Monday 18 April 2016

Imarticus - Leader Speak - Suresh Rao, Faculty and Senior Admissions Officer

“One of my drivers is to inspire the youth and give them the extra edge through teaching, mentoring & help them succeed.” 
Suresh Rao, Faculty and Senior Admissions Officer, Imarticus has 11 years of experience in investment banking and treasury operations in companies like JP Morgan, Nomura, Lehman Brothers and ABN Amro. Suresh has successfully set up complex middle office and critical treasury functions such as corporate actions, reference data and derivative settlements across equity derivatives and cash equities products, supporting EMEA in multiple regions across USA. His specialized knowledge is invaluable in creating and developing a marquee industry relevant curriculum at Imarticus. Suresh holds a postgraduate management degree from Welingkar Institute of Management with a specialization in finance.

Imarticus offers comprehensive industry specific training programs in various sectors such as Financial Services.. Our first program focuses on training and providing career options within the Investment Banking industry, an attractive career choice that is currently inaccessible to many due to lack of awareness and relevant skills. An industry relevant curriculum, distinguished faculty, innovative learning methodology and a strong relationship with the industry are our key strengths. Imarticus has been formed to bridge the gap between academia and industry by providing the knowledge and skill sets which are essential in today’s competitive working environment. Through our programs, we aim to elevate the skill levels of our aspiring students and job seekers thereby increasing their employability and relevance to the industry at large.

Replying to Anil Mascarenhas of IIFLSuresh Rao says, “One of my drivers is to inspire the youth and give them the extra edge through teaching, mentoring & help them succeed.”

Earlier, people used to often wonder why academicians with all their knowledge do not move on to become professionals. In your case we find the reverse the happening. What is bringing about this shift? 
The overall focus of education is changing where students and colleges are realizing that general education does not cut it today and there is a huge need for specialized knowledge. This specialized and industry specific knowledge is what experienced professional like me have. In addition, I think the concept of giving back to the society is a lot more prevalent now and more and more people want to train and mentor young professionals

What is driving some professionals to become academicians?
Personally, I don’t think academicians or teachers have been given enough recognition in our country. Having worked in the corporate world for 11 years, I have gained immense knowledge about our industry but it is pointless if you don’t unlearn and give appropriate skills to the community. One of my drivers is to inspire the youth and give them the extra edge through teaching, mentoring & help them succeed. This way it’s a win-win situation, where students get the brightest and the best jobs in the market and corporates are happy with the skilled pool of resources.

What made you switch from being a corporate professional into an academician?
I have spent many years in large corporates and was looking for a change that would enable me to interact with the young upcoming generations. I feel I’ve had a successful career and now I am in a position to mentor the youth and help them realize their potential.

What are the opportunities here and what would you imagine are your major challenges?
With this successful model in Investment Banking, similar opportunities exist in other sectors of the industry. Major challenge is the lack of awareness about job specific skills which are required to succeed.

What is your view on money? To what extent do you find this financially
rewarding?
Money obviously is important but not the end all. 

There is no doubt the respect commanded by academicians is much more than most corporate professionals. How has your experience been?
Respect is a tricky word! I think any professional who does well and is at the top of his field deserves to be respected.  This is no different for academicians or corporates. My personal experience in teaching has been particularly rewarding and I am looking forward to a long-term career in the education industry.

Investment banking industry is not as exciting as it used to be a couple of years ago? Are you still seeing a lot of interest here? Do you have a regular faculty for investment banking?
Yes, Investment Banking as an industry is undergoing transformational change since the crisis started in 2008. Investment banks are still to adjust to the ‘new normal’. In a constrained operating environment the only certainty is increased regulation & thereby increased pressure to generate revenues which in-turn impacts the return on equity. Economies experiencing rapid growth like we see in emerging markets, with little well established competition, offer exciting opportunities for investment banks.

India has a unique opportunity to further help to cut down on costs due to its offshoring capabilities. Almost all the big Investment Banks globally have their captive centres in India, servicing global markets, clients & their trading operations. Demand for such jobs are high but require highly specialized skill & knowledge to perform the same.

Do you offer placements? What is the salary range one can expect in India and abroad after successfully completing your course?
Yes, we offer placements through strong domain knowledge training & career preparation modules. Typical salaries offered in India could range from 3.5 lacs to 6 lacs depending on the educational qualification & work experience of an individual & not to mention market dynamics.

Give us a brief idea about the course structure and fees.
CIBOP & CIBIF is Rs. 85000 & CIBIT is Rs. 1,25,000 exclusive of taxes. Installment schedules can be organized.

What kind of certification do you offer?
We have three industry endorsed certification programs – CIBOP (Certified Investment Banking Operations Professional), CIBIT (Certified Investment Banking Information Technology Professional) & CIBIF (Certified Investment Banking International Finance Professional)

Having come from a professional world, what are the other aspects – you have realized- which are vital for a successful career? (Like personality development, writing).
Some of the key aspects one should look at are -self-awareness, strong fundamentals, clarity of thought, articulation in concise form while speaking or writing, continuous improvement mindset, networking, aligning oneself to company’s overall goal, maturity & humility.

- See more at: http://www.indiainfoline.com/article/research-leader-speak/suresh-rao-faculty-and-senior-admissions-officer-imarticus-38317279_1.html#sthash.vsE0GtNm.dpuf

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