Leadership Series – 2022
SIIB Auditorium | September 29, 2022 | 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM |
Batch 2021-23, Batch 2022-24, Faculty and Staff | Participants – 400+
On the 29th of September 2022, Symbiosis Institute of International Business conducted its annual flagship event Leadership Series 2022, on the theme “Expanding the Possibilities: Defying Gravity.” The program aimed to bring bureaucrats, corporate leaders, and students from India and overseas to discuss foreign policy, trade & business, geo-political and geo-economical concerns affecting India.
The inauguration of the event was graced by our Chief Guest Amb. Gautam Bambawale – former Indian Ambassador to Bhutan, Pakistan, and China, and a distinguished professor at Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, and Dr. S. B. Mujumdar– Chancellor, Symbiosis International (Deemed University). Thereafter, Dr. Mujumdar addressed the audience, describing the Covid-19 pandemic as a destroyer and a teacher. He remarked that although the pandemic caused significant disruption in the economy, it also taught us the importance of good health and made us realise how uncertain our world is.
The inaugural discussion started with Amb. Gautam Bambawale elaborating on the topic “India and Changing World Order.” He discussed the emerging trends of the new world order and India’s role in maximising its national interests. Post his speech, Amb. Bambawale proceeded to answer questions from the audience on various geo-political and geo-economics issues.
Session 1: Expanding of Possibilities in the New Workplace
The inaugural session was followed by the first-panel discussion centred on “Expanding Possibilities in the New Workplace”. The session was moderated by Mr. Shekhar Manelkar (Former Vice President – Global Infrastructure L&D, Deutsche Bank), comprising the panelists: Mr. Aneesh Dhairyawan (Director-HR, KPMG), Mr. Sumit Mundra (Sr. Director-HR, Gartner), and Mr. Saurabh Mulmuley (AVP, L&D, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Ltd).
Mr. Shekhar Manelkar commenced the session by asking the panelists to give insights on the current corporate environment, how the workplace will likely change in the future, and what opportunities exist in a globalised economy. Mr. Aneesh Dhairyawan took the discussion forward, explaining the gig economy and the “liquid workforce” continuous alteration to the workplace. Mr. Sumit Mundra further discussed the global shifts occurring in the corporate sector and the need for HR practices to transform and reflect the new world order. Mr. Saurabh Mulmuley then underlined the importance of understanding business and people for an organisation’s survival.
Later, Dr. Suchita Jha gave a heartfelt vote of appreciation to each of the panelists, the faculty, staff, and students followed by distribution of certificates.
Distribution of Certificates to the Winners and Runner ups of Pre-events:
As a part of pre-events of the Leadership Series, the specialisation clubs of SIIB conducted several competitions engaging students from all over India. The esteemed dignitaries of the event then awarded the winners and the runners-up of these competitions.
Team Tri Technocrats and Team Iconic from IIM, Calcutta won Mark-o-Sphere (Marketing event) and Finanza (Finance event), respectively. Team Gryffindors from SIOM, Nashik won Aarohan (SCM event), and Team Mavericks from IIM, Bangalore, won Throne (HR Event).
Session 2: Expanding the Possibilities: Defying Gravity
The second session of the Leadership series focused on the theme “Expanding the Possibilities: Defying Gravity.” The panel for the session included Mr. Kayzad Hiramanek (COO, Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance), Mr. S. Ramprasad (President, UST BlueConch), and Mr. Dinesh Doundkar (Business Head, Bharat Forge) along with Mr. Rishi Kapal (Former CXO, Sony) as the moderator.
Mr. Kapal then initiated the discussion by asking the panellists their versions and understandings of the phrase “Expanding the Possibilities: Defying Gravity.” He also highlighted the Issue of “Ageism in the Workforce,” i.e., workers above the age of 50 facing rejection as India prioritises recruitment of a young and agile workforce. Mr. S. Ramprasad then suggested that it is necessary to approach the problem somewhat abstractly and determine what makes one more competent than others. He claimed that success requires a solid grasp of business and technology in today’s world. According to Mr. Doundkar, learning can happen at any age, and everyone should take the initiative to identify their abilities and work on strengthening them. The choices that lie ahead of us are limitless, Mr. Hiramanek underlined, and our final destination in life is determined by the kinds of ambitions we have.
An intriguing round of question-and-answer followed the panel discussion. Bringing the Leadership Series 2022 to a close, Mr. Jeevan Nagarkar presented a heartfelt vote of gratitude to each of our panellists.
Key takeaways:
“It was an insightful session with many professionals explaining and guiding us on how the world has evolved over the years and how it has impacted India, which aligned with the theme of “Defying Gravity”.
– Ronak Lalchandani, MBA-IB (2022-24)
“Today’s session was excellent. It indeed broadened my horizon of thinking and gave it a new height. The panel discussions highlighted new and relevant concepts like moonlighting and quiet quitting.
– Prashant Maheshwari, MBA-AB (2022-24)
Today’s Leadership session was very informative and enriching. We came to know a lot about the current work culture and prospects.
– Purvi Shah, MBA-EE (2022-24)
