Working into the hearts and minds of his clients and colleagues, ASUS’ Dmitry Lukin talks to us about his job, and life’s little pleasures.
We speak to the veteran of laptops of 6 years, ASUS’ very own Dmitry Lukin.
Q. What’s your name and job title?
My name is Dmitry Lukin and I’m the Director of the ASUS Notebook Product Centre. My dealers and colleagues call me by another name – “Preacher”.
Q. How long have you worked at ASUS?
Come this 13th of August I would’ve worked at ASUS for 6 years.
Q. How did you make your start with ASUS and what, if any, other jobs have you had within the company?
I started in ASUS as a sales representative, and worked my way through the ranks. I now occupy a position just under ACRU’s (ASUS Russia) Director. My personal motto is “Everything is possible if you have a proper goal”. Prior to working for ASUS, I was working for an ASUS dealer, also as a salesperson. By the time I left that company, I was already a General Director, but the challenges and opportunities that lay in wait for me at ASUS were too good to pass up.
Q. What is your (or your department’s) current role within the company?
Like I mentioned earlier, I’m a “preacher”. I sell the ASUS brand and its products. I talk to my distributors, dealers and customers about the brand and products. Most importantly, I also voice my concerns and provide constructive feedback pertaining to the development of products, as well as product and brand promotion.
Q. If your department had a motto, what would it be?
It might come as a surprise, but it’s a Chinese proverb. It loosely translates into “The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water, but to walk on the earth”. While it is perfectly fine having big aspirations, it is important for one to stay rooted in reality. Only by returning to the fundamentals will your dreams have a solid foundation to take flight from. This is something that I mention to my partners in presentations.
Q. Which two other departments are you involved with most, and in what way?
I am mostly involved with the marketing and sales teams here in Russia. At the regional and worldwide level, I work closely with both the laptop product managers and marketing teams.
Q. What part of your job do you find the most satisfying?
That would definitely be the engagement and interaction I have with partners and customers.Although the ACRU team is responsible for Russia, CIA and Baltic countries, many of our initiatives have received positive feedback from Europe at large. Sometimes our influence extends to the rest of the world as well. For example, I once had the opportunity to share my thoughts on how to sell and talk to customers with a team of international students from an American college. I also gave them insights into the ASUS brand and our comprehensive portfolio of products.
Q. What part of your job do you find the most challenging?
Building relationships with everyone – distributors, dealers, customers, media and vendors, both locally and globally. That is the proper way to scale up our business to global proportions.
Q. What accomplishment are you most proud of in your time at ASUS?
Satisfaction in doing what I do, as well as respect from my colleagues, partners and vendors. That is the best accomplishment for me. I am proud of the fact that my efforts and dedication have been recognised by top management who have expressed their appreciation for my contribution towards achieving ASUS’ global goals.
Q. What changes have you seen in your time at ASUS?
Time is changing everything… ASUS isn’t an exception. We are growing in sophistication. From a marketing standpoint, I’ve withnessed our evolution from focussing on 4P’s to 5P’s, and then 6P’s. We may soon see a shift to 7 or more P’s.
Q. What inspires you?
Every meeting, I ask the sales staff questions such as, “Why do you go to the office/shop everyday”, “Why do you leave” and “What is the purpose of doing it”. If they can answer these questions, it goes to show that they are following proper global goals. I derive my inspiration from my primary goal, which is to be indispensable in the business chain, and to garner positive feedback from my partners and colleagues.
Q. How do you unwind after a hard week at work?
Good question! I spend 18 hours online every day(in the office) to keep myself informed about everything happening on the global IT scene. To unwind, I indulge in digital photography, fishing and motoring, but truth to be told, I have little time to devote to my hobbies these days.
Q. Where’s your favourite place to go to lunch, or to hang out after work?
Oftentimes, lunch is just a 5-minute drive away from the office, or something I brought from home. I spend my time after hours with my family, because I arrive at the office at 5:45am everyday, and leave at around 8pm.
Q. Are you a gadget fan? What one gadget could you not live without?
Definitely! I cannot live without my notebooks (PC and Mac platforms), mobile phones (Symbian, iPhone and Windows Mobile), my Nikon DSLR camera and complete set of lenses, and my Subaru Forester 2.5T, manual transmission with 270 horse-power, PPP, ‘Endless’ brakes and other valued modifications, and finally fast Internet access amongst other things.
Q. If you could invent a product and have it made by ASUS, what would it be, and why?
I dream about notebook products – how to position them, and segment them into proper product lines. As such, the product I would invent would be a laptop that is desired by people across the world. This, to me, is ASUS’ primary challenge.
