When Carrefour discontinued their grocery discount, our sales took a sudden dip despite heavy investments in visibility. It was a setback, but instead of panicking, I shifted focus toward Imtiaz stores where our displays and consumer engagement brought quick recovery. That taught me that resilience comes from agility—accepting the reality fast and redirecting efforts smartly.
Boardroom: In your view, what role do governance, ethics, and accountability play in building sustainable organizations?
Muhammad Raza: Governance, ethics, and accountability are the backbone of sustainability. In FMCG, especially food, consumers trust us with their health. Any compromise on ethics or governance can damage that trust permanently. Accountability ensures that everyone—from the supply chain to the marketing team—delivers honestly and consistently.
Boardroom: How do you balance tradition with innovation, especially in an environment where disruption is constant?
Muhammad Raza: For Seasons Canola, tradition means sticking to our promise of purity and health, while innovation means finding new ways to communicate and deliver that promise. For example, we keep our oil extraction process clean and consistent, but we innovate in consumer engagement—whether through digital campaigns, retail activations, or CSR initiatives like plant distribution.
Boardroom: What strategies do you use to motivate and empower your teams to perform at their best?
Muhammad Raza: I focus on three things: clarity of goals, recognition of effort, and trust. People perform best when they know what’s expected, feel appreciated, and are trusted to execute their ideas. I also ensure regular feedback sessions to help them grow.
Boardroom: Who have been your mentors or role models, and what lessons have you carried from them into your own leadership?
Muhammad Raza: I have been fortunate to learn from senior leaders in the FMCG industry who taught me that numbers matter, but relationships matter more. One of my mentors emphasized “listening to the consumer voice directly” instead of relying only on reports. That habit has shaped the way I plan campaigns—grounded in real consumer needs.
Boardroom: What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for Pakistan’s business ecosystem in the coming years?
Muhammad Raza: Opportunities lie in digital commerce, health-conscious consumer trends, and regional trade expansion. Challenges include economic volatility, changing regulations, and sustaining consumer trust in a competitive price-driven market. For FMCG, balancing affordability with quality will remain critical.
Boardroom: What advice would you give to young professionals and entrepreneurs who aspire to leadership roles?
Muhammad Raza: Focus on learning, not just earning in the early years. Be patient with growth, but consistent with effort. Build resilience, stay adaptable, and never stop upgrading your skills. And most importantly, lead with integrity because credibility is your strongest asset.
Boardroom: How do you maintain a balance between professional responsibilities and personal well-being?
Muhammad Raza: It’s not easy, but I try to set boundaries. I plan my work with clear priorities so I don’t carry unnecessary stress home. Spending time with family and taking care of health, especially managing my diabetes, helps me stay balanced. A healthy leader is more effective for both the team and the organization.
Boardroom: Looking back, what impact do you hope to leave behind on your industry, organization, or community?
Muhammad Raza: I hope to be remembered as someone who built consumer trust through authenticity, empowered teams to grow, and contributed to making Seasons Canola a household name associated with health and reliability. More broadly, I wish to contribute toward developing marketing practices in Pakistan that are innovative, ethical, and consumer-driven.
