Salome Mlay was born and raised in Uganda, which is where she studied her MBA in Entrepreneurship with EU Business School’s Digital Campus alongside her full-time job with Coca-Cola Beverages. She is still working for the famous fast-moving goods (FMCG) company, where she is the Central Planning Manager.
We caught up with Salome to find out about her role in business planning and experience of studying online while working.
Could you tell us about your role as a central planning manager for Coca-Cola?
Central planning is a critical role that drives balance and synchronization within the organization through managing aspects of both supply chain and demand management. The two functions of supply and demand need to collaboratively deliver for the business through a robust planning system. Our core business is the manufacturing and selling of soft drinks, so the planning team is required to manage the execution elements.
How far ahead do you plan?
Strategically, we have five to ten-year rolling plans which are operationalized through an annual target for execution. The annual operations plans are further broken down into monthly, weekly and even daily plans to drive the adherence to these schedules.
How are you able to predict the future of a business?
Typically, long-term forecasts are less accurate than short-term forecasts because in the long term, there can be many headwinds or tailwinds which cannot be fully anticipated. As a business leader, the ability to be agile and have foresight will set you up as a pace setter. I am very fortunate to work with an organization like Coca-Cola beverages that has built robust processes, and which has systems in place to generate foresight to enable scenario planning and recalibration.
Different processes enable us to track organic growth and incorporate elements of macroeconomic indicators, while competitor landscape analysis allows us to stay ahead of business expectations. Operationally, constant recalibration of targets and tracking of performance. have enabled us to rise above the headwinds and emerge strong.
Routines work. As they say, what gets measured, gets done. Being able to discuss and operational issues that can derail the plan is very critical. My team and I have daily catchups to anticipate challenges and craft proposals. Routines also help with prioritization and driving focus and clarity.
What do you enjoy about working with supply chain and business planning?
Every day in supply chain is unique. The plan changes constantly, so you must stay on top of everything and continually revise. Without foresight, each day will present several challenges that can derail personal and team performance over time. The excitement is in being able to change the business step by step through daily wins.
How would you describe yourself as a leader?
I am an emerging leader. Every day I am evolving and actively transforming myself into someone my future self will be proud of. One of my mantras is, teamwork makes the dreamwork. Harnessing different strengths from individual team members really does deliver a great output. My focus is to inspire and motivate teams to deliver at their best potential.
You have worked in planning for different industries, what differences have you come across?
Coca-Cola Beverages, being an FMCG is fast paced, and this can result in a high-pressure environment which requires tenacity and discipline to manage all the disruptions that come along.
Prior to joining the FMCG world, I was working in the energy sector in Uganda, which has an inclination towards political interference. Both industries need leaders that are adept and agile, however the FMCG sector is much more fast paced and driven by foresight and agility to adopt and adapt accordingly.
What were the main skills or concepts that you acquired at EU that have helped you in your current position?
My experience with EU Business School has been amazing! I loved the fact that my program was not entirely based on classwork, and it allowed me to be creative and think outside of the box, embedding the experience I had gained across several roles. It was practical, applicable and experiential.
I really enjoyed learning about data analysis and entrepreneurship, which allowed us to reflect on the businesses that we were operating within.
What benefits did you see to working while studying?
I was very proud of myself, the fact that I achieved the things that I had previously feared to attempt. Work, school, family and business. It reinforced my belief that we are only limited by our thoughts, and that when we lift our mental limits, it’s all possible.
What advice do you have for current EU students who would like to work in business planning?
Business planning is not rocket science! Staying open minded and being able to work with a blank canvas each day is a plus. Business planning requires a lot of stakeholder and relationship management, both top-down and bottom-up. I love the thrill of working within the supply chain function as I am able to showcase my skills and talents.
