How do you transform a company from turning a profit of $2 million to one with a quarterly revenue of $146 million, just two years later? For La Trobe alumni Radek Sali and former boss of Swisse vitamins company, it all comes down to knowing your customers.

“The basis of business is always to understand what is happening with your customers and if you’re seeing any kind of aberration, whether it being positive or even negative, it’s really important to delve in and to ask questions as to why and what’s happening,” Sali told the Australian Financial Review.

Sali seized an opportunity to focus on the Chinese market – negotiating near bankruptcy and a series of Swisse scandals – to take the company to a $1.67 billion sale. He’s now number 191 on the Australian Financial Review’s 2017 Rich List, with an estimated wealth of $372 million.

In this video, he talks about how Swisse became a number one brand in China, and why making the most of his part-time job at uni helped accelerate his career.

Want to reach career heights like Radek? Find your clever at La Trobe.