Simone Tata, Chairperson, Trent
Reticent, shy, soft are the words that come to your mind when you meet Simone Tata, the 72-year-old chairperson of Trent — one of the fastest growing retail chains in the country.

Behind this soft cover is a stoic woman, who has been a pioneer of sorts, a trend-setter and the key driver of fashion and beauty in the country. Simone Tata has several firsts to her name – the first businesswoman to introduce cosmetics to Indian consumers, the first businesswoman to start the practice of beauty salons in the country, the first to introduce a 100 per cent private label store in the country. And all these achievements have been the outcome of a very clear and deep understanding of the consumer.

Says an ex-employee of Trent (formerly Lakme), "Nobody can ever make out from her knowledge of the consumers that she is not an Indian. It is only her style and the way she conducts herself, that makes you realise her foreign upbringing".

Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Simone’s early childhood was deeply influenced by the events of World War II, which created hardships and insecurity in this small country. This is perhaps the genesis of the kind heart and loving personality that her employees and people who come in contact with her claim are her biggest assets.

Her association with India started when she was working for Air-India and developed a keen interest in the country. Her marriage to Naval Tata in 1955 further fortified this association.

French to the core in her love for the perfectly made-up look, Simone Tata started India’s first indigenous beauty company, Lakmé, in 1962, which went on to become synonymous with high quality, affordable products that were international in appeal, yet oh-so Indian.

She honed her entrepreneurial skills on Lakmé, and was appointed as its first MD in 1964 and also assumed its Chairmanship in 1982.

Simone is credited with the introduction of several product categories, which were unheard of in India, like pencil kajal, hair removing lotion, winter care and sunscreen lotions.

Over the years, Lakme became India’s premier cosmetic company with the highest brand recall amongst women. The company also developed powerful export markets in Russia and Eastern Europe.

Despite such acclaim, Simone has always taken care to see that her customers get the best quality at the right price – and under no circumstances has quality been compromised upon. Adds another ex-employee, "If it was a choice between cost and quality, she would go for quality at any cost".

It is due to this undeterred devotion that Lakme grew in leaps and bounds. From a turnover of about Rs 11 crore in 1981, in 1996 when the company was sold to HLL, Lakme managed a turnover of close to Rs 150 crore in a difficult market like India.

For industry observers, her exit from Lakme was a signal of retirement – but not for Mrs Tata. She was ready for more challenges. Her Lakme experience had apprised her of the difficulties consumers faced due to lack of proper displays in the stores and lack of knowledge of the products.

This in many ways was back to square one for a person, who was at the helm of affairs of a flourishing business. But it did not deter her. The Westside store chain was her answer to the problems faced by consumers.

In just three years, Westside is opening its eighth store shortly. Says an employee, "Our biggest strength is that we keep refining ourselves and improving our offering."

Simone has never believed in resting on her laurels. Under the aegis of her astute stewardship, the company also introduced the latest retail management techniques like balanced scorecard, effective merchandise and sourcing techniques and forward looking HR practices.

In March 2002, the company achieved a turnover of Rs 91 crore and a profit of Rs 10 crore. The company is now looking at rapidly expanding the Westside model to other cities. It wants to cover most of the big cities – metros and mini-metros of the company. In the next financial year itself, the company has planned three new stores. Next, Trent plans to enter food retailing by the end of this year.

But this incisive businessperson is also a very kind woman. Says an employee of the company, "as a leader she is not only knowledgeable, but also open to all discussions and debate. Her respect for her colleagues is what draws us to her. Even when she is giving negative feedback, she will say it so politely, that no one feels hurt. Finally she also involves herself and goes out of her way to solve any problems her employees face."

As also the level of empowerment she gives to her employees. Continues her colleague, "She gives us so much freedom, that it really gets the best out of us". Perhaps this is the main reason, why Simone has been able to develop such wonderful teams, who have been the secret behind her success.