Please give us a short overview of your professional development up to now

Academic studies:

• Graduation (Bachelor’s degree) from Pune University – 1992
• Cost Accountancy, professional qualification from Institute of Cost & Works Accountants of India (ICWAI) – 1992
• Master’s degree in Management Science (MMS – equivalent to MBA course) from Pune University – 2000
• Management Accountancy, professional qualification from Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK (CIMA) - 2007

Career development:

• Costing officer in Finolex Industries Ltd. – April 1993 to February 1995
• Assistant Manager-Costing in Western Hatcheries Ltd. – February to October 1995.
• ELANTAS Beck India Ltd. – Costing officer – October 1995 to March 1998
• Executive Costing – April 1998 to March 2001
• Deputy Manager Accounts & Finance – April 2001 to March 2008
• Manager Accounts & Finance – April 2008 to December 2009
• Business Controller – January 2010 onwards

Management Development:

• Three week “Senior Management Development” program at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) in August 2002.
• First stage of DP Asia from July 2007 to January 2009.

How does a typical working day look like?

While driving to work, I make a mental list of “things to do” for the day. After arriving at my place, I update Outlook tasks with this list. I take stock of the overall situation, prioritizing and delegating some of the tasks to colleagues. I then start to carry out the remaining tasks.

In between, some (or all) of the following activities may take place. Some of the colleagues from Finance/Accounts may approach me for guidance in relation to their work. I try to offer an appropriate solution based on my understanding and experience. This may be given immediately or after some time, depending upon the activity being carried out by me at that moment. Similarly, a few colleagues from other functions may call and ask for my opinion/guidance. This may be in relation to a specific issue or an IT-related issue (EXCEL, PowerPoint, etc.). I try to solve this over the phone where possible. Finally, my senior (CFO, CEO, etc.) may call me in relation to a particular discussion (on a new project, etc.). I attend the discussion and offer my views based on my knowledge, experience, and perception.

Halfway through the day (after lunch), my colleague and I take a short walk. We discuss various work-related matters and identify pending items. After returning to my desk, I update the task list, using these discussions and events of the day. I reprioritize and start carrying out the tasks.

In general, the majority of my work is non-routine and creative (planning, forecasting, process improvement, business analysis, etc.)

What can you tell us about personnel development at ALTANA?

Functional skills - at ALTANA, we are encouraged to take up educational courses that help in functional skills development. The encouragement is given in the form of reimbursement of expenses as well as granting examination leave.

Soft skills – Behavioral skills are essentials for everybody in the organization. Existence of good soft skills (communication, listening, presentation, etc.) increases the level of co-ordination within the organization. At ALTANA, this is taken care of by arranging periodic training sessions. Some renowned external faculties are invited to give presentations. The attempt is made to cover most of the employees by rotation.

Managerial skills – These skills are essential for both existing and potential managers. An effective manager can motivate his team to deliver extraordinary results. ALTANA runs tailor-made programs (MDP & regional DPs) to combine management development, cultural exchange, and networking. These programs are aimed at encouraging the managers to step out of their comfort zone, explore new territories, put on different hats to understand different perspectives, and reflect on the experiences gained.

What do you do in your leisure time?

I enjoy watching movies (comedy / action), reading novels (fiction), watching information channels on TV (BBC international, Fox History, National Geographic, Discovery, Travel & Living), and watching the sports channels on TV (cricket, tennis).

Which cultural experiences have you already collected within your time at ALTANA?

As a part of my job, I interact with my German colleagues. I experience a very open work culture, where, rather than being bureaucratic, importance is given to timely completion of work.

Further, during DP Asia, I had the opportunity to interact with colleagues from different backgrounds: not only different nationalities (Japanese, Korean, Singaporean, Indian, Chinese) but also different functions (sales, technical service, HR, finance, IT), Divisions (BYK, ELANTAS), and ages (ranging from 35 to 50).

It was a very good experience for me since I was able to visit several countries and get a glimpse of their culture.