Betterwholesaling: What was your first job?
Sumit Verma: My first job was working in Tesco, in Coventry.
BW: What does your average day involve?
SV: An average day for me at Soho involves placing orders, negotiating with suppliers, planning deals, and helping the depot manager on day-to-day activity. I enjoy the variety that comes with the job, and I enjoy working in the wholesale industry.
BW: What is the best thing about working at Soho?
SV: There are many good things about working here, but one thing in particular that stands out is that at Soho, if you are hard-working, you can grow as an employee and move higher up the business, as hard work pays off and gets rewarded here, which is how it should be.
BW: How would your colleagues describe you?
SV: I would like to think that my colleagues appreciate my strengths when it comes to planning activity, and aligned with that, how I make notes on everything, and how I plan all the little things to improve outcomes for Soho and its employees.
BW: What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
SV: The best bit of advice given to me was in 2011 by Soho’s MD, Bally Bahra. He told me that if you have confidence, you have to show it. If you do that, you can deal with anyone without any hesitation. Taking this on board has helped me a lot in my position as a buyer to negotiate with major suppliers.
BW: Who do you most admire?
SV: I admire Soho’s MD, Bally, because at an early stage in my career, he showed a lot of confidence in my ability, which was great for me, and it gave me chances to grow. I also learned a lot from him.
BW: What do you like to get up to in your spare time?
SV: One main thing – I absolutely love cricket. I love to watch it, and I love to play it.
BW: Who would be your four ideal dinner party guests?
SV: It would have to be a dinner table filled with cricket stars, that would be an amazing conversation about the greatest sport! I would have Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, South Africa’s AB de Villiers, England’s Eoin Morgan, and the Australian cricket umpire, Simon Taufel.
BW: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
SV: I would love to have a superpower that I could put to use for the good of the world, so anything that would allow me to help people in need would be perfect.
BW: What is your favourite place?
SV: India. My parents are originally from there, and I always love to go there, it is such a special place.
