Homing in on the opportunity of a lifetime
GREAT THINGS can be achieved by stepping out of your comfort zone. Who better to vouch for it than Nakheel CEO Sanjay Manchanda? After completing his bachelors in commerce in New Delhi and clearing the professional accountancy programme at the young age of 23, he was contacted by a family member for a job offer overseas with Pricewaterhouse.
“I took the Emirates flight in 1985 to Dubai. I was interviewed at the Hilton World Trade Centre, and didn’t think much of it at the time. I did a bit of electronics shopping on my way back, and thought that was the end of the matter. In about 15 days, a message came via telex asking me to join the firm,” recalled Manchanda.
Having a good group of friends in Delhi, he was reluctant to step out of his comfort zone. However, Manchanda’s father coerced him to take the call.
“On December 7, 1987, I flew to Muscat and spent nine years there. When the merger happened with Coopers & Lybrand, I was given an opportunity to be in the Dubai office. I relocated from Bahrain to Dubai in September 1998,” said Manchanda.
Recalling his stint with PwC, the CEO added: “I never thought I would need another job again. I used to tell people that this was my first and last job. I enjoyed my stint with PwC. And then the opportunity at Nakheel came calling.”
On being asked how he maintains his work-life balance, the normally serious Manchanda cracked up the audience with his response: “Do I have one?”
He thanked his family and friends for allowing him to pursue what he likes best when he is free. “I have a very good team at Nakheel, so I don’t need to do all the hard work of talking numbers or writing reports,” he added.
However, with great power comes great responsibilities. “In a position I am in, there are no straitjacketed timings. If there is an issue to be resolved, you may have to call upon various people or manage with your own resources. Maintaining a work-life balance is possible in an ideal world, but not for someone in a position like me,” he quipped.