Kamal Narang - Founding Class

Kamal Narang hails from the ‘Founding Class’ of the ISB. Being an alumnus from the Class of 2002, Kamal is proud to be associated with the ISB and has observed its transformation.

Being a part of the ‘Founding Class’, how do you see ISB then and now?

The thought that always stayed around us in 2001 was that the ISB was ‘An idea whose time had come’. The ISB at that time was transforming from a dream into a reality. We were ecstatic to be part of the first batch of an institution which was going to rewrite the way management education was delivered in India. However, the ISB was yet to make the impact and we were the products in the making, so that brought along its own anxieties. Everyone worked hard as partners, from Dean to the students, to create a strong foundation. We also had a lot of fun and started many traditions, birthday dunking being one of them.

A lot has changed from then to now. The ISB is a well known entity - there is more certainty. The infrastructure is fantastic and the opportunities for students are diverse. Industry interactions have increased considerably. Current students can approach alumni to seek help and direction. With more resident faculty and research capability, the ISB is now able to contribute substantially to nation building. However, it is a much bigger batch size now and that limits the opportunities to bond. On the other hand a smaller founding batch was a blessing for us – we built great relationships with almost everyone.

On Work, its challenges and the future

I head the India operations of Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC, owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Leucadia National Corp. As an Executive Vice President, I am also a part of the global Executive Committee.

The India operation provides various analytical, research and transaction services to Berkadia. I was instrumental in setting up this platform from scratch. We have developed strong knowledgeable teams and handle complex processes. There are a variety of challenges one encounters in an operational environment, particularly in the offshore space. While leading my organisation the major ones that I faced are managing global client relationships, retaining and motivating employees, keeping everyone focussed in a tough economic environment, driving efficiency/quality/productivity and incessantly developing domain expertise of our employees.

Berkadia, is well positioned to take advantage of opportunities created by dislocation in the commercial mortgage real estate industry in the US and this means new challenges and opportunities for our teams in India.

Definition of Success

I believe that our personalities are shaped by numerous interactions throughout our lives. Success is a very relative term and there are highly successful people around us. For me success is a combination of an internal sense of achievement and developing a capability to bring about positive change around me. I am happy with what I have accomplished so far in my life.

My family has been a great source of strength and support through challenging times. Right grooming and values provided by my parents have kept me well grounded. Regular meditation and spiritual learning from Sahaj Marg have given me the appropriate balance.

Grateful to the ISB

The ISB provided me the right platform to redefine myself. Thanks to the ISB, I was able to wear multiple hats confidently while I was building the organisation. Learnings from various discussions at the school and strategic insights of eminent teachers like Professor Sumantra Ghoshal and Deepak Jain have been extremely useful.