MUMBAI, June 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
Mr. R Gopalakrishnan, noted thought leader, author of several books and a senior corporate leader who led businesses at Hindustan Unilever Limited and later served on the board of Tata Sons, has joined SPJIMR as Executive in Residence.
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The appointment was announced by SPJIMR, a top ranked school of management in India, which said Mr.Gopalakrishnan would spend four days a month on the SPJIMR campus to work on applied research projects which will showcase best practices and trends in Indian management thought and practice.
He will also be involved in student teaching and mentoring, and will interact directly with SPJIMR students.
The appointment comes as SPJIMR readies for a sharper focus on research, thought leadership, innovation and proactive engagement with industry.
Mr. Gopalakrishnan has already had several meetings with faculty members at SPJIMR and took time to sit through and advise a full day workshop on 'Thought Leadership' conducted recently on campus.
Mr. Gopalakrishnan said, "I had a very rewarding first career in Unilever for 31 years. I had a fascinating second career at Tata for another 18 years. After 49 years of corporate work, while technically I have retired, I am actually 're(f)ired' for a third career under my brand of mindworks. What keeps me very, very busy are my waste activities - writing, advising, speaking, teaching and exercise.
"I wanted to be associated with an institution where I could contribute to people who are seeking to make a career in teaching and learning. TATA has recruited at SPJIMR for several years. So I am very happy to be Executive in Residence at SPJIMR," Mr. Gopalakrishnan said.
He added, "I have met several of the faculty of SPJIMR and what I find interesting is that the Institute, unlike many others I have seen, has a clear purpose. Even more impressive is that the faculty understands and believes in this purpose."
SPJIMR Dean Dr. Ranjan Banerjee said he was delighted that SPJIMR would now have the benefit of Mr. Gopalakrishnan's advice and support as the Institute prepares to launch new programmes and initiatives.
"Mr. Gopalakrishnan is a natural teacher. He is a terrific storyteller and can present a conceptual overview of almost any subject in a simple way. He has a number of innovative ideas and we will soon initiate a few research projects based on this. He has met a few students one on one and I am sure they are significantly wiser for the experience. Even in a few days, we are feeling the impact. Across the board, we are very positive about his initial interactions with us," Dr. Banerjee said.
About Mr. R Gopalakrishnan
Mr. R Gopalakrishnan studied engineering at IIT Kharagpur and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He has been a professional manager from 1967. He has served as Chairman of Unilever Arabia, MD of Brooke Bond Lipton, Vice Chairman of Hindustan Lever, ED of Tata Sons and several Tata companies.
He also serves as an independent director of listed companies, Akzo Nobel India, Castrol India, and Hemas Holdings PLC, Sri Lanka.
He is actively engaged in both instructional and inspirational speaking. He has also authored five books.
About SPJIMR
S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) (http://www.spjimr.org) is a constituent of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and is ranked among the top ten business schools of India. As a premier school of management, SPJIMR is noted for pedagogic innovations and pioneering programmes, which have helped the Institute stand out for its unique and distinctive path in management education.
The philosophical pillars upon which rests the edifice of SPJIMR's educational pedagogy and development are 'influencing practice' and 'promoting value-based growth'.
SPJIMR sits on a sprawling 45 acre campus in the western suburbs of Andheri in Mumbai. Its oldest programme is the two-year Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM). SPJIMR runs a highly successful Post Graduate Family Managed Business (PGFMB) programme, the 15-month Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM), the Post Graduate Executive Management Programme (PGEMP), the Global Management Programme (GMP - formerly known as PGCIM), the Post Graduate Programme in Development Management (PGP-DM) programme.
Media contact:
Prof. Abbasali Gabula
[email protected]
+91-9821362495
Deputy Director (External Relations & Administration)
S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research
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