For Arvind Kumar, chief operating officer of Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited?s (SSTL) Uttar Pradesh (East and West) circles, the challenges at work typically include directing, planning and managing the development, implementation and execution of all business and operational strategies of MTS in the cirle.
During a 25-year career he has worked with leading Indian and multinational organisations such as Mitsubishi Corporation, Philips and BPL. Prior to MTS, Kumar worked with RCOM as regional head for Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh as well as Jammu & Kashmir.
Speaking of his most memorable assignment, he says, ?The two years I spent as circle head for RCOM?s Uttar Pradesh (West) circle are the most unforgettable. It was my first assignment as circle head, leading a highly motivated and energetic team that set up circle operations from scratch and went on to a leading position.?
Kumar strongly believes that in the coming years the trend will be more towards data usage than voice. Being a data-centric organisation, he hopes that the company will be able to leverage its strengths to provide consumers with best-in-class data solutions.
He also predicts a move towards consolidation. ?The wind is blowing towards consolidation and we may see mergers and acquisitions taking place in the sector over the next three to five years.?
A commerce graduate from the Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, Kumar went on to obtain a postgraduate diploma in marketing from the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi. Life in the corporate world wasn?t exactly what he had dreamed of in his youth. ?I belong to a family where government service was de rigueur, so naturally, I wanted to get into the civil services. I guess, the mood in college was different and eventually, I decided to make a career in the corporate world.?
Kumar has absolute clarity on his goals and the road map leading to their realisation. He believes in creating an environment of trust and transparency ? one in which individual aspirations merge seamlessly with organisational objectives. ?Happy channel partners, happy employees and happy customers is what we are aiming for,? he says.
His personal objectives are less ambitious, though more enjoyable. ?Travelling gives me a huge high, especially driving in the hills whenever I find the time,? says the father of two daughters. He seems able to maintain that all-important ?work-life balance?, finding time to indulge in his passion for retro music and a serious gym workout. Any unfulfilled dreams? ?Yes, I?d love to learn to play the guitar,? he says.
