On returning from the US a few years ago, Samaresh Parida got into the telecom industry almost immediately, ?as it seemed very exciting?. It indeed was. As he says, ?There has not been a dull moment since the time I entered the telecom space.?
The recent 3G spectrum auctions are one instance of the challenges and excitement the sector offers. ?They were a real eye-opener,? says Parida. ?Although the auctions became expensive, we managed to secure a strategic footprint. The entire e-auction process was unique.?
Of course, strategy, consulting and planning have always been Parida?s areas of expertise. After qualifying as a chartered accountant and obtaining an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, he joined Andersen Consulting (erstwhile Accenture). Later, he moved to the FMCG industry and spent a large part of his career at PepsiCo, in India and the US.
The stint at PepsiCo taught him a lot. ?The early days in Pepsi were quite heady. We were building the company from scratch and established it as an iconic brand in the country. Later on, my global assignments in Pepsi related to both strategy, and mergers and acquisitions in different parts of the world ? Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. It was an extremely enriching experience,? he says.
Today, as director, corporate strategy at Vodafone Essar, the country?s third largest mobile operator, his role is no less challenging. He oversees the company?s strategy and mobile commerce business. He also looks after external communications, corporate responsibility and management of key cross-functional projects.
The targets are ambitious. ?The aim is to make Vodafone Essar the best telecom service provider in the country, for both voice and data. We are already the consumers? clear choice in a large part of the country by virtue of our good network quality and customer experience. Our target is to occupy the best service provider position in the entire country, including in markets where we have launched services in the past couple of years,? he sums up.
Interestingly, his wife shares the same professional interests as him, as she runs her own marketing strategy consulting company. His family also includes his two daughters. One is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Northwestern and the other is in high school in Mumbai. Travel is clearly a passion for the family. ?We enjoy travelling to historical places, especially the Valley of Kings in Egypt, Angkor and the Mayan ruins in Mexico,? says Parida. ?Places of natural beauty like Alaska and the African savannas are also wonderful.?
