A remarkable ascent in the corporate ladder fills the professional social-media page of Lazada PH’s CEO Carlos Otermin Barrera. After scrolling past details about his ongoing seven-year tenure with the e-commerce giant, however, wherein he mostly spent only two years in a post before getting promoted, an interesting tidbit about him sits in the education section.
The native of Madrid, Spain, indicated that he completed the Bachelor in Business Administration Bilingual program from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in just three years, becoming the first student to finish a Bilingual program in less than the nominated timeframe.
The reason? Boredom.
“I found higher education too theoretical, and started getting bored after the first year,” Barrera said in an exclusive interview. “I was expecting university to be more practical, with different internships and business cases. I got involved in the student associations and business club, but I eventually decided to just take all the courses in three years, so I could start working earlier.”
The value of impacting lives
The fervor to immerse himself in the real world the soonest time possible stems from knowing what he wanted in life early on: to create meaningful impact.
The son of computer engineers, Barrera has always been exposed to technology. He also developed a liking for history, geography and finance, taking pleasure in learning about different countries, watching the news, and investing.
Barrera’s first foray into the stock market came when he was much younger, under the tutelage of his grandfather. It was then that he experienced the ins and outs of the market and learned about how businesses operate.
Following his expedited time in business school, Barrera immediately started working as a consultant at 20 years old. He entered the finance industry, partly because it was “the sexy thing to do back then,” Barrera said, laughing, at the sidelines of a recent Lazada event.
It was a five-year stint that he described as “very exciting” and “very interesting.” But then an opportunity arose and the appeal of working in technology proved strong. Of course, working in tech also presented a better chance of achieving his goal of delivering greater value to people’s lives.
While most spend multiple decades trying to make their mark in established industries, young, driven dreamers like Barrera do not have to wait in line in a relatively young sector like tech to create an impact. Tech remains malleable, much more in emerging markets like Southeast Asia with a nascent tech landscape.
Barrera onboarded Lazada in 2015 as VP, Head of Sales. When he joined the e-commerce platform’s Philippine division, he carried over his mission of making innovative solutions to work in the country, which they’re bringing from China and learning from Alibaba. After all, technology, as he always believed, is the “great equalizer.”
“This is especially true when we start seeing the value of what we do,” he said. “It’s not even just tech: It’s the pure e–commerce value of building hundreds of thousands of businesses, and seeing them growing.”
Staying ahead of the curve
Barrera makes clear that aside from constantly improving the customer experience, Lazada is also “in the business of building businesses.” The brand has made significant investments to develop the infrastructure to serve customers nationwide, and, at the same time, set up MSMEs for success by helping them go online and build their dream companies.
Today, November 13, marks the last day of Lazada’s three-day mega sale that kicked off on November 11, or 11.11, regarded as the biggest online shopping day in the world. For their part, Lazada PH has been preparing for the grand event since February, curating up to 90 percent off promos, “fast & free” shipping incentives, and more. The group is also looking to carry the momentum into the Holiday season.
“The way we think about 11.11 is not just about that day, but the event that leads to Christmas season in the Philippines,” he said. “That’s why 11.11 is so big in the Philippines, bigger than anywhere else, and we want to keep the excitement going until the Holiday season.”
There is no denying that Lazada has become a household brand in the country. Barrera said they are strengthening this position by fostering “loyalty and emotional attachment” among stakeholders. It’s also a feat that makes him reflect on his time and, to an extent, his impact, on the country.
“The Philippine e-commerce market has grown exponentially over the past seven years,” Barrera said. “When I first arrived in Manila, we had to face major roadblocks and most people thought we would fail. But the entire industry has developed end to end, from logistics to marketing and brand building.”
Much indeed has been achieved, but the road to innovation never ends for someone as passionate as Barrera. There is always something more to be done, something that can be improved. It’s the kind of mindset that befits an experienced top executive in a roaring industry.
But amid all these achievements, one must be reminded that Barrera is still 32 years old. Does being called “young” bother him at all?
“This is part of the nature of our industry; many of our leaders at Alibaba are also young, and some of the best tech founders and executives over the world started their companies in their early 20s,” he said. “I personally feel that connecting with the market, continuing to innovate, staying updated and following the latest trends are key for our company to stay ahead.”