Featured Alumni - Abhijeet Ray, Executive VP, Lowe Bangkok
Abhijeet belongs to the 1982-84 batch, who since leaving the institute has worked across 11 companies, 7 markets and hundreds of Brands. His career has centered mainly around Advertising and Marketing Communications. Currently he serves as Executive Vice President of Lowe Bangkok – overseeing Strategic Planning across SE Asian markets. He is also currently pursuing his Doctorate in Business Administration from Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok. Q. What are your memories of IMT? What was IMT like in your time?
I happen to have very fond and vivid memories of IMT – a place which has a special place in my heart. It was the place where I experienced a transition which was more than academic in nature. I grew up not just in wisdom, but also as a person. It may not be wrong to say that it was a passage of rites for many of us, as we transitioned from being boys to men.
The PGDBM degree was a means to shift from a sheltered, academic and naïve mindset to a goal-driven, vocation-trained, professional and practical outlook. The summer training at Nestle was a real eye-opener to the real world. The managers I worked with at Nestle – went on to become legends in their lifetime (Ajay Banga, Pradeep Pant etc). Back at the ‘insti’ the set of lecturers and professors unleashed upon us were as keen to leave a mark on us, as we did – on them!
But above all, I made great friendships – which have stood the test of time and geography and many of those relationships are still strong. Among the ones I am in touch with are Naini (Naininder Singh) - easily the most dashing sardar in the world), Deepak Babel (the wannabe poet philosopher who also enjoyed topping the class), Guddu (Rakesh Suri ) – the sleepy head with the best knowledge of Finance, and the first among us to make a million!), Booj (Sharat Goel) – the debonair home grown businessman), Karwal (Rajeev Karwal) – the righteous guy, who arguably is the most distinguished IMT alumni today), and Krishh (Krishna) – who saw the world through a lens of cynicism and more importantly – the guy who got the gal in the end and fled to pardes. The gal in question – Anila, a charming batch mate, who patiently tolerated a class over-populated with males!) Bless them all!
What was IMT like in my time? Well, the year was 1982. We were the third batch, and let put it this way – IMT was not quite amongst the top 10 institutes of the nation! But hell, that was not going to stop us from not trying to study and have fun. We all plunged into our coursework and made the most of our placements and whatever opportunities came our way. Our Director - Prof CB Gupta was hugely responsible to connect us with the business world. Despite all the limitations, I re-collect that we all landed naukris ranging from the good, bad and ugly. The important thing is that we all found jobs.
On a more lighter note, the ‘Choongi’ paranthas were far better than the lousy meal at the hostel, there was no girls hostel (well, we just had two ladies in our batch!), the toilets stank, the mosquitoes were bloody murderous, no decent movie halls for miles, the library was under-equipped…but it was home! We learnt to adapt…afterall we had to spend two years of our lives there!
Q. Please tell us about your journey after IMT
Many would describe my wondrous long journey covering many diverse lands and cultures as one of a ‘rolling stone’. I would rather describe it as living a life inside ‘Discovery Channel’! It all started with a stint in Mumbai when I joined Diners Club International. After 2 years of marketing debit cards and business centers, I managed to take a 6 month sabbatical to go on a AIESEC training programme in Canada. When I returned, I joined the largest Ad-Agency - JWT as a Media Planner and worked in both Delhi and Mumbai. I had the opportunity to work on several exciting brands both legendry and new - Hero Honda, Maggie Noodles and Sauces, Clinic Clear, Sunsilk, Horlicks, Boost and Halls. Next, I moved with another AIESEC traineeship to Hong Kong, working with Exxon in their Advertising Department. I landed a full-time job there eventually and basically never went back to India!
Joining Leo Burnett, I worked as a Media Manager on big international brands such as Cathay Pacific, Regent Hotels, Standard Chartered and the mother of all brands – Marlboro. It was also my first and only taste of working on a P&G brand – Rejoice.
Hong Kong in the early 90s was perhaps the best place to be from a career point of view (well, except perhaps New York). Soon I got head hunted by Bates Worldwide and I had the amazing opportunity to work as a Media Director on several fantastic brands such as Heineken and Mandarin Oriental. Thanks to a lot of hard work (18 hour days and a lot of good bosses) I crowned my achievements at Bates by landing the mother of all media jobs in Hong Kong - Global Media Director on HSBC and then later in Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines.
My mid-90s the media departments were moving out of the Creative Agencies and setting up their own shops. I decided it was time for a change and decided to join the Television industry, heading up a new start-up venture: ASTRO – a satellite DTH network in Malaysia, as part of the founder-member team and Head of Advertising Sales. After my contract finished, I joined a Communications Consultancy Cell called ‘The Hub’ – part of BBDO group for a short stint in Hong Kong.
By the end of 90s, I had spent a decade outside India, and longed to get back and try and plug back in. So with my wife of 8 years Joyeeta and a 6 year old daughter – Ashmita I headed back to my home town – Delhi and re-joined Advertising trade and worked with McCann Erickson, focusing on Nestle and Reckitt Benkizer (then Reckitt and Coleman).
But the lure of South East Asia was too strong, and I headed back to the shores of the tropical paradise – Thailand, this time I switched vocations and switched over to Strategic Planning, joining Ogilvy and Mather. Here I got to work on Unilever brands like Dove and Comfort, apart from yet another encounter with Nestle on MILO. From Bangkok, I moved to Ogivly Jakarta for about couple of years.
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Finally, this long journey finally found me back in Bangkok with Lowe Worlwide (formerly known as Lintas)since early 2006. I work as Executive Vice President for the group, overseeing most of the Strategic Planning for S.E Asia, based out of Bangkok. The latest turn of events in this journey: In 2007, I have enrolled for a Doctorate of Business Administration at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) here in Bangkok. I hope to complete it over the course of next 3 years, studying over weekends (the program is designed for working executives).
Q. When did you last visit the campus ?
I believe I last visited the campus in 2005. I was fortunate enough to be able to address the students too, sharing some of my experiences.
Q. Any teacher in particular you remember? Why?
The Director Dr. C.B. Gupta of course. He taught a few Finance subjects. He had such a terrific personality. Also because he let me off with just a warning, when I was reported to him for arranging some mild form of ‘welcome’ rituals for our juniors – the incoming ‘freshers’!
I also remember our Organization Behaviour Lecturer – Subodh. Partly because he could relate to our dreams and desires, and partly because he was such a chilled out, ‘bindaas’ guy! He secretly encouraged me to launch the underground magazine ‘Breeze’ which carried nothing but malicious gossip and light entertainment to take our minds off from the heavy academic coursework! I still remember the cover of the inaugural issue of ‘Breeze’ – which captured an under-dressed Naini doing his thing with metal rods in the corridors in the dread of night. Sounds mysterious? Well, lets keep it that way!
Q. Any message for your batchmates?
“Guys… I have been waiting to host you here in Bangkok for such a long time. Ek trip arrange karo and head up to the Land of smiles..I promise that you will return to India with a permanent smile on your face! Just ask Sharat… he was the only lone ranger who paid me a visit”
Also- “Please support IMT in every which you possibly can, as part of your success is due to our alma mater”
Q. And your message to our alumni worldwide is….
“Ladies and Gentlemen… wherever you are: lets work to arrange a major conference – where our international alumni get together for some serious discourses during the day, and hard-partying during the night. Something on the lines of the India Toda Conclave, but more fun. What say? I suggest that we hold the first one in the city of Bangkok”
Q. Please tell us about your family
It would be a pleasure. My wife Joyeeta is a freelance writer and author. She is equally at home – writing ads for ad agencies as well as writing books for kids (she has published two books for kids through Rupa Publicaitons in India). She was also a regular newspaper columnist for Jakarta Post.
We have two daughter – Ashmita (made in Hong Kong, born in India) who is 12 and Aneeka (made and born in Bangkok).
Q. Looking back, what are your thoughts?
I think as Management professionals, we need to take a break from running firms and businesses and give something back to society, and ideally to education. I know most of us barely have time to breathe, and are busy chasing our personal dreams, and many of us oldies – are also busy raising kids and trying to secure a future for them.
My wish is that the Alumni can somehow act as a conduit for us to give something back to IMT – whether it be in terms of good case-studies, arranging good speakers for conferences, writing articles in the institute’s journals, hiring graduating students even installing scholarships. If we don’t do it, who will ? IMT is already doing well, thanks to its own efforts and the tireless efforts of its staff and students. However, as Alumni, we owe it to the institute to give something back. Lets do it guys!
Thank you very much!
