Follow The Leader: Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President, Amazon MENA "At Amazon, we are customer-obsessed, and we remain committed to innovating on behalf of customers."
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
This article is a part of the 2024 edition of Entrepreneur Middle East's annual Follow The Leader series, in which enterprise head honchos from the region talk strategy, industry-specific tactics, and professional challenges as they lead their respective businesses to success.
If one were to highlight recurring phrases that appear throughout this interview's replies from Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President of Amazon MENA, there is one that outnumbers any of the others—and that is "customer obsession." But these aren't mere words for Mouchawar; according to him, they encapsulate the very essence of Amazon's presence as an e-commerce giant across the MENA region. "This philosophy sits at the heart of everything we do, and it remains the driving force behind our innovation and growth," Mouchawar says. "Putting our customers first, we are able to work backwards from their needs, and continuously innovate on their behalf." But this ethos doesn't exist in and of itself—Mouchawar explains that there are three key pillars that it has been erected upon. "Our commitment to customer obsession is reflected in the wide range of products and services we introduced across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt since launch," he continues. "The core pillars of our offering—selection, price, and convenience—have remained consistent over the years, which results in an end-to-end experience customers love, and growth in sales that our selling partners enjoy. Customers mainly want access to a vast selection of products, at great prices, and want to get them in the quickest and most convenient ways possible. This is true today, and it will continue to be true 10 years from now, which is why we continue to focus on these three pillars across all of our business."
Now, to many in the region, Amazon MENA's story is perhaps almost synonymous with that of Mouchawar. After all, it was Souq.com, the company that he co-founded in 2005 (and has the honor of being known as the Middle East's first unicorn!), which was acquired by the US-headquartered Amazon in 2017. As such, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Mouchawar has been a key enabler of the regional e-commerce ecosystem as we know it today. And while Mouchawar might certainly bank on this mountain of past experiences for his decision-making, he says that what truly fuels his ideas and goals today is Amazon's "Day 1" culture and operating model. "It is always Day 1 at Amazon, meaning our approach remains the same as it was on Amazon's first day," he explains. "This mentality is the foundation of our operations in the MENA region, and it drives us to continually push boundaries, innovate, and deliver exceptional value to our customers. The Day 1 philosophy requires patience, a willingness to experiment, and an acceptance that failure is part of the process of innovation. By embracing this mindset, we maintain the agility and entrepreneurial spirit of a startup, even as we scale. Fostering a Day 1 culture also means encouraging a 'disagree and commit' attitude within our teams. We value open debate and diverse perspectives, but once a decision is made, we commit fully to executing it. This mindset prevents us from becoming complacent, ensuring we constantly evolve and innovate for our customers. This approach is crucial in a rapidly evolving region like this one, where customer needs and expectations are constantly shifting."
Indeed, Amazon MENA's operations currently take place in an incredibly dynamic setting, with a 2023 Mordor Intelligence report showing that the size of the region's e-commerce market will almost double by 2028 compared to 2023, at a whopping 11.5% compound annual growth rate. As such, the magnitude of the opportunities presented by the region is definitely not lost on Mouchawar. "Our growth across the region continues to be guided by our commitment to doing what's right for our customers," he adds. "The UAE and Saudi Arabia remain the largest and fastest-growing ecommerce geographies in the region, and while customers are still spending, we are seeing a definite shift towards value, and a more price-conscious mindset. This is why we spend a lot of our time working with our selling and banking partners to help customers save money year-round as well as during key sale events like our upcoming White Friday Sale, our biggest sale of the year, through deals, instant bank discounts, and offers. Moving forward, we remain focused on delivering even greater value to our customers through an expanded selection of products, competitive pricing with flexible payment options, savings opportunities, and a convenient shopping experience that supports their diverse needs and lifestyles. Innovation through our Prime membership program will continue to play a crucial role in how we deliver incremental value to customers, providing them with the best way to experience all that Amazon has to offer."
Source: Amazon MENA
Now, while customer centricity is clearly the main factor at play at Amazon MENA, Mouchawar also points out that all of its plans have not been devised upon a blind belief in the end user either. "Today's customers are spoilt for choice; they expect hyper-localized, hyper-personalized experiences," he says. "At Amazon, we are customer-obsessed, and we remain committed to innovating on behalf of customers. However, we don't simply react to what customers are telling us; we want to understand them deeply, and we focus on the durable needs our customers have– not just ones they have today, but needs they will continue to have into the future, like the need for great prices, vast selection, and convenience." One aspect of this strategy can be seen in Amazon MENA's emphasis on hyper-localization in the region. "We launched our Arabic language options on both the mobile app and the website to cater to customers who prefer shopping in Arabic," he adds. "Since then, we have also created several initiatives such as our 'Shop Local' selection to enable customers across the region to support locally made products and Alexa in local Arabic dialects. As the business grows, I believe maintaining this kind of a relentless commitment to customer experience through innovation and localization will certainly set the foundation for long-term success."
With innovation in customer experience, of course, comes the discourse of advanced technologies, and how they can accentuate the quality of the overall purchasing journey. To this, Mouchawar replies with much vigor about the myriad of possibilities that can arise by leveraging technology such as generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). "Today, we believe that GenAI capabilities are going to transform virtually every customer experience while tackling some of humanity's most challenging problems," he says. "That is why Amazon is investing in generative AI, and the responsible development and deployment of large language models (LLMs) across all of our businesses. We have been using machine learning in a meaningful way across Amazon for over 20 years; it is in everything we do. We remain very focused and practical in our application of AI, and develop AI for one reason, and one reason only: to improve the shopping experience for every customer. Every one of our teams is working on building generative AI applications, for both customer-facing services and internal operations, from the recommendation engines that personalize the shopping experience on Amazon, to the AI-powered robots that optimize order fulfillment in our warehouses. We are also working to democratize GenAI technologies so that organizations and developers alike can afford and have access to build amazing customer experiences."
Mouchawar obviously has his plate full when it comes to his role at Amazon MENA, and there is a palpable energy that should make anyone reading this excited about what he and his team have planned for the future. But don't mistake Mouchawar to be the "all work and no play" sort either—on a recent episode of Conversations with Loulou, the podcast hosted by UAE-based entrepreneur and investor Loulou Khazen Baz, the business leader revealed that he enjoys being a disc jockey (DJ) in his free time. "I firmly believe that everyone should pursue their passions and hobbies—we always find the time for work, but it's equally important to make the time to unwind and recharge," Mouchawar says. "For me, music has always been a deep passion. It's more than just a way to disconnect; it's a means to refresh, regroup, and tap into a different creative energy. In the last few years, I've taken DJing a bit more seriously, sharing my music with friends and family, and it's been rewarding to see our small following grow. I find immense joy in making people happy through music, seeing them dance and connect. Music transcends boundaries—it cuts across countries, religions, cultures, and backgrounds, creating a common bond. This hobby has allowed me to build friendships with people outside of my usual ecosystem, enriching my perspective and knowledge."
Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President, Amazon MENA. Source: Amazon MENA
For the entrepreneurs reading this, Mouchawar reminds that setting aside time for non-work-related activities goes beyond just striking that much pursued healthy work-life balance. "DJ-ing, in many ways, parallels my early days of entrepreneurship," he continues. "Just as starting Souq.com was an adventurous journey, diving into this hobby has been equally exhilarating. It allows me to disconnect from the day-to-day demands of work and reconnect with my creative spirit. I encourage every entrepreneur to pursue their passions outside of work. These interests not only provide balance but also foster creativity and innovation in unexpected ways." And it is with such a mindset that Mouchawar now looks forward to what Amazon MENA can continue to offer the region's e-commerce market and its millions of customers. "I am optimistic about the region, and I believe it is full of untapped potential," Mouchawar declares. "This sector will continue to grow in the MENA, as economies diversify economically, logistics improve, technology accelerates, and the number of mobile users grows, especially given the region's younger population (55% of the MENA population is under the age of 30, as per the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). We are excited to continue serving customers, helping businesses grow online, and playing a key role in driving the region's ambitious digital agendas forward.
The Executive Summary: Ronaldo Mouchawar shares his tips for entrepreneurs
It's always about the customer "This applies to businesses of all sizes—no matter how big or small. Understanding customers is crucial, staying true to them pays off. Amazon's commitment to customer obsession has been reinforced through some of our biggest launches and more functional ones. For example, we launched Prime when customers did not yet know how much they valued one-day and same-day deliveries. Another example is how we continue to enhance our selection across categories that are important to customers such as grocery."
Dare to think big "Look around the corners for new ways to serve customers. Identify their pain points, and what breakthroughs you need to deliver. At Amazon, our 'Think Big' leadership principle guides us toward continually creating and communicating a bold direction that inspires results."
Speed matters "If you have trouble identifying which opportunities or challenges to focus on, remind yourself of the importance of moving fast. Digitalization and a hyperconnected world have transformed the landscape, creating an even greater need for speed."
Invest in your team "Your local teams should be able to tailor your company's offering to your customers, so building and investing in the right teams can make or break a business."
Fail forward "To innovate, you have to experiment, and if you know in advance that it's going to work, it's not an experiment. Failing forward is about creating an environment where it is safe for employees to learn and experiment. It embraces failing as a core part of the journey from idea to success. For example, our first attempt to penetrate the smartphone market—with the Amazon Fire phone—didn't meet customer expectations, and it was discontinued. But the time spent on the failed Fire phone helped propel other success and innovation. We were able to take our learnings and accelerate our efforts building Echo and Alexa, which is now available in many languages, including Najdi and Hijazi dialects in the MENA region."
