The fine 'Art of Disruption'

the fine 'art of disruption'. 

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The Chiefs, the Soccer and the never say quits attitude !

The Chiefs: A team of diverse individuals, each with a varying football skill and age level, but with one passion – football.

The Team: 

G. Davey (C) (Striker/ Midfield - South African/ Oz), 

D. McGarry (Defence LB - Irish), 

D. Winckles (Defence LB - British), 

M. Bekker (GK) (South African), 

R. Porrua (Midfield - Spanish), 

N. Saa (Midfield - Italian), 

A. Rao (Defence RB - Indian), 

Tanguy De Bock (Striker CF - Belgian), 

Narcisse (Midfield – Ivory Coast), 

R. Sharma (Left Midfield - Indian), 

Tamara Odeh (Defence LB), 

S. Studer (Right Midfield - Swiss), 

S. Loeschner (Defence CB - German), 

Al Faisal (Striker - Kuwait)

The Chiefs were a team formed during the IE Football League 2008-2009 and consisted of MBA students from IE Business School (mostly from class of 2009). The Chiefs were never the favourites in the first place, but their craving for fitness and playing football marked them a rank higher, despite losing most of the matches in season 1, although season 2 was no different. While if season 1 was all about forming and gelling as a unit, season 2 was finding the right form and putting in strategy. Ever heard of the “I quit” syndrome? Well the “I/We quit” virus never hit The Chiefs. This team always learnt their lessons from what they did, but unfortunately ended up in the drudges in some of the matches mainly due to fitness. The truth is losing builds character. Only then getting out of the bed requires courage and persistence. Then you call them that these people are born winners. However, The Chiefs never gave up, and each player would turn out to the field every weekend, with full enthusiasm, trying to win those 40 minutes, peak their fitness amidst heavy academic and internship workloads. This has only helped the team to train towards positive thoughts and deeds as the captain Gareth Davey would put it every weekend. If I could rightly put it on behalf of the team, this league was an unending journey of friendship, people, challenges, beers and hurdles, but most importantly of fruitful completion. The Chiefs knew who they were and celebrated for what they were, a team with an ability and passion to think, act, live and most importantly enjoy each game. Kudos to the chiefs...

“When you become a “chief”, you learn the hard way. No glory, no prestige, no victories, no loyal supporters, some deserters in search of better prospects…To those of you who courageously run yourselves into the ground every weekend and wear our colours with pride, here is my appreciation and admiration - “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”” – Rene Porrua

“A diverse group of chaotic-minded people who pretend to know all about soccer magic and Gijon's soccer tactics while performing theatre-like pedantic shows every Sunday for the benefit of their weak bodies and opponents. They perform well under adverse conditions, especially snow blizzard, and love to punctuate a season with cherry-like cartoon inspired Peléistic stunning goals. In brief, they are the indispensable free-running electron of a system that is in need of dreams. Chiefs, make the dream happen!” – Tanguy De Bock

“I see the individuals coming back every weekend, trying to play, trying to win, trying to run and trying to score. Looking back we would be proud that we never quit and kept trying. That’s Chief!!” – Anand Rao

“P.S. in London this weekend (again)” – Tamara Odeh :)

Entrepreneurship in cross-cultural environment

The positive aspects of working in cross-cultural environment are always astonishing. The ideas and the thought process that people bring on the table is mesmerizing - be it case-studies or idea suggestions. The entire of March and April 2009 was occupied with Wharton GCP and Nipponica a Venture lab initiative. Nipponica was a seed plan, part of the entrepreneurship class curriculum, whose business model focused on providing technology consulting services to entrepreneurs/ companies in Japan helping them with their start-ups. After all this is what was required in this uncertain economy and period of unemployment i.e. to create job opportunities. Nipponica offered a reliable, high-quality alternative to in-house resources for business development, market development, and channel development. Working with 3 financials experts coming from Italy, France and Japan, with a marketing expert from Venezuela, with 15+ years experienced Indo-US IT combo was a tremendous learning experience. Language barriers and working methodology, despite the cultural differences and working styles, at times took its toll on the team, but none that could possibly stop the team from delivering high-quality plan backed by sound secondary research work. The overall quality of learning, documentation and presentation were excellent (or atleast that is what was told to us). Kudos to team Nipponica (2009)!! After Nipponica, I have now moved on to two different venture projects in the venture lab, looking to collaborate with my Latin American friends in the field of MVNO'S and CSR's. Hoping for an entrepreneurial and eventful 2009 :)

Wharton GCP 2009...six months of hardwork paid-off !!

The Wharton Global Consulting Practicum (GCP) is a cross functional course given within the curriculum of the Wharton M.B.A. and its associate partner school program (IE Business School in my case). Established in 1978, this unique program pairs teams of Wharton M.B.A. students and faculty with teams from partner universities (in Chile, China, Colombia, India, Israel, Peru, Spain, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates with pilot projects in Africa) to consult with a client company (either profit making or non-profit social impact) interested in entering or expanding its position in the U.S. market, or somehow leveraging a relationship with North America. The goal of the program is two-fold: to provide exceptional learning value to the students and innovative, operational plans which add value to real-time clients. (Reference: http://mktgweb.wharton.upenn.edu/gcpcourse/index.html)

As an IE Business School IMBA 2009 candidate, I was privileged to have gotten this opportunity to address the client concerns and open up opportunities by debating and discussing with 9 other team members, each coming from a different background, culturally and professionally, for over six months. Our professional network included MBA's and teaching faculties coming from different industries, business types and geographies. The part-time strategic consulting program assisted me immensely in developing strong networks while also building onto the lessons from the different classes we undertook during our first two term, coupled with the business experience that each of the team members brought on to the table. After six months of hard work the Spaniards finally gave their shot at Wharton Business School in May 2009 (and my first visit to the states), showcasing their findings and studies to the client, thus building onto their reputation with strong bring alive and networking events. It was a journey well travelled in the past 6 months - smart work, time-management, Lots of research and entrepreneurial spirit. In the end that's what was needed!! If you are a future GCP candidate, who just happened to read this page, well this real-time consulting project is all about smart working leadership, team work, time-management and understanding your objective from this project.

To sign off, the 30th GCP gala started off with the Keynote speaker Jill Beraud WG '86, GCP Alumnus and Worldwide Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo. All GCP Friends, Alumni, Clients, Spouses and Partners from different countries participated in this event helping GCP celebrate its rich history. I finally had an opportunity to meet Mr. Len Lodish, a well known and renowned marketing professor at Wharton B-School and chairman of GCP program. It was an eventful evening with my strategy professors Mr. Rafa Ruiz and my mentor Mrs. Carolina Tejuca. Attached is the snapshot of our team that seen the ups and downs of consulting program (Cheryl, Shreyans, Anubha, D’laila, Jody are missing).

IESE Spring Fling 2009

The IESE Spring Fling 2009 tournament, where business meets sports, was a chance or rather an excuse for the IE Cricket team to regroup, network and enjoy the beautiful city of Barcelona after weeks of tight classes and deliverables. The IE Cricket Team prior to the tournament practiced with the Madrid Cricket Club (MCC), affiliated to International Cricket Council, and held a practice match which consisted of players from different parts of the world. Come 28th of March and we were in rainy Barcelona. IE Cricket team went along with two teams, and it was a tournament with 6 teams. 2 from IESE Business School, 2 from IE Business School, 1 from INSEAD Business School, and 1 from ESADE Business School. It was drizzling throughout as we started preparing for our opening game and this discouraged our team to an extent. The fact that Cricket and rain don’t gel with each other as does in Rugby/ Football put us in two minds whether to go ahead with the play. It was a wonderful atmosphere and despite the bad weather all the teams agreed to play and enjoy. There was a slight delay and the weather looked dull. With slight drizzle around the park the umpires decided to start the play. We started off our opening game with ESADE. Some superb team work and collective batting and fielding helped us chase the scores, but in vain. The team lost marginally with just 5-6 runs to win in the end in a high scoring match. Later we went onto play against IESE – a do or die game, and yet again we managed to hardly disturb their batting line up. Regardless, the team held their heads high and went along to party with other members after the tournament. Barbeque, drinks, people. A wonderful networking event for most of us and the one each one of us was eagerly looking forward for. And that’s when we thought - Match on!! For IE Cricket Team –It’s all about people...

...IT Outsourcing & Trends - The Closure

As it just got interesting, I decided to finish this blog with some research comments and give my opinion to the HECian Strategic Consultant I met. We had debates and arguements, all moving in the positive direction, talking about how the future trends could be shaped up. Taking these information into account as well as the market research work from various sources, I recommended and stressed on the following points as the key trends in the near future for IT Outsourcing to my HEC network.

• IT Outsourcing could reach USD $ 200 Billion by 2010.
• Of 25 Global “Breakout” companies identified by Fortune Magazine in 2005, 22 are in IT and Bio-Tech.
• The list of 10 richest people in the world in 2006, 6 came from IT or invested in IT and bio-tech area.
• Information Technology can create more jobs than other fields. One job in IT can facilitate more than 25 jobs growth in other areas.
• IT workers in China & India are pushing their regional economic levels to new highs.
• Asia’s IT outsourcing business continues to grow > 20% annually
• Russia’s outsourcing business predicted to grow a little over 30% in 2007 and could compete with leading IT giants in India & China within next few years

One thing is for sure...information technology is everywhere and the outsourcing trend is here to stay. You cannot just ignore it. The important point is that how you embrace the technology and based on the business model, use it to make your business much more profitable and reachable to the different consumers. With IT, it's a matter of winning in this Flat Flat World. After all it brings in the global competitiveness. It is a major force that can help you change your business as well as to adapt your business globally. IT outsourcing trend will continue to increase due to business conditions (e.g. cost, quality, skills, access to market). Some companies will move fast in the value chain and occupy a key advantage in IT industry. Companies that prepare to do business globally will succeed when others may fail - in the long term. Continuous education & training are the keys to succeed in the fast changing Outsourcing world.

I hope the experience of this conversation was informative to some extent, atleast it helped me reach my audience at HEC academic management, as I went on to meet the director of Fortis to discuss on more current issues and global concerns. I also remember having similar conversation with a Economics professor of the Said Business School, until I met the representatives of IE :)

IT Outsourcing & Trends

I was very impressed with the way the Information System classes concluded at IE Business School for the first term (Nov '08 - Feb '09). Working as an IT/Telecom /Travel Services Consultant for the past five years, I had to constantly deal with the concept and the modelling of the offshore-onsite model, also known as Outsourcing/Offshoring. So before the economic downturn officially came into picture I was researching on the different trends in outsourcing, and how it is being perceived especially in the western and eastern europe, taking into account the different unions and regulations these countries have. Before I joined IE Business School, I had met with one of the Strategic Consultant from HEC Paris somewhere in 2007 and he sort of interviewed me on why people go for MBA and as well opened upto what he intended to do after the life as a consultant. He was seeking opinions on outsourcing some part of his business, and this is were I thought I was good at. Taking in numbers through my experience.

We all know, earlier it was the pre-historic man who took charge of the world by looking for food and shelter. Somewhere between 5,000 BC and the 18th Century (I would like to call it as the "Agricultural" period), it was the Kings, land owners, emperors seeking to conquer land and crops and build onto their assets. Between the 18th Century and the 20th century began the industrial period. Factories adn equipments came into picture. OIL, Steel, Finance were teh key jargons then. And then finally the technological age, skills, knowledge, talent, people and process. Software Entrepreneurs and Technologists were on a roll. (Lets learn and forget the .com bubble burst here :)) This is were Outsourcing, along with various other technology and concepts, kicked in.

So I thought, what can I offer him for his business. I started noting key requirements and started making some suggestions on the regions he can start picking up on. So the IT Outsourcing market increased 80% from USD $19 Billion in 1999 to more than USD $100 Billion in 2006 according to the sources from IDC http://cdn.idc.com/. The IT outsourcing market was lead by India with 45% of the outsourcing market share, 18% to Canada & Europe, 18% to China, 8% to Russia & E. Europe, 6% to South America, and 5% to Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines) (Say the sources of University of Michigan Business School)

More on the research in the next blog...