Why foodpanda’s Director Of New Verticals Became Panda Walker For A Day

“I’m a professional mistake-maker,” foodpanda’s Afzan Lufti proudly declares.

We can tell you for sure that he was being serious. Afzan may be foodpanda Malaysia’s Director of New Verticals, but he wants us to know that he is far from perfect. And this is precisely the reason why he continues to improve.

“I make a lot of mistakes but I always fall forward,” he says. “I think it’s core for learning. Take chances, make mistakes, learn from them.”

New verticals mean new opportunities

In this episode of Quality Connections, Afzan shares one particular “mistake” he gladly made while working in foodpanda Malaysia. He also lets us in on why he thinks making that mistake was all worth it.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Fv5plvt1Z1EIG2Ghj2yVL?si=3TASJy9pTe6XD_LzkV5Cjw

As Director of New Verticals, Afzan sees innovation and adaptability as daily necessities, especially in the new normal. foodpanda, with its innovative food delivery service app, has been one of the leaders in the IT-enabled industry that has survived and flourished during the pandemic. The industry has been at the forefront in helping businesses and people function efficiently in the face of lockdown and distancing measures.

foodpanda, in particular, has done so by carving out new business opportunities during the pandemic, thanks largely to Afzan’s work. His job as Director of New Verticals is all about finding new markets and specific audiences that can be targeted strategically. It was fun hearing Afzan talk about the constant need for innovation in his job and what it really means to be adaptive in this current market. 

How jobseekers can innovate

Afzan also shares some valuable advice to jobseekers who are looking to shift to a different industry. He talks about having the right mindset and why they should also be willing to innovate to stay competitive. This is coming from someone who shifted from banking and finance to tech, so you definitely would want to hear what he has to say!

Listen to our full conversation with Afzan Lufti in our latest Quality Connections podcast episode. You can also search for jobs in foodpanda that may be perfect for your skills and career goals.

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