By Sheldon Baker08.30.22
Shaheen Majeed is regarded as a successful business leader in the thriving global market for nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, flavors, fragrances, and fine chemicals in markets including the U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada, China, and Japan. He is CEO and also sits on the board of directors of BGG (Beijing Gingko Group), a company specializing in fruit extracts, marine botanicals, natural vitamins, herbal extracts, natural sweeteners, and flavor enhancers; he is also on the board for HB Natural Ingredients, a significant stevia raw material supplier. Majeed earned a BA in Economics from Rutgers University, New Jersey, and an MBA in Business Management from Keller Management School, California.
Previously, Majeed was instrumental for 25 years in building the business of supplement ingredient producer Sabinsa to become a global leader in several product categories. Majeed held a variety of positions with Sabinsa including sales, supply chain, and global marketing, culminating in the position of worldwide president for the last four years.
The industry has recognized his abilities numerous times, including Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine naming him one of 40 under 40 notable members of the industry in 2009, and the same year being elected to the Board of Directors of the American Herbal Products Association. He is also a lifetime member of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO). At the age of 43 now, he looks to spend his time educating members of the natural products industry with insights into global supply chain issues. He is a frequent guest speaker on quality, sustainability, and transparency at various international trade shows and conferences. He continues to author numerous articles published in multiple health and wellness trade magazines.
Health E-Insights (HEI): Now that you have settled in, what excites you most about your position at BGG?
Majeed: In this new position of mine, there is much more to it than what I was used to doing, which was sales and marketing. These days, I am more involved financially, setting up budgets, looking for expansion areas, heavily involved in today’s supply chain issues, price and contract negotiations, as well as operational strategies. I still love going back to my roots and meeting with customers and exploring the various marketing angles on the ingredients I’m selling. I picked up a few skill sets in the last few years to help with product development and create intellectual properties. Having conversations with customers is pretty exciting, as we can almost certainly find a new formula or a new way to present the ingredients we have for consumers, for use in all aspects of their life.
HEI: What were the greatest challenges to starting a new position at a new company?
Majeed: Letting go. Whatever fears, worries, or thoughts I conjured up in my head, all the things that held me back, finally gave me the strength to push forward. The basis for my foundation is being attentive and building relationships with people, so in this new position, that is what I remain focused on. There are of course biases and preconceived notions from my past experiences, but I look to learn from them rather than use them to judge what I am currently tasked to do. That is an everyday challenge sometimes!
There are other challenges, of course, such as learning a whole new set of ingredients, but I find the origin stories of some of the ingredients here incredible and I see real potential in them.
HEI: Can you define differences, if any, between being part of a Chinese-oriented company vs. India-based?
Majeed: I am still fairly new to the Chinese-oriented company side but let me start with the similarities I have observed in this short period of time. For example, both have hard-working people, both believe in hierarchy, and the people in both groups function well in a structured company. Aside from the geographical border that India and China share, there are religious tendencies that have influenced each country. Buddhism, which is followed by many Chinese citizens, actually had its beginnings in India. Interestingly, the same can be said about Taoism, which came from China to India. Further similarities exist, such as technological advancements, science, arts, philosophy, having a family-oriented environment, and the list can go on.
There is a real driven need and passion for efficiency from and within China, that is not felt everywhere in India. China’s well-thought-out network of trains, to their cities that are built in record time, showcase their efficiency. A great majority of the population of India speak English, thanks to the British; the same cannot be said of China. This was an advantage Indian software tech companies had to lure the bigger tech companies from the U.S. to invest in India. Another is clocking in and clocking out. For much of China it is task-based, so until that task is done for that day, you would clock out accordingly. Whereas India is much more westernized in this regard, and work timings are fixed, not in all instances, but for the most part.
HEI: How do you define BGG's corporate culture?
Majeed: I have enjoyed the transparency, the urge to get things done, attentiveness in listening to others, and pushing for a real positive work-life balance. That last one is something I only heard about; I did not think something like that could exist, but it certainly does here. Yet, at the same time, I do find all the staff giving their best, regardless of what time it is, anywhere in the world.
HEI: Have you had a chance to visit China and learn the inner workings of BGG?
Majeed: I have not had the chance to visit BGG in China, yet. It is something that was discussed early on, and I do look forward to visiting their offices, facilities, and farms once things are safer. In the meantime, this has not stopped any of us here in the U.S. from getting in front of the webcam and speaking directly, and as a team, on various projects, opportunities, issues, resolutions to those issues, and the possibilities of what tomorrow can bring with the greater team in China.
I am really looking forward to seeing where our microalgae farm is (where our branded astaxanthin comes from), as this location is very near to the Shilin (Stone Forest) Geopark, which is a UNESCO site. Our farm is situated in an agricultural zone, where industrial activities are not allowed, hence protecting the local environment and furthermore the UNESCO site.
HEI: Would you describe yourself as fearless?
Majeed: I find moms, entrepreneurs, and soldiers fearless. I am none of those. I harness fear the best way I can, and I do all right. I was told I am brave and courageous for my recent actions. I will take that. I had a lot of industry support, more than I realized I would ever have, and it certainly gave me wings to fly.
HEI: If you had the power to change one element of the supplement industry, what would it be?
Majeed: Let me address a concern I have had for a long time, but it’s on the food side, which in many ways our supplement industry is also governed by. The example of food additives that are used in the U.S. but banned in Europe, fascinates and disappoints me at the same time. The U.S., is content with hazards occurring given a probability, or the likelihood it may happen when certain food additives are consumed. Whereas, in Europe and other countries, any hazard from a food additive that can occur or is possible, is forthrightly removed. This may seem like more regulation, but considering the negative effects of those food additives, especially when long-term consumption across a plethora of products occurs daily, it is not a probability but an absolute possibility that harm can happen. If the science is universal on their lack of safety, we should not live in two worlds.
HEI: What do you value most in your day-to-day life?
Majeed: Time. Time to learn. Time to love. Time to unwind. Time to move on. All these seem like easy things to do if you can just find the time.
About the Author: Sheldon Baker is CEO of Baker Dillon Group LLC and has created numerous nutraceutical brand marketing communications and public relations campaigns for well-known supplement and food industry companies. For Health E-Insights interview consideration or brand marketing consulting, contact him at SBaker@BakerDillon.com.
Previously, Majeed was instrumental for 25 years in building the business of supplement ingredient producer Sabinsa to become a global leader in several product categories. Majeed held a variety of positions with Sabinsa including sales, supply chain, and global marketing, culminating in the position of worldwide president for the last four years.
The industry has recognized his abilities numerous times, including Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine naming him one of 40 under 40 notable members of the industry in 2009, and the same year being elected to the Board of Directors of the American Herbal Products Association. He is also a lifetime member of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO). At the age of 43 now, he looks to spend his time educating members of the natural products industry with insights into global supply chain issues. He is a frequent guest speaker on quality, sustainability, and transparency at various international trade shows and conferences. He continues to author numerous articles published in multiple health and wellness trade magazines.
Health E-Insights (HEI): Now that you have settled in, what excites you most about your position at BGG?
Majeed: In this new position of mine, there is much more to it than what I was used to doing, which was sales and marketing. These days, I am more involved financially, setting up budgets, looking for expansion areas, heavily involved in today’s supply chain issues, price and contract negotiations, as well as operational strategies. I still love going back to my roots and meeting with customers and exploring the various marketing angles on the ingredients I’m selling. I picked up a few skill sets in the last few years to help with product development and create intellectual properties. Having conversations with customers is pretty exciting, as we can almost certainly find a new formula or a new way to present the ingredients we have for consumers, for use in all aspects of their life.
HEI: What were the greatest challenges to starting a new position at a new company?
Majeed: Letting go. Whatever fears, worries, or thoughts I conjured up in my head, all the things that held me back, finally gave me the strength to push forward. The basis for my foundation is being attentive and building relationships with people, so in this new position, that is what I remain focused on. There are of course biases and preconceived notions from my past experiences, but I look to learn from them rather than use them to judge what I am currently tasked to do. That is an everyday challenge sometimes!
There are other challenges, of course, such as learning a whole new set of ingredients, but I find the origin stories of some of the ingredients here incredible and I see real potential in them.
HEI: Can you define differences, if any, between being part of a Chinese-oriented company vs. India-based?
Majeed: I am still fairly new to the Chinese-oriented company side but let me start with the similarities I have observed in this short period of time. For example, both have hard-working people, both believe in hierarchy, and the people in both groups function well in a structured company. Aside from the geographical border that India and China share, there are religious tendencies that have influenced each country. Buddhism, which is followed by many Chinese citizens, actually had its beginnings in India. Interestingly, the same can be said about Taoism, which came from China to India. Further similarities exist, such as technological advancements, science, arts, philosophy, having a family-oriented environment, and the list can go on.
There is a real driven need and passion for efficiency from and within China, that is not felt everywhere in India. China’s well-thought-out network of trains, to their cities that are built in record time, showcase their efficiency. A great majority of the population of India speak English, thanks to the British; the same cannot be said of China. This was an advantage Indian software tech companies had to lure the bigger tech companies from the U.S. to invest in India. Another is clocking in and clocking out. For much of China it is task-based, so until that task is done for that day, you would clock out accordingly. Whereas India is much more westernized in this regard, and work timings are fixed, not in all instances, but for the most part.
HEI: How do you define BGG's corporate culture?
Majeed: I have enjoyed the transparency, the urge to get things done, attentiveness in listening to others, and pushing for a real positive work-life balance. That last one is something I only heard about; I did not think something like that could exist, but it certainly does here. Yet, at the same time, I do find all the staff giving their best, regardless of what time it is, anywhere in the world.
HEI: Have you had a chance to visit China and learn the inner workings of BGG?
Majeed: I have not had the chance to visit BGG in China, yet. It is something that was discussed early on, and I do look forward to visiting their offices, facilities, and farms once things are safer. In the meantime, this has not stopped any of us here in the U.S. from getting in front of the webcam and speaking directly, and as a team, on various projects, opportunities, issues, resolutions to those issues, and the possibilities of what tomorrow can bring with the greater team in China.
I am really looking forward to seeing where our microalgae farm is (where our branded astaxanthin comes from), as this location is very near to the Shilin (Stone Forest) Geopark, which is a UNESCO site. Our farm is situated in an agricultural zone, where industrial activities are not allowed, hence protecting the local environment and furthermore the UNESCO site.
HEI: Would you describe yourself as fearless?
Majeed: I find moms, entrepreneurs, and soldiers fearless. I am none of those. I harness fear the best way I can, and I do all right. I was told I am brave and courageous for my recent actions. I will take that. I had a lot of industry support, more than I realized I would ever have, and it certainly gave me wings to fly.
HEI: If you had the power to change one element of the supplement industry, what would it be?
Majeed: Let me address a concern I have had for a long time, but it’s on the food side, which in many ways our supplement industry is also governed by. The example of food additives that are used in the U.S. but banned in Europe, fascinates and disappoints me at the same time. The U.S., is content with hazards occurring given a probability, or the likelihood it may happen when certain food additives are consumed. Whereas, in Europe and other countries, any hazard from a food additive that can occur or is possible, is forthrightly removed. This may seem like more regulation, but considering the negative effects of those food additives, especially when long-term consumption across a plethora of products occurs daily, it is not a probability but an absolute possibility that harm can happen. If the science is universal on their lack of safety, we should not live in two worlds.
HEI: What do you value most in your day-to-day life?
Majeed: Time. Time to learn. Time to love. Time to unwind. Time to move on. All these seem like easy things to do if you can just find the time.
About the Author: Sheldon Baker is CEO of Baker Dillon Group LLC and has created numerous nutraceutical brand marketing communications and public relations campaigns for well-known supplement and food industry companies. For Health E-Insights interview consideration or brand marketing consulting, contact him at SBaker@BakerDillon.com.
