João Paulo Ferreira has been Country Manager of Haier Europe, the world’s leading brand in household appliances, for 15 years. Speaking to Villas&Golfe, he highlights the ‘zero distance’ policy as one of the secrets to the brand’s success and, between his love of engines and his love of family, he tells us about the luxuries in his life.
HAIER remains the world leader in
household appliances. What do you think has been essential in holding on to
this position?
The sustainable business
model and partnerships might contribute a great deal, but the innovative
philosophy of entrepreneurship promoted by the group certainly makes all the
difference. The «zero distance» policy for consumers is also important, so that
they know that the products are tailor-made for them.
How would you rate the brand’s
activity in Portugal in the first half of 2024? Does the market continue to
live up to expectations?
The first half of 2024 has
progressed within expectations, despite the ongoing movement of the market,
which means that we are not able to extract the benefits we once did. However,
the HAIER brand is performing against the odds, and continues to grow in double
digits.
Portugal is a country that is home to
more and more millionaires and where the luxury sector has been growing. Do you
sense a change in the profile of your consumers and their demands?
We know that, despite what
you said being the case, the country is overwhelmingly made up of people with a
different type of consumer profile. Obviously, this niche segment has been
growing, and this is of great interest to us for the high-end product ranges we
sell, which is an area that is really on the rise. But we are experiencing a
specific context in the country and so we also try to have products for
another, unfortunately less affluent, consumer profile.
Technology is still an important part
of the development of your products. What new developments are there or in the
pipeline?
The large and small domestic
appliance market is completely different, with the implementation of a great
deal of technology connected and/or related to the Internet. The most exciting
news in the last quarter is the launch of HAIER TV. We are going to have a
comprehensive range of TVs across various technological platforms, OLED, Mini
LED, QLED, LED, and with screen sizes ranging from 32 inches to 100 inches.
Which HAIER products do you consider
to stand out? Which would you choose to be part of a luxury home?
This is always a difficult
choice to make, but our cooling range is truly exceptional. A Haier fridge
freezer looks good in any type of home. This year, at IFA [Internationale
Funkausstellung Berlin], we showcased a wine cooler with three temperatures, a
sommelier area and a built-in humidor, which will meet the demands of a more
sophisticated product for more discerning customers who won’t settle for less.
What new goals does HAIER want to
achieve and what are the challenges in achieving them?
HAIER is the youngest brand
in our market and our ambition is very high. Obviously, in the short term we
want to make it onto the podium and then fight for the top spot. The new
business areas will obviously provide interesting support in this regard.
What does João Paulo Ferreira do in
his spare time?
It hasn’t been easy to have ‘free
time’, but being a big fan of engines, whenever I can I like to put my go-karts
and motorbikes to good use. But at the moment, my granddaughter has been taking
up a lot of my time, and thank goodness. More and more I’m trying to make the
most of family time and travelling a little whenever possible.
This issue is dedicated to luxury
homes and cars. Are you also passionate about cars?
Yes, of course, anything
with an engine. Luxury cars are a childhood dream and I’ve always had the
ambition of buying a classic Mercedes. I fell in love with an SL when I was
very young. I want to find one of these cars and restore it. It’s a project for
my retirement.
What are your views on life and
yourself, having seen your family expand and new generations growing up? Do you
recognise things? Have you changed course?
The last 35 years of work
have proved very difficult, they’ve taken time away from my family, which I’m
now striving to recover. Enjoying time with my children and grandchildren is an
ongoing project. In the end, I’m taking a positive view of the situation and I’m
constantly adjusting my course in favour of family projects.
For you, what are life’s true luxuries?
Without wishing to be a
cliché - but unavoidably so -, being able to enjoy time with family and friends
has been an unattainable luxury for me. Today I am better able to appreciate
what I missed out on for many, many years. I hardly saw my children grow up, so
I hope I’ll have time to see their children this time round.
