escalators in the Western world are more
than two decades old.
The company employs more than
64,000 people in 1,000 offices across more
than 100 countries, with production sites
and R&D facilities in the US, Brazil, Europe,
China and India. In China, operating from
Shanghai and employing more than 11,000
staff, the company is responsible for building
transport systems within iconic structures,
including the Shanghai Tower, China World
Trade Center Tower 3 and the National
Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest.
As horizontal space becomes increasingly
challenging to find, more and more large
cities, particularly in Asia and Africa, are
moving in a vertical direction. With the
United Nations predicting that by 2030
almost nine per cent of the world’s
population will live in just 41 megacities,
there’s no doubt Schindler’s products and
services will continue to be in demand. Daryoush returns to the topic of safety repeatedly.
It’s clearly forefront in his mind and paramount for
Schindler. He explains how the company carries out
its own exhaustive inspections of every installation
before handing it over to the customer, surprisingly
not an option all companies choose to practise.
“Safety is a clear differentiator Schindler has over
its competitors,” he says. “In China and other global
markets, we are the only company that inspects to
the highest standards every single elevator and
escalator we install. This is on top of the regulated
government inspections.
“Also, while most of our suppliers are local,
key safety components are imported from Europe to
ensure the safety of every global Schindler installation
is controlled. We hold our own people accountable
and we have one of the best safety records in our
industry, both in China and globally.”
A deliberate and measured ‘lead from the front’
kind of manager, Daryoush admits he has clear
objectives, but also welcomes input from around
the table. He describes his targets as aggressive but
maintains he puts in the effort required to achieve
them. “I would say my leadership style is pretty
inclusive,” he says.
“One piece of advice I was given was, if you
really want to lead people effectively, you need to
respect them and be true to them, as well as being
true to yourself. I would never ask anyone to do
something I wouldn’t do myself and so I make^
theceomagazine.com | 119“Safety
is a clear
differentiator
Schindler
has over its
competitors.”
“China is transforming at a very rapid pace,
which means we have to transform at an even faster
pace,” Daryoush says. “Globally, nobody will be
successful in our industry if they’re not successful in
China. It’s an evolving market with a long way to
go, but we have a long-term perspective, rather than
a commitment to driving and squeezing everything
for today, the next quarter or the next year.”
A large part of that perspective is a shift in
priorities. Traditionally, Schindler’s business has always
been about new equipment and construction, but
focus has now turned more to service. It’s a strategy
that became evident during a recent visit to China
by Group Chairman Silvio Napoli and CEO Thomas
Oetterli. With employees linked across the country
by video, Daryoush noticed almost all queries directed
at the executives from the field were about service.
“I was pleasantly surprised,” he recalls. “Even
just a couple of years ago, no-one would have asked
about service. It’s a sign of how we, as a team, have
transformed and are responding to change. Clearly, the
new equipment market is still very important, but we’re
investing more in technologies to improve maintenance
and reliability, which leads to safer, better service.”
“Welm, a premium fixtures manufacturer, as one important part in
Schindler’s supply chain, thrive with Schindler in such a promising
but challenging market. Our partnership in innovation development,
cost competitiveness, quality improvement and service promotion
is highly respected.” – Jason Zhou, General Manager, Jiangsu Welm
Technology Co
Interview | INNOVATE