Ran Wei Baker is the global director of DTC commercial and go-to-market strategy at AB InBev. She also founded Project: Presence to empower women to lead with confidence and communicate with purpose and intention in all areas of their lives. Baker is also moderating the panel “Getting Back on Track: Overcoming Setbacks, Career Pivots, and Adversity”, at our Women in Retail | On the Road event in New York Oct. 12!

We asked Baker, a Women in Retail Leadership Circle member, a series of questions about both her professional role and personal life, including the woman that inspires her, her leadership style, her advice for the next generation of female leaders, and much more.

  1. What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
    “How to Raise Successful People” by Esther Wojcicki. Esther is a former teacher and mother to Susan (former CEO of YouTube), Janet (a Fulbright-winning anthropologist and researcher), and Anne (co-founder of 23andMe). She shares her wisdom in how to be a supportive parent in this book, but there are many lessons throughout the book that I believe also apply to being an empathetic and trusting leader.
  2. What is a tip you have for productively leading a WFH or hybrid team?
    Put focus on effective communication throughout the team. Encourage everyone to be clear about what their boundaries are, and talk together about how team members can respect each others’ boundaries and support one another.
  3. What’s a mistake you made early on in your career?
    One mistake I made early in my career was thinking too linearly about my career, that the next level up in my current path was the best option. I have learned since then how valuable it can be to move across industries and types of roles early in a career.
  4. What’s the toughest part of being in charge?
    Picking and choosing wins and losses. Oftentimes we can’t make everyone happy, so it’s important to be thoughtful in the decision-making process by being open to different perspectives and weighing the impacts.
  5. What’s the best way you motivate team members?
    Practicing “shine theory”. It centers around being invested in others’ success and helping each other be our best selves. I love shining light on team members when they’re working on something cool, have gone out of their way to help others, or accomplish something so we can celebrate one another together, and lift one another up.
  6. What woman inspires you right now and why?
    Michelle Yeoh. I am constantly inspired by her grace, intelligence, and talent — it’s been great to follow along her successes over the years, and watch her pave the path forward for even more Asian American women to succeed in media and entertainment.
  7. What are you looking forward to the most for the industry over the next year?
    Today’s consumers value a strong community — it increases loyalty, creates opportunities to grow the business, and most importantly allows brands to connect with their consumers in new ways. I’m excited to see the creative ways that brands will build their communities in the next year. Also interested to see how the growth of AI will impact retail, especially in how it will be leveraged to better the consumer experience.
  8. What is one thing you look for when interviewing a potential candidate?
    Curiosity. Many skills are teachable, but curiosity is foundational in how someone thinks and approaches problem solving and strategy building. Also kindness; we sometimes spend even more time with our co-workers than our own families, so it’s important to work with people who value kindness.
  9. What’s something that you learned about yourself in the past year?
    I became a mother of two this past year, and it’s given me an elevated perspective on the kind of legacy I want to leave behind, in both my life and my career. I’ve learned that it’s challenging to try and “have it all” between work, life, self, etc. and am learning what my own version of a happy harmony is.
  10. What’s your favorite podcast?
    “How I Built This with Guy Raz” is a classic, and I’ve always loved learning about all the different entrepreneurial journeys and lessons
  11. What values are most important to you as a leader?
    Empathy, growth mindset, and kindness.
  12. What’s the most important thing people should know about you?
    I’m introverted and value one-on-one interactions.
  13. What practices or boundaries have you implemented in your personal life to create more work/life balance?
    1. Try to work out at least three times a week;
    2. Communicate my “on” and “off” hours, and ask those I work with to do the same so we can try and respect each others’ boundaries;
    3. Be present. Whether it’s at work or at home, I’m very intentional about trying to be present, in the moment, and practice active listening.
  14. How would you describe yourself in a single sentence?
    I am a people-centric teammate passionate about fostering the superpowers of those around me, daughter to immigrant parents, supportive partner, and proud parent.
  15. What’s your favorite app?
    Google Calendar. Don’t know what I would do without this app to help me organize my time.
  16. What do you do to recharge?
    Spending time outdoors, jamming out on the guitar, and dance parties with my little girls!
  17. What is your biggest accomplishment?
    Becoming a mother to my two daughters.
  18. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
    Be bold and be kind. You miss 100 percent of the opportunities you don’t go for, so go for it!
  19. What gets you up in the morning?
    The potential of making a positive impact, especially by creating a happy experience for our consumers and shoppers.
  20. What do you like most about being a member of Women in Retail?
    I am grateful to join WIR, and especially love being surrounded by passionate female leaders in the industry who are willing to share learnings with one another, and also learn from each other. Together, we lift one another up!

Interested in connecting with women like Baker? Apply today to become a Women in Retail Leadership Circle member!