The lockdowns imposed around the country on account of the virus have been unfortunate for many. But they also gave businesses and people a unique opportunity to do things differently. With everyone working from home, businesses have had to reorient their systems and processes so that work could go on as usual. Meanwhile, people who've spent years of their lives in offices, have had to contend with being stuck at home. For some it was an enjoyable experience with many new learnings.
Managers of mutual fund houses were no exception, and we caught up with a few of them to find out what their personal or professional learnings have been during this exceptional time.
Imtaiyazur Rahman, CEO & Whote-time Director, UTI Mutual Fund:
"Upgrading skills in the use of technology has been an area which needed sharper focus so as to enable us to reach out to our investors, distributors and partners and employees. This has also been a period for honing the skills of managing change and disruptions as well as keeping the team connected and motivated towards the achievement of organisational goals."
Chandresh Nigam, MD & CEO, Axis Mutual Fund:
"The lockdown has been extremely disruptive and has led to a reset in daily life. But more importantly, it has provided a massive opportunity to reset mindsets - what was earlier considered impossible has become the new norm very quickly. The big learning is that dramatic change is possible and that ushering change is within anyone's or any organisation's ability and potential."
Vinay M Tonse, MD & CEO, SBI Mutual Fund:
"I have learnt a few new things, the most important of which is the value of staying connected. The pandemic has taken us back to the basics. Prior to the pandemic, we found ourselves disconnected from people around us because of the mundane routine that had overtaken our lives. This period of calm gave me the time to stop, introspect and reconnect with people around me, be it in my official role or in the family and friend circles.
"Zen philosophy interests me, so I took some time out to catch up on some reading on this subject."
Swarup Anand Mohanty, CEO, Mirae Asset Mutual Fund:
"Personally, I am happy to say that I did stick to my asset allocation all through the volatility of the market and from a business point of view, it was great to see that we stuck to our principles and just went ahead executing our business plan. It was a period where the mind was tested and it was good to see that we concentrated on just controlling the controllable."
George Heber Joseph, CEO & CIO, ITI Mutual Fund:
"I read the same investment books (authors: Howard Marks, Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett) which have helped me in my entire investing career. These books have helped me to hone my investing skills. I also did some online courses in areas like artificial intelligence, block-chain technology and cryptocurrencies and also some leadership courses, etc., offered by top universities, just to have perspectives on various topics."
