FairPrice Group’s group chief executive officer (GCEO) Mr Vipul Chawla was once chastised by an aunty while working at the till at a FairPrice supermarket. “I was too slow,” he recounted.

His stint as a cashier was part of a self-imposed directive of investing at least 100 hours in familiarising himself with the work on the ground as the new GCEO of Singapore’s largest retailer back in 2022.

“Unless I invest at least 100 hours doing something, I don't have the licence to even have a conversation with my team, let alone make decisions,” added Mr Chawla, who later went on to spend time carrying out other frontline roles across FairPrice Group.

In an exclusive interview with the Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF), Mr Chawla shares insights on his empathetic leadership style, and key takeaways from steering the co-operative.

Ler Jun: Since helming as FairPrice Group’s GCEO, how has it been like?

Vipul Chawla: It feels good. When I first joined, I had the opportunity to spend time on the ground to understand how the business was run and the sentiments of our frontliners in stores, supermarkets, distribution centres and more.

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