Q1. Please describe your current role at Knight Frank India as Senior Director

As a Senior Director at Knight Frank India, one of the world’s leading international property consultants, I am the P&L owner of the south zone in India. I guide and mentor all the service lines for achieving our business objectives. I am also a member of the core management team of the India business.

Q2. Please give us some insights into your professional journey. (Day to day work, how you keep your mind active, how you manage a large team)

We follow a 5 day week. I am pretty particular about my schedule and follow it religiously. It revolves around two key aspects of my life - my family and my team. Besides the usual routine, I ensure I keep 1.5 hours free everyday to focus and plan my projects. At the end of day, I check my actions on Growth, Client and Human Capital Engagement which are critical to the success of my day to day operations.

Q3. How did the FLEX program at Great Lakes help in enhancing your career?

I use at least 3 lessons from the Great Lakes on a regular basis. Specially understanding need analysis, entry barriers, project planning and most importantly - scheduling. It has helped me see and understand the business environment in a 360 degree view which has in turn helped me become a more effective leader.

Q4. What are some ways in which students/professionals can overcome difficult, unprecedented times such as these?

Students and aspiring professionals can use unprecedented times like these to enhance their skills. ‘Staying resilient and staying relevant’ are key to success - that is another Great Lakes learning that I took away. At Knight Frank, our business is 65% on site and 35% behind a desk. We utilised the COVID-19 period to enhance domain knowledge of our teams and engage with our clients on - Resources on covid help, CSR and other functions that would add value to our clients while spending some time bettering our usual business functions.

Q5. What are the key benefits of the FLEX program? How can new students make the most of their time at GL?

A FLEX candidate can use weekends and be part of a prestigious institute such as Great Lakes where they can learn from the stalwarts of the management world and industry alike. Be attentive and try to replicate each concept you learn, in your professional life. The management and faculty at Great Lakes are extremely supportive and are ready to go out of their way to guide and help candidates whenever necessary. Make the most of that!

Q6. What makes Great Lakes stand out in comparison to other B-Schools?

There are several factors that make Great Lakes one of the top schools today. For me personally it was the effort and effect of the founder and chairman, Uncle Bala on the institute. Additionally, Great Lakes has faculty that come in with international experience across academia and industry alike. The course curriculum, pedagogy and the help and guidance we received from the school management was far beyond my expectations.