MBA school students gathered at the MBAUniverse.com Corporate Connect Series learn first-hand tricks of the trade from Chairman and MD of Reckitt Benckiser

“You are the chosen of India,” said Chander Mohan Sethi, Chairman & Managing Director of Reckitt Benckiser India, while kick starting the Corporate Connect Series for MBAs organized by MBAUniverse.com on September 12, 2009, in the capital. Referring to the life after MBA schools, Sethi said, “Till now, you’ve been living in a comfort zone. The next phase will be much more challenging, but at the same time it will be a really rewarding journey, not in terms of money, but on the basis of how you approach your life.”

Speaking to a packed audience consisting around 300 MBA schools students, Sethi said, “What I will speak to you now is what I learned in the business of Sales and Marketing all these years. A strong sense of achievement, ownership, teamwork and entrepreneurship are core values that separate MBAs who make it to the top, and those who don’t.” These together form the DNA of Reckitt and Benckiser, he added.

Sharing learning of his stint with Glaxo Smith Kline, the Chairman of Reckitt Benckiser said, “I was then sent to Bhilai and it was June, it was 47o Celsius. And I thought to myself – where to find the consumer?, and who to speak to, how? What I learnt from this experience was that you got to do a lot of learning to make it in the field of Sales & Marketing. You should inculcate within yourself the passion and desire to make sure you are better than the competition. For that, you have to have good communication skills, should have the humility to say I have studied but I want to learn something else today, and should have the team spirit since you may be the best but it is the team which will make it better.”

“Authority everybody wants, but no one wants responsibility,” he said, and added, “If you want the authority, you will have to demonstrate that you are responsible. If you actually deliver what you promise, authority will come to you. A company I worked for earlier sent me to Africa, not because I was good, but because they were looking for someone who could integrate. And I learnt a lot there. So, be responsible and keep yourself flexible to change is what I would advise you too.”
 
Emphasizing on the need of continuous learning, he said, “Change that has happened in India during the last 15 years is nothing compared to what had happened in the last three years. Now, I feel there is so much more I could have learned.”

Chander Mohan Sethi was speaking at the Corporate Connect Series for MBAs organized by MBAUniverse.com on the theme ‘Building Successful Careers in Marketing and Sales’. His address was followed by a 15 minute question and answer session. Answering a question on why Dettol’s packaging has not changed through the ages and why there was no competition, Sethi said, “Dettol’s packaging has not been changed because of the formulation. We are thinking about it. And it’s not true that we don’t have competition – we have it each morning! But Dettol is iconic because the consumer trusts it.” The event was partnered by IMT Ghaziabad and was participated by top-honchos of the corporate world in addition to academia and over 300 students from various MBA schools.

Next: Reckitt Benckiser India’s Chairman tips-off participants on what the company looks for when hiring

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more insights and highlights from this knowledge event.