Clearly Kuoni: Zubin Karkaria

Generating a turnover of CHF3.3 billion and employing more than 8,000 people in 2015, Kuoni Group leads as a service provider to the global travel industry and government operations worldwide. The company has 3 main branches of focus: Global Travel Distribution (GTD), Global Travel Services (GTS), and VFS Global. While GTD provides travel agencies, online portals and tour operators with easy access to accommodation services, GTS sources and coordinates destination services such as transport, overnight stays and tours, mainly for group travellers from Asian source markets. Perhaps most notable, however, is VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions, which all started fifteen years ago from a simple idea and the drive to make it work by now-CEO Zubin Karkaria.

The importance of self-belief

Zubin’s longstanding career with Kuoni dates back to 1996 when Kuoni took over the Indian tour operator SOTC, where Zubin had been since 1991. Since then he has occupied several managerial roles in the company and won various accolades recognising his leadership and entrepreneurial skills. He believes that success is the result of self-motivation, enthusiasm, and a winning mindset; all of the qualities he encourages in his employees. As he proclaims, "When I hire people, I look for people with passion, integrity and that ‘can-do’ attitude. Everything else I feel I can teach or buy."

Zubin believes a successful employee is one who is not only innovative, but also driven to make their ideas a reality. Considering the immense success of VFS Global due to his own passion and dedication, it is evident that this is a winning formula. "The people who make the idea also have to implement the idea, and it should be completely owner-driven," he says. "That means that they want to take their idea to the next step, just like how we took VFS Global to the next step. VFS Global was my idea, and I did everything possible in the first 5 years to make it happen, although not many people had faith in it. You need people who believe in the idea, are passionate about it, and don’t just give up. You need to keep on trying and changing until you make it happen."

When I hire people I look for people with passion, integrity and that ‘can-do’ attitude. Everything else I feel I can teach or buy.

‘Focused not only on quality, but IT and physical security as well’

Although many doubted the idea from the beginning, VFS Global has today become a clear market leader, serving 51 client governments in 126 countries, and attracting 22 million applicants a year to over 2,000 visa application centres. By contrast, the closest competitor only attracts about 4 million applicants a year. In terms of leading the businesses to success, Kuoni Group certainly made the right choice by appointing Zubin as CEO last year. "I know this business," he says. "I have been with the company for twenty years now. I am emotionally attached to it — I know what is required and I know the people." The ambitious, motivated mindset Zubin promotes is also reflected in the accomplishments of Kuoni Group as a whole.

While VFS Global is at number one today with approximately 50% market share, GTD and GTS are among the top 3 in their individual environments. As Zubin explains, "We are environmentally ISO certified, process ISO certified and info security ISO certified. With these certifications, we are far ahead of most of our peers in terms of what we do, because we are the only company that has a quality team of about thirty people just working on process excellence. In addition, unlike other companies, we have focused not only on quality, but IT and physical security as well."

One of the business approaches Zubin stresses is the division and focus of each of the 3 branches of the company as separate entities with their own needs. As he asserts, "All of the processes are completely different within each business unit, and therefore there has to be a clear focus and a clear strategy within each. The heads of each of these key business units take complete responsibility and ownership for their decisions and the outcome." Looking to the future, Zubin feels that the business will be successful if his employees focus on one basic way of operation. "People should follow the structure and structure should follow the strategy," he says. "Our strategy is very clear — we want to develop each of these 3 businesses into clear market leaders."