To all those managers of the
fairer sex who only dream of reaching the top, a message from a Grand Dame of advertising:
if men get naughty after 40, women get nifty after 50. And believe us, the irrepressible Syeda
Imam certainly proves that one. Recently, Contract Advertising's Executive
Director, once the keeper of the flame for the Thompson Way, was asked to sit in judgement
at the Asia-Pacific Advertising Festival in Pattaya (Thailand) for the first time. Rubbing
shoulders with her were the world's creative greats like Michael Conrad, Chief Executive
Director, Leo Burnett, and Mitsuhiro Wada, Creative Director, Dentsu Inc.. And judge the
ads Syeda did. Just to catch her off-guard, we asked her how she judged her own work, and
she grinned widely, saying: "I find it difficult to show off this or that as my best
work. Creative writing is my hobby. But I'd love to do more book- and drama-reviews."
Whoever said creative people always burn out hasn't met this wonder woman.
Wonder women seem to be the order of the day. If you walk by the Worli
Seaface, you might hear wisps of riyaz as Mala Ramadorai--the talented
wife of S. Ramadorai, Tata Consultancy Services' CEO--learns under the accomplished aegis
of her guru, Yashwant Joshi. During the day, she teaches computing at Schoolnet, a
subsidiary of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services, and, in the evenings, she
studies Hindustani music. A learner, you say? Only if you consider a 45-year-old natural
talent, who has been singing since she was 8 years old. "Music is something I can
never completely learn. So, I am always at a learning stage," she argues, in that
melodious voice of hers. After being tutored in Carnatic music in her adolescence, Mala
decided that she needed to know Hindustani music as well. To enjoy the fruits, she hosts
baithaks once a year--the next one will be at Dussehra--to which she invites all her
friends and husband's colleagues. So, how does hard-working hubby react to all this?
"He says, `If I had your talent, I'd never work; I'd just do this.' " Well,
we've always known who is behind every successful man. But is there behind every talented
woman, a man too?
He may or not have a woman behind him, but
shy Nitin Komawar catches our attention, makes us jealous, and walks away
with the moolah. The 31-year-old is a millionaire, no less. Five years ago, he set up
Aquas Inc. in Silicon Valley, and in 1997, he developed a unique product, the Bazaar
Analyser. Which turned out to be revolutionary as it allows any company that has a Website
to extrapolate data and enable it to take decisions that would otherwise have been
impossible. For instance, the Analyser keeps track of all the people who searched your
site and what they were looking for. However, since Nitin prefers being the brainy
software developer rather than the aggressive marketer, he licensed the Analyser to
several software majors--like Oracle, AT&T, CISCO, us Web, Exodus, and GTE--as well as
other companies, like PepsiCo. And then, he happily sold it off for $5 million (Rs 20
crore). Now the head of the Rs 3-crore Plexus Technologies--a company started by some
friends of his, which provides Web solutions--Nitin says: "In 3 years, we should have
a turnover of Rs 40 crore-plus." Money, oh, it just chases the man.
For Atulya Mafatlal, the
34-year-old CEO of the Sungrace Mafatlal Group, the chase has finally ended. Not for
money, but for that lovely life-partner he had always sought. After a stormy marriage, a
baby, and a divorce, enter Sheetal Bhagat, 29. They met through her sister, Poonam, a
friend of his. And the chemistry! Confesses Sheetal: "We're planning a year-end
wedding." When you ask if it is true that she will be wearing a House of Versace
ghagra choli (no less) for the wedding, she blurts out: "Who told you that?" As
for the portly Atulya, who's in London shopping for his bride and finishing some work as
well, he is, don't worry, very happy.
Just as Harsha Bhogle
is, when he's at work. After changing professions--from advertising to cricket
commentary--Harsha seems to have found his true métier. In recognition of the 47 Test
matches and 179 one-dayers that he's covered for the BBC and ESPN, IMG India' Dick Alford
recently took on Harsha as his first non-athlete client. So, the global leader in
sports-management will represent Harsha's commercial rights, including brand-endorsements,
lecture-opportunities, and appearances before select audiences. Ask the 33-year-old
sports-broadcaster how it feels to be a true-blue star, and he beams: "It's a great
honour."
Time to wrap up. But not without a great
way to beat the heat. The Mandeep Soin way. The 42-year-old CEO of the
travel firm, Ibex Expeditions, which is also venturing out into outbound training for
managers, suggests rafting for a change. "On the Zanskar, it's almost like going down
the Grand Canyon," he says, having undertaken such daring feats with his wife, Anita,
40, who has kept pace with him for the last 13 years. Since Mandeep recently bagged the
pata Asia Discovery Award for his winter trekking package on the frozen Zanskar, we asked
him how best to do it. "How about a jeep safari to Padam, right in the heart of
Zanskar?" Brrrrrr. That's we call chilling out.
To all those managers of the
fairer sex who only dream of reaching the top, a message from a Grand Dame of advertising:
if men get naughty after 40, women get nifty after 50. And believe us, the irrepressible Syeda
Imam certainly proves that one. Recently, Contract Advertising's Executive
Director, once the keeper of the flame for the Thompson Way, was asked to sit in judgement
at the Asia-Pacific Advertising Festival in Pattaya (Thailand) for the first time. Rubbing
shoulders with her were the world's creative greats like Michael Conrad, Chief Executive
Director, Leo Burnett, and Mitsuhiro Wada, Creative Director, Dentsu Inc.. And judge the
ads Syeda did. Just to catch her off-guard, we asked her how she judged her own work, and
she grinned widely, saying: "I find it difficult to show off this or that as my best
work. Creative writing is my hobby. But I'd love to do more book- and drama-reviews."
Whoever said creative people always burn out hasn't met this wonder woman. 
Wonder women seem to be the order of the day. If you walk by the Worli
Seaface, you might hear wisps of riyaz as Mala Ramadorai--the talented
wife of S. Ramadorai, Tata Consultancy Services' CEO--learns under the accomplished aegis
of her guru, Yashwant Joshi. During the day, she teaches computing at Schoolnet, a
subsidiary of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services, and, in the evenings, she
studies Hindustani music. A learner, you say? Only if you consider a 45-year-old natural
talent, who has been singing since she was 8 years old. "Music is something I can
never completely learn. So, I am always at a learning stage," she argues, in that
melodious voice of hers. After being tutored in Carnatic music in her adolescence, Mala
decided that she needed to know Hindustani music as well. To enjoy the fruits, she hosts
baithaks once a year--the next one will be at Dussehra--to which she invites all her
friends and husband's colleagues. So, how does hard-working hubby react to all this?
"He says, `If I had your talent, I'd never work; I'd just do this.' " Well,
we've always known who is behind every successful man. But is there behind every talented
woman, a man too? 
He may or not have a woman behind him, but
shy Nitin Komawar catches our attention, makes us jealous, and walks away
with the moolah. The 31-year-old is a millionaire, no less. Five years ago, he set up
Aquas Inc. in Silicon Valley, and in 1997, he developed a unique product, the Bazaar
Analyser. Which turned out to be revolutionary as it allows any company that has a Website
to extrapolate data and enable it to take decisions that would otherwise have been
impossible. For instance, the Analyser keeps track of all the people who searched your
site and what they were looking for. However, since Nitin prefers being the brainy
software developer rather than the aggressive marketer, he licensed the Analyser to
several software majors--like Oracle, AT&T, CISCO, us Web, Exodus, and GTE--as well as
other companies, like PepsiCo. And then, he happily sold it off for $5 million (Rs 20
crore). Now the head of the Rs 3-crore Plexus Technologies--a company started by some
friends of his, which provides Web solutions--Nitin says: "In 3 years, we should have
a turnover of Rs 40 crore-plus." Money, oh, it just chases the man. 
For Atulya Mafatlal, the
34-year-old CEO of the Sungrace Mafatlal Group, the chase has finally ended. Not for
money, but for that lovely life-partner he had always sought. After a stormy marriage, a
baby, and a divorce, enter Sheetal Bhagat, 29. They met through her sister, Poonam, a
friend of his. And the chemistry! Confesses Sheetal: "We're planning a year-end
wedding." When you ask if it is true that she will be wearing a House of Versace
ghagra choli (no less) for the wedding, she blurts out: "Who told you that?" As
for the portly Atulya, who's in London shopping for his bride and finishing some work as
well, he is, don't worry, very happy. 
Just as Harsha Bhogle
is, when he's at work. After changing professions--from advertising to cricket
commentary--Harsha seems to have found his true métier. In recognition of the 47 Test
matches and 179 one-dayers that he's covered for the BBC and ESPN, IMG India' Dick Alford
recently took on Harsha as his first non-athlete client. So, the global leader in
sports-management will represent Harsha's commercial rights, including brand-endorsements,
lecture-opportunities, and appearances before select audiences. Ask the 33-year-old
sports-broadcaster how it feels to be a true-blue star, and he beams: "It's a great
honour." 
Time to wrap up. But not without a great
way to beat the heat. The Mandeep Soin way. The 42-year-old CEO of the
travel firm, Ibex Expeditions, which is also venturing out into outbound training for
managers, suggests rafting for a change. "On the Zanskar, it's almost like going down
the Grand Canyon," he says, having undertaken such daring feats with his wife, Anita,
40, who has kept pace with him for the last 13 years. Since Mandeep recently bagged the
pata Asia Discovery Award for his winter trekking package on the frozen Zanskar, we asked
him how best to do it. "How about a jeep safari to Padam, right in the heart of
Zanskar?" Brrrrrr. That's we call chilling out.