Sehrish Mustafa-Interviewer:
As Pathfinder Group expands beyond its established leadership in the security sector and ventures into the dynamic world of apparel, it brings on board seasoned industry expertise to shape this new direction. At the forefront of this initiative is Adnan Ahmed, recently appointed as CEO to design and launch the Group’s clothing brand. He has decades of experience in textile manufacturing, branding, and global supply chains.
Mr Ahmed, to begin with, could you please share an overview of your educational background and professional journey, particularly your experience in the textile and apparel industry?
Adnan Ahmed
I have spent around 27 years in the textile industry of Pakistan. I have done an MBA with specialization in Industrial Management from Punjab University, and I entered this field in 1999.
Over the years, I have worked across all segments of the industry, including knitwear, denim, and workwear, and eventually moved into branding. I have had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s leading brands such as Nike, Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Chaps, Dockers, H&M, and Zara.
Through this exposure, I have gained a deep understanding of how these companies operate and how they comply with international quality standards.
I was also fortunate to work at the Sri Lankan manufacturing facility Hydramani in Colombo, where I learned how to control rejection rates and avoid line losses while maintaining the production of quality goods.
My core expertise lies in operations and supply chain management, which I have handled very effectively in esteemed companies of Pakistan, including Angora Textile, US Apparel, Outfitters, and Ethnic.
Additionally, I have around 10 years of experience working as Director Sales in a sourcing company, primarily catering to European customers for denim jeans.
Sehrish Mustafa
What gap in the market are you aiming to address?
Adnan Ahmed
There is a noticeable gap in Pakistan’s apparel market for high-quality, purpose-oriented clothing that balances durability, comfort, and style.
Many brands focus either on fashion or utility; we intend to bridge that gap by offering products that perform well in real-life environments while maintaining a strong visual appeal.
Sehrish Mustafa
What is the core philosophy that defines your brand?
Adnan Ahmed
Our brand philosophy is rooted in clarity of purpose and depth of understanding. In a highly competitive and saturated market, we believe success is not about competing with everyone; it is about identifying our space and earning it through insight and authenticity.
At the heart of our approach is a strong emphasis on understanding what attracts consumers, what they connect with, and, equally important, why certain products fail to capture their attention. This learning becomes our compass. We focus on strategic market penetration, driven by thoughtful digital engagement, compelling visual storytelling, and meaningful interaction through social media platforms.
Every campaign, every design, and every message is guided by a clear focal point: to create relevance and build a genuine connection with our audience. Ultimately, our philosophy is simple yet powerful to grow by understanding before acting, and to lead by connecting rather than competing.
Sehrish Mustafa
How do you plan to position your brand in a highly competitive and saturated market?
Adnan Ahmed:
Positioning a ladies’ online brand in a saturated market is not about trying to beat everyone. Our approach to entering a saturated market is structured, data-driven, and execution-focused. We are not aiming to compete broadly; we plan to penetrate strategically.
First, we begin with deep market analysis to identify gaps in customer expectations, pricing segments, and design preferences. This allows us to clearly define our niche rather than getting lost in the crowd.
Second, we will launch with a strong digital-first strategy, leveraging targeted social media campaigns, influencer collaborations, and high-quality visual content, including professional photoshoots, to create immediate brand recall and engagement.
Third, we focus on customer-centric product development. By understanding why many brands fail to attract sustained interest, we refine our designs, quality, and pricing to directly address those gaps. Finally, we adopt an agile growth model, continuously learning from customer feedback, analyzing performance metrics, and adapting quickly to market trends.
Sehrish Mustafa
What will be your core focus? Eastern wear, Western wear, or a fusion of both?
Adnan Ahmed
Our strategy is to develop a dual-segment product portfolio, combining both Eastern and Western wear, guided by data-driven market insights and regional demand dynamics.
For the Pakistan market, our focus will be on affordable, mid-range Eastern and smart casual wear, designed to meet the needs of a broad consumer base seeking quality, comfort, and contemporary styling at accessible price points.
In parallel, we are developing a premium Eastern wear line targeted at the Bangladesh market. Bangladesh has a strong appreciation for Pakistani Eastern aesthetics, particularly in fabric quality, cuts, and design sensibility, as we have common cultural and socioeconomic preferences.
This creates a natural opportunity for positioning high-end, design-led collections in that market. We are not just choosing between Eastern and Western wear; we are building a market-responsive, regionally optimized apparel strategy that maximizes both reach and value.
Sehrish Mustafa
How are you approaching product development and ensuring quality from the outset?
Adnan Ahmed
Our approach to product development is structured, data-driven, and quality-centric. We begin with in-depth market research to understand consumer preferences, sizing standards, fabric performance, and price sensitivity across our target segments.
From there, we follow a design-to-delivery pipeline that includes: Concept validation and sampling, Fabric sourcing aligned with product positioning, strict quality control protocols, including pre-production and post-production inspections, and ensuring reliable manufacturing standards by selecting vendors based on capability and consistency.
Additionally, we will implement feedback loops from early customers and pilot launches, allowing us to refine products quickly and maintain relevance. Our priority is to build trust through consistency, ensuring that every product delivered reflects the brand’s commitment to quality, fit, and finish.
Sehrish Mustafa
What role will sustainability and ethical sourcing play in your brand strategy?
Adnan Ahmed
Sustainability is a key part of our long-term vision, but we are approaching it in a phased and practical manner.
At the initial stage, our focus is on establishing strong market presence and operational stability, as sustainable materials often involve higher costs and minimum order quantity constraints, which can be challenging for early-stage scaling.
However, we remain firmly committed to responsible sourcing and ethical production practices from the outset. This includes working with compliant vendors, minimizing waste in production processes, and ensuring fair and transparent operations within our supply chain.
As we gain market traction and scale, we plan to introduce a dedicated sustainable product line that incorporates eco-friendly materials and processes. This will allow us to offer value-added products, particularly in premium and international markets where there is a growing demand for sustainability. Our focus is to balance commercial viability with responsibility, laying a strong foundation now, while progressively integrating sustainable innovation as we grow.
Sehrish Mustafa
How do you plan to differentiate your brand in terms of design, pricing, or customer experience?
Adnan Ahmed
We will focus on trendy designs, unique cut lines, personalized services for our valued customers, with affordable prices. Additionally, we will try to add a story behind each brand’s product. Our main aim is to target middle-range customers and attract them with the best price. Actually, due to the poor economic situation, people are having a hard time living and find it tough to buy quality goods at an affordable price range.
So, we are trying to offer them quality goods at a reasonable price range so they stay connected with such fashion campaigns.
Sehrish Mustafa
What is your go-to-market strategy?
Adnan Ahmed
Currently, we are focusing on the e-commerce business model. As you know, Pakistan has significant potential for online business. Currently, only about 3 to 4 percent of people are shopping online.
In comparison, India has around 8 to 10 percent, while the USA and Europe have rates of about 25 to 30 percent.
This indicates a substantial opportunity in our market. Additionally, e-commerce helps to minimize unnecessary expenses related to manufacturing and maintaining retail shops.
Sehrish Mustafa
What role does innovation play in your brand philosophy?
Adnan Ahmed
Innovation is central to our strategy. From fabric selection and design processes to supply chain optimization, we are exploring ways to integrate modern techniques, including sustainable materials and smart production practices. The aim is to deliver products that are not only stylish but also efficient and future-ready.
Sehrish Mustafa
How will you build and manage your supply chain and production capabilities?
Adnan Ahmed
Since I have core strength in Operations and Supply Chain, we will prioritize selecting reliable suppliers for fabric and materials. Additionally, we will partner with trustworthy production houses to ensure high-quality products, supported by deploying our quality auditor to maintain standards.
Sehrish Mustafa
What challenges do you anticipate in the initial phase, and how do you plan to tackle them?
Adnan Ahmed:
As this represents a new segment for Pathfinder Group, which excels in the security business, we are exploring and diversifying into new ventures. Like any new venture, challenges include market positioning, maintaining consistent quality, and building brand recognition. However, with Pathfinder Group’s institutional strength and a clear strategic direction, we see these challenges as opportunities to innovate and differentiate. Insha Allah, we will soon manage to cope with these issues and bring quality resources on board for further action. We are leveraging our personal connections in the industry to make an impact.
Sehrish Mustafa
What are you planning for the brand launch?
Adnan Ahmed:
Since this is a completely new project, and no infrastructure is currently available, our first target is to assemble a strong professional team and ensure they are on board to create an effective execution system. After a couple of seasons and with feedback in hand, we will be better positioned to anticipate any timeline. In the coming months, we will unveil our initial product lines and engage with key stakeholders. Our focus will be on building a solid foundation, ensuring that every product reflects the values we stand for before we scale further.
