Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management Celebrates its Foundation Day and Bids Adieu to 2011-2013 Batch with a Convocation Ceremony

October 22 was a very special day for all members of the Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management (TSCFM) family, from students, faculty, management and staff. On this momentous occasion, TSCFM’s first batch of PGDBM students received their convocation certificates in the presence of senior management and three eminent personalities – chief guest Tarun Chauhan, Managing Partner, J. Walter Thompson, India; guest of honour V Mohan, Executive Director, Heinz India; and guest of honour Ernest Louis, VP, Human Resources, Asian Paints.

With such a distinguished panel before them, the students took away some lasting lessons that will surely help them both in the workplace and in life.

Be your own boss

After the auspicious lamp lighting ceremony, Maya Shahani, Chairperson, Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management, extended a warm welcome to the guests, students and parents. Calling it a ‘sentimental occasion’, Mrs. Shahani recounted a fond personal memory of her son and Managing Director, Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management, Akhil Shahani’s convocation day in Chicago. She went on to talk about his journey as a serial entrepreneur and her initial concern. “I remember him telling me, ‘Chill Mom! There’s nothing wrong with failing,” she said, adding that she has today learned that the greatest success comes out of failure. Mrs. Shahani had a special message for the students’ parents – “Allow your children to grow, don’t crush their dreams.” As for the students – “Always take charge, never take a backseat, be your own boss.”

Don’t regret your mistakes

Speaking next, Akhil Shahani briefly outlined his reasons for setting up Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management. “I made a lot of mistakes in business despite having a management degree. That made me wonder – why is there such a disconnect between academia and the real world?” he said, adding that he soon realized that no institute addressed the actual needs of the industry. Speaking about the reasoning behind TSCFM’s unique Corporate Readiness Score (CRS), Mr. Shahani said, “Once you identify the parameters that the industry is looking for in its employees, you can train students to develop themselves along these parameters before they enter the workforce.” His final message to students – “Don’t disown your mistakes! They make you what you are today and mistakes you make today will make you what you are tomorrow.”

Don’t be transactional, take ownership

Guest of honour Ernest Louis, VP, Human Resources, Asian Paints, noted that when he goes to recruitment drives or interacts with young people in orientation programmes, he finds they are looking for exactly what he looked for 25 years ago – a well-paying job and a position of authority that is at par with their qualifications.
But Mr. Louis told students that apart from what they can get, they must also focus on what they can deliver and think of the company they work for as their customer. “Many MBAs come into companies with impressive job titles and start to take things for granted,” said Mr. Louis. “A lot of young managers today are very transactional. The attitude is I’ll get what I want and move on. But if you really want to be valued, you have to show ownership. When people look to you for leadership, you know you’ve become invaluable.

The only constant is change

Speaking about the several structural changes Heinz has had to undergo ever since it was acquired by business tycoon Warren Buffett and 3G earlier this year, Guest of honour V. Mohan, Executive Director, Heinz India, “In just a matter of months, the entire organizational culture has changed. Previously indispensible senior management suddenly became irrelevant. Remember to not take things for granted.”

Mr. Mohan also pointed to the especially capricious FMCG world where the only constant is change. “In the long run, it is intangible values like goodwill that will make or break a brand – whether it’s an individual or a company.”

Stay committed

Tarun Chauhan, Managing Partner, JWT India, ended by telling students to be above all committed and focused. “The biggest problem I see today is the amount of data young people feel they need to process. We are now facing a crisis of managing people who are themselves trying to manage an overload of information.” As a parting piece of advice, Mr. Chauhan told students to jot down their plans for the next 12-15 years and start applying efforts in that one direction to achieve success.

After the event, TSCFM’s new graduates had an opportunity to engage with the speakers and ask more questions. And the farewell party that same evening had the students get together as TSCFM’s batch of 2011-2013 one last time!

We at Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management wish all of them happy and successful careers in the years to come!