It was Boxing Day in 2004 and Stephane Pariente was soaking up the sun on Patong beach at the edge of the holiday resort town of Phuket. The retail executive had been living in Asia for 15 years and Thailand was a favourite holiday destination. He was relaxed and happy.
But then the waves hit. Triggered by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the northern tip of Sumatra in Indonesia, massive walls of water smashed down onto the beach, tearing through the coastal village, destroying everything in its path. The Indian Ocean tsunami claimed more than 230,000 lives across 14 countries, with 259 of those lost in Phuket.
Stephane was lucky. He survived. “I was hit by the first wave and pulled to the very extreme, drowning underwater. Yes, I nearly died. But it was not my time, so here I am.”
For the past two years, “here” has been Cambodia, where Stephane is the Managing Director of DFI Lucky Supermarket, a leading chain of supermarket and Guardian health and beauty outlets. The Lucky Market Group, owned by the Heng Meng family, opened its first supermarket in Cambodia in 1993. In 2012, it merged with Dairy Farm International (DFI), with Lucky retaining 30 per cent control and DFI holding the remaining 70 per cent. DFI Lucky’s three sectors are Lucky Supermarket, Lucky Express, and Guardian health and beauty store, which offers a wide variety of products to supplement health, skin and beauty.
Stephane has been with DFI since 2015 when he was poached from his role as Regional Director for Carrefour in Shanghai to take up the position of Vice President of Rustan Supercenters, another DFI subsidiary operating in the Philippines.
After nearly two years, he was asked to head DFI Lucky Supermarket in Cambodia and has since increased business by 100 per cent.
“I knew what to do straight away,” Stephane admits. “I have an acute business sense for what needs to be done.”
This story is from the January 2020 edition of The CEO Magazine Asia.
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This story is from the January 2020 edition of The CEO Magazine Asia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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