“It is important to find good mentors as they help you take tough decisions and guide you through tough times,” said Mathew Cyriac, Founder and Chairman-designate of Florintree Advsiors, a Mumbai-based alternative asset manager, to incoming doctoral and post-graduate students at IIM-B.
Mathew, a gold medallist from the PGP batch of 1992-94 at IIM-B, was Senior Managing Director at The Blackstone Group till February. Describing IIM-B as ‘the best’, he encouraged students to look beyond grades to see what best they could get out of their time on campus. “Build relationships as that may prove valuable later in life. Engage with each other,” he said in his keynote address.
Observing that it is important to master written and oral communication skills in today’s global world of business, he added: “Your journey is your destination. Your time here will pass quickly, so get the best out of every single day.”
MS Narasimhan, Chairperson, Post-Graduate Programme in Management and faculty from the Finance and Accounting area, welcomed the FPM and PGP students.
Rajendra K Bandi, Chairperson, Admissions and Financial Aid, and faculty from the Decision Sciences and Information Systems area, shared the batch profile and dwelt briefly on the admissions process. “Apart from the entrance exam (CAT), the institute attaches a lot of importance on other factors to grant admission, like past academic and extracurricular achievements, work experience, if any, in terms of both duration and quality, social sensitivity, etc. We want students with well-rounded abilities,” he said.
G Raghuram, Director of IIM-B and Professor in the Public Policy area, urged the students to explore the opportunity to think in a sharp and problem-solving manner, discover their potential to stretch themselves and appreciate multiple perspectives. Highlighting the skills and expertise required of managers of the future, he said it was imperative to have an understanding of the reality of the large grassroots-level population in India. “Accountability and responsibility are no longer limited to customers, shareholders, and employees, but also to the society and the government,” he added.
On the occasion, PGP2 students received the Director’s Merit List awards, the section-wise and term-wise topper awards and scholarships instituted by the alumni. The evening came to a close with a cultural event.