1 The job: I have been very fortunate that every few years I have had the chance to dabble with different aspects of a banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) organisation without necessarily having to switch organisations. In my current role, I am responsible for both the bancassurance sales and marketing aspects of our insurance propositions. The best part of my job is the people-centric aspect, as both sales and marketing are about personal connect. I thoroughly enjoy the pressures of a sales environment and the creativity and buzz of my marketing unit. In most large organisations, sales and marketing are two different divisions, many times at loggerheads, but here I hope to integrate both to get the best from both the teams. Being a marketer and with the constantly changing media landscape, we need to constantly innovate to stay ahead of the game. The challenge is both exhilarating and stressful.
2 The weekdays: I am not really a morning person, having witnessed at best five sunrises in my life, all after late night partying! My work day starts when the hour hand is nearing double digits but is a non-stop blur of activity from then onwards. I usually try to split my work weeks into internal and external days ? a few days devoted within the office and a few on the road meeting with external clients and partners. And 11 pm to 1 am on most nights is pure ?me? time ? music, reading, writing, unwinding.
3 The weekend: I usually pick up one or two activities every year that I immerse myself wholly into. The past six months have been about running and writing. Contrary to what my photograph suggests, I am a long-distance runner having completed a couple of half marathons with respectable timings! I usually try to run a couple of days a week including a 10km run every Sunday. My other interest has been writing and I have finally done what friends have been pestering me to do for years ? write a book. It?s a light, fun read on air travel ? very unique ? and publishers are showing keen interest. I expect it to hit bookshops by the summer and I am quite kicked about the fact that I completed it over five weeks ? just nights and weekends!
4 The toys: I love my watches ? the Tags, Omegas, and Baume and Merciers! Like much of the world, I am fairly addicted to the class and simplicity of Apple products and own pretty much everything that they have launched that starts with an ?i?. I am also passionate about cars ? just wish that I had the space and time to drive a lot more than I do.
5 The logos: It takes me a while to narrow down on what I am comfortable with but once I have done that, I have unshakeable loyalty to my brands. So it?s Canali for suits, Bulgari for ties, Hugo Boss for casuals, the Taj for hospitality, and Aviva for peace of mind!
As told to Banasree Purkayastha