- Programme studied: MSc Management and Human Resources
- Year of Graduation: 2015
- LinkedIn profile
Alum of the Month for April is Neha. Since graduating from the Department of Management, she has moved back to India to work as a Director at her family business.
What’s your current job?
I am currently working as a Director at my family business, Shivinno Industries Pvt ltd, where I look after accounts and strategy in the company. As an aspiring entrepreneur I can sometimes get too dreamy and the numbers take a back seat, but working directly with our auditors and chartered accountants has helped me become more efficient with the decisions I make for the company. Working in my family business means that I’m not always bound by my job title and I often have to perform different roles. The one I love the most is being in the factory and seeing my products come to life - nothing compares to that!
Tell us a bit more about Shivinno Industries Pvt ltd:
We are an ISO certified manufacturer of LED lights and bathroom fittings with a factory located in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. As a home grown, customer oriented company, our focus is bottom-line growth and in efforts to reduce unemployment in the state, we focus on employing and training graduates from local colleges. We’re very enthusiastic about developing the local community and have also sponsored various sports events and social events in the area.
I find manufacturing in India extremely interesting as consumer preferences and income elasticity differ from one state to the other. This is something we have to be conscious of to ensure we are meeting consumer demands in order for our products to sell!
How has studying at the Department of Management allowed you to make an impact?
During my time at LSE I was studying amongst some of the smartest and kindest people I’ve ever met, and this challenged me to think critically and to understand how the human mind works. Often in business you need the ability to read between the lines, be it with your consumers, your employees or your partners and that’s something I learned through my LSE classmates and the academic teaching.
Studying at LSE’s Department of Management also exposed me to the tools and experiences that were critical in shaping my ideas and thought processes today. During my studies I took the Entrepreneurship and Accounting modules, which really helped me strengthen my knowledge in both topics. For my Entrepreneurship module I focused on creating my own company which helped me understand the process in real terms, and I’m able to directly apply this knowledge to my work now.
What inspires you?
There are two key things that inspire me most – firstly, my passion for manufacturing and secondly, my real life heroes/heroines. I’m extremely lucky to have found what I love to do in my day-to-day job, and seeing the others in the same situation makes me realise how important it is to have this in order to succeed. Also, witnessing people exceeding their own limits, setting new standards, creating something new and all of that with a sense of passion is really what fuels me!
What are some of your best memories from studying in the Department of Management?
The positivity and enthusiasm of my professors really sticks in my mind – particularly Professor Eddy Donnelly who took the time to coach me throughout my studies. Also the after class parties and all the times spent with friends who became as close as family.
What one piece of advice would you give to a current student or recent graduate?
Learn from every experience in life and use that learning to grow – internal growth is an absolute necessity for lasting success. Whatever field you choose, it’s not just what you learn inside of the classroom but also what you learn outside of it that will help you succeed. And never be afraid to fail – you either win or learn, never lose.