Sameer Bora
Class of 2007


 

Tell us a little about your family background/ history. How has it influenced you?
I come from a business family from Bhopal. Seeing their experience, going into business was never an option. We did always have a lot of books in the house, and my love of reading and literature stems from that. Also, having lived in a single city throughout school, seeing the world remains high on my list of to-dos.

Briefly describe your personal and professional achievements (including recent awards/ special projects).
My recent achievements are the ones that give me the biggest kick. Over the last 2 years, I was working on a stealth project for creating school textbooks for Pre-K to 5. The books have recently launched in the market and have received rave reviews including an external award for Best School Books Solution. I also derive a lot of satisfaction when I see the impact of my decision-making in products that touch 6,000,000+ students in 6,000+ schools across India.

Tell us about your profile prior to attending ISB and recap your professional life after ISB, including your career progression.
I am an engineer from IIT Bombay, but did not do anything with my engineering degree. I instead started as a freelance GMAT instructor. I then worked with Infosys for several years across customers, verticals and geographies. I came to ISB to get an MBA to have a more holistic understanding of business and further my career progression. I then joined Google India as a Sales and Operations Manager. Google allowed me to see life in a multi-billion dollar enterprise setting. I worked as a people manager, engineering liaison, and finally led the India Commerce operations.
After Google, I really wanted to do something where I could see much more impact, so joined a mid-sized education firm called Next Education. I currently manage content, product, technology, and of late, HR, Admin, IT and Marketing. So I have my fingers full in many pies and every day is a new learning experience.

How do you think your time at ISB has contributed to your career and personal growth?
ISB gave me a mix of technical, personal and professional options. At the school, I learnt how to decode a balance sheet, what stock options really mean, how marketing is a mix of right-brain and left-brain, and so many things that I thought I knew but didn't know enough of. At the same time, it taught me to juggle work, personal life, interests and obligations. ISB opened, and continues to open, a lot of doors because I can reach out to any ISB alum in almost any company. Finally, the network of close friends remains immeasurably valuable.

What do you enjoy most about your current career position?
Above all, I enjoy two things -- one is that I learn something new every day. When I took over HR, I learnt to read Government gazzettes and how things can be misinterpreted, and what to watch out for. The second is that I can make a difference. Every decision I take has some impact on the topline and bottomline of the organization. I got the opportunity to take a project from ideation to delivery, impacting every single decision made in between.

Briefly describe a typical day at work, in a way that illuminates the kind of challenges and opportunities your role involves.
I have a mix of pre-scheduled meetings and free time. Scheduled meetings are needed to track projects that are longer-term in nature. Impromptu meetings are used for local work. For example, today, I have had a discussion about IP security in office, book review for final edit and grammar checks, overview of our yearly marketing plan and budget, hiring discussions and offer releases, and discussions about competitor strategy.

What is the next new thing in the industry or vertical you are working in? Are there any trends that you can identify?
The school education industry is definitely evolving. We see a convergence between technology, content and pedagogy. More and more parents are conscious of the money they are investing in their child's education. This is a $20 billion opportunity that is ripe for transformation and disruption. We see a place for a 4-5 integrated providers that can partner with schools for end-to-end services.

What was the main highlight or most memorable aspect of your programme at the ISB?
Too many things come to mind, but one stands out. The first Marketing case, and we were all excited about crunching the numbers. The case was more about whether it's even worth crunching the numbers. 10 minutes reading the case would have given us the proposed course of action. Feeling like a fool in the class was the best wake-up experience -- it told me that you're entering a new world. Go back to basics and question everything, but always keep the larger picture in mind.

If you could offer a word of advice to the current class at ISB, what would it be?
I would like to see students spend more time and effort networking. If you come from or want to go to a niche area, you should really be spending time to learn and reach out. That way, whether you are interviewing on-campus or off-campus, you should stand out as someone who is committed and interested. Recruiters are not going to take bets on people who are 'interested'. They need to see commitment. 

How do you feel you can contribute to ISB?
I have been working to help ISB with Admissions and Student Mentorship. We tried to recruit some students last year but unfortunately did succeed. I feel that spreading the good word outside and help students / research staff inside ISB are probably the best things any ISB alumnus can do.