Mrs. Mariakutty Varkey, Professor at SCMS-COCHIN, Talks about the Need for Value Addition among New Age Managers
Mrs. Mariakutty Varkey joined SCMS-COCHIN as Head of Department Systems and Operations after a 23 year long stint in the IT industry. Her decision to explore the teaching space came after working in Senior Management positions in the areas of software development, project management, quality management and operations of companies such as Keltron, Sun Tec Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd and T&D Labs (Software) Pvt. Ltd.
Mrs. Mariakutty is also a certified ISO 9000:2000 QMS Lead Auditor. Her inclination towards sharing her experiences and taking on new challenges compelled her to take up an academic teaching position at SCMS-COCHIN.
After gaining a rich industry experience, when asked to express as to how students can best cope in high pressure corporate environments, she explains, “One should always do one’s homework properly. When you start working on any project, you need to first understand every nuance, collect and process as much information as possible about the project/client/users, and then tackle the problem in a structured, step-by-step manner.”
As a Head of Systems and Operations, her teaching philosophies revolve around leveraging student interactions, motivating and sharing her industry experiences with her students. She guides them as to what really works in the industry and what doesn’t. She says, “SCMS-COCHIN is offering a specialisation in Systems and Operations and most of the students who opt for this stream are engineers. With my interactions with fresh engineers in industry, I always used to feel a sort of disconnect between the theory they learnt in colleges and the practical skills that they need to have in industry. I thought I will try my best to narrow this gap in my area of specialisation. And the management of SCMS–COCHIN was very supportive in initiating this process. Today many of my students are working in IT companies as business analysts, test leads, processes analysts etc . I am very happy about it and enjoy their company mainly over Face book!”
When we asked her about the job opportunities in the field of Systems and Operations, she moves on to elaborate, “Students with System and Operations specialisation can fit in very well in the industry as business analysts, project leads, quality analysts, test engineers, IT/ industrial products sales executives, operations managers, market research executives etc”
Apart from academics, Professor Mariakutty also spearheads the international ACBSP accreditation activities for SCMS-COCHIN. She along with her team successfully achieved this accreditation for the institute, making SCMS-COCHIN the only institute in Kerala and third one in India to possess one. “I was coordinating the International accreditation (ACBSP) activities for SCMS-COCHIN. This is a quality initiative which involves coordination and interaction with people at all levels as well as external agencies. It was a real good team work and fruitful learning exercise for all of us. SCMS group is implementing a full fledged ERP system and I am a core member of the implementation team. I also involve in MDP and consultancy initiates in my domain.”
On a parting note, she exclaims her inclination to play a role of a mentor for her students. She does not believe in spoon feeding them, but simply facilitating their growth process. Students should be facilitated to explore their full potential and become great managers when they go out in the industry. They should be encouraged to keep themselves updated with value additions in the form of proficiency in tools, techniques and certifications in their chosen area.
“I enjoy taking up challenging assignments and working under pressure. The sense of satisfaction that you get after completing a project successfully is something which you always cherish. I look forward to taking up more consultancy jobs as I feel that it is an opportunity to work closely with industry. We can help them with our experience and we get to update ourselves resulting in a win-win situation for both”, adds Prof. Mariakutty, as a concluding remark.
It is official: SCMS-Cochin is now a world-class B-school. The institution now has the unique distinction of being among just a handful of B-schools in India that have met the exclusively high standards of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), a global agency that is responsible for the accreditation of business schools. Headquartered in Overland Park, a suburb of Kansas City, the ACBSP’s Board of Commissioners confirmed the accreditation of SCMS-Cochin on May 1, 2012.
Accreditation is considered the hallmark of a quality B-school education, and students at SCMS-Cochin are thrilled by the honor bestowed upon it from the ACBSP. Given that this accreditation can have life changing consequences for the students, Chintu Motwani, first year student sums up the overall sentiment of those on the SCMS-Cochin campus:
“This makes us only the 7th B-school in India to have won the ACBSP’s stamp of approval. Globally, this means greater visibility for SCMS-Cochin and better placement opportunities for its students, as most of the global corporate giants have a policy of visiting only ACBSP accredited B-schools for recruitment. For all of us who are currently at SCMS-Cochin, as well as the students in the forthcoming batches, this is absolutely amazing.”
For the faculty, the journey has been just as rewarding as the end results. For Prof. Mariakutty Varkey , HOD Systems Department the accreditation is just another indicator of the excellence one can expect at SCMS-Cochin.
“Not only is the endorsement by ACBSP a testimony to the robustness and relevancy of our teaching methods at SCMS-Cochin, but it also shows that we are equally willing to learn. The accreditation process has also helped us to integrate a series of globally recognized best practices with regard to our programs and courses.”
SCMS-Cochin has consistently been ranked among the top B-schools in India, the top three B-schools in South India and the best B-school in Kerala. It has been an AICTE-approved institute for many years and has been conferred with the ISO 9001:2008 certification for quality. Given these credentials, maintaining high standards was not a new concept for SCMS-Cochin when Dr. Bijoy Sahoo, Dean of the School of Business at North Carolina Central University, undertook the task of mentoring SCMS-Cochin for the accreditation process. Dr. Sahoo feels that SCMS-Cochin has truly transformed into a world-class B-school.
“The faculty at SCMS-Cochin has always been great in terms of qualification and diligence towards their responsibility of grooming the future global business leaders. They take pride in what they do. Individually, they were self-aware, but as a group, they were not strong enough before the accreditation process. Now, I find them interacting more among themselves and moving as a team. That is a magical change. It has brought in the ‘wow’ factor in SCMS-Cochin.”
“SCMS Cochin has prepared me to brave the real world of business”:- Jenna Tresa Joseph- PGDM, 2010-2012 BATCH
Ask Jenna about her two years at SCMS -COCHIN and she is full of praise for the institution. This is her way of thanking the school which put her career on the right path. Her training and exposure make her feel confident to face the competitive world of business where there is no place for mediocrity.
“Academics, extra-curricular activities, industry exposure, practical training, and project work are some of the important aspects of our training which have contributed to overall grooming of the students,” said Jenna.
She found the curriculum is devised to meet the needs of every student, irrespective of his or her educational background.
“Foundation training in the very beginning of the course helps students understand the purpose of doing the course and how the activities and programs will eventually transform them into business leaders,” says Jenna. “This exercise immensely helps those students who are not from a commerce background and need some help before they finally start swimming in the sea of the business world.”
According to Jenna, the three months she spent on her project in Delhi gave her first-hand experience at running a big organization. She was with a courier company and learned in order to remain afloat, it is important to keep operations costs low and deliver on time, every time.
“That was my real experience of testing the waters myself, evaluating the minute details and finally understanding what it takes to run a business smoothly,” says Jenna.
It is time for final-year students like Jenna to say goodbye to SCMS COCHIN. Everyone is emotional including Jenna.
“I am going to remain nostalgic for a long time to come. These two years have been the best part of my life, but we have to move on and need to put into practise what we have learnt here,” says Jenna.
She majored in marketing and finance and already has a position with Deloitte. For the first three months she will work as a management trainee and then as a consultant.
Jenna is thankful to her teachers at SCMS COCHIN for the education and training imparted to her.
To junior students she offers this advice: “They should work hard and keep themselves abreast of current affairs and business news, as this would help them immensely when they appear for placement interviews.”
“A lesson from SCMS-Cochin that I’d keep for life…” :- Geethu Venugopal -PGDM, Banking,2010-2012 BATCH.
Coming from God’s own country – Kerala, Geetha recently majored in banking management at SCMS-COCHIN. She believes to have the right approach and perspective in life, you need to be in the right school!
“SCMS-COCHIN is a great place to be in. Insights I got here have given me a professional outlook. I can see the kind of change that I have gone through, when I entered SCMS and now as I pass out of it.”
Geetha would only settle for a college that didn’t just promise the best but ensured it, and SCMS-COCHIN was the right fit for her.
“SCMS stands out in many ways, especially the facilities it provides. It keeps on incorporating programs beneficial to the students, like the recent business simulation program, which was a great exposure.”
Geetha feels some lessons are better learnt in the field, so you can think, gauge, learn and implement them.
“OBTs (Out Bound Trainings) are exciting. These are off-sites, clubbed with a lot of activities, where we learn about relative aspects like team spirit, which are relevant to real life.”
Apart from curriculum, lectures, training, assignments and case studies, a hands-on approach from real businessmen in industry proved beneficial.
“The Institute Industry Interface (III) program at SCMS gave us a chance to interact with great businessmen from all over India. They visited our college and shared their stories. The experience was overwhelming, because those insights were insights from businessmen who have applied their strategies to make their business successful.”
Geetha is ready to take on the professional world. As she moves on, she fondly talks about her most memorable learning experience.
“At ‘Shikhar’, the Management Fest conducted by SCMS-COCHIN, we have different committees and mentor groups, with their respective functions. I was with the student committee and I took the initiative.”
But when something got messed up and it was not her fault, she found when you initiate something the blame falls on you.
“My mentor then gave me a key lesson: ‘Whatever is happening around you, you are responsible.’ If you have this attitude, nothing will go wrong, because, if I’m responsible for it, I will make sure it goes right. So that is one lesson I’d keep for life.”
Divya Unnikrishnan, who comes from Ernakulum, is eager to learn and finds opportunity in every moment. After graduating with a B.Com from Kerala Vidyapeeth, she wanted to pursue an MBA. She sat for her MAT exams, faired well to attend good colleges across the country, but in the process of searching out a college farther away she came across SCMS-COCHIN, one of the best institutes in Kerala, explored the range of courses, and made a quick switch.
“SCMS has many PGDM courses, which are more professional and relevant to current trends and demand in the industry – more like specialization courses – so I changed my mind.”
You have to be aware of the world around you and Divya soon realized her key to knowledge.
“I was not the curious kind when I came to SCMS-COCHIN, but soon I understood the importance of knowing about what’s happening in the world. I read newspapers, interviews, updated myself on the Internet and that’s how I came to know why and how different people in different professions are successful and how they became big entrepreneurs. I was updated on their recent achievements and activities.”
“Lives have become fast and professional life is no exception, but we are ready and that’s what we learnt at SCMS-COCHIN.”
“When we were loaded with many lectures, tests and assignments, all in the same day, there was a lot of stress that we underwent, but prioritizing work and doing many things helped us to manage stress and learn multi-tasking at the same time. We would literally do a lot of stuff together, which would help us in our corporate days.”
Knowledge is vast and it cannot be confined to pass through a few channels.
“Life before SCMS-Cochin was spoon-fed, but here we have a paradise of knowledge, because we are not confined to a small team and stringent means. SCMS has opened the world to us, giving us a lot of exposure. We have triple-i (Institute Industry Interface ) sessions and IMLP (Integrated Managerial Learning Programme) , which help us think out of the box and be creative, helping us grow both personally and professionally.”
Living in a hostel, Divya was quick to get the hang of people management.
She has just one thing to say to her juniors: “There’s abundance of opportunity on campus – make the most out of it.”
SCMS-Cochin Homecoming proves to be an emotional experience for alumnus Anith Puthiyangath
It was an emotional homecoming for SCMS-Cochin alumnus Anith Puthiyangath, one that ensured he’ll be “a lifelong fan of SCMS.”
Arriving for the institute’s Homecoming 2012, an event where alumni are invited back to interact with students, on April 24 he said “It was very emotional coming back to SCMS after all these years and having seen how far SCMS has progressed. I am proud to have been a part of it.”
Anith said “What touched me the most on my visit was the love and affection I received from you guys, it really felt like I was back home after all these years. I can assure you; you will see and hear a lot more from me in the future.”
His life and career have taken him on a long journey since he graduated from SCMS.
Initially he returned to Palakkad, Kerala and spent a few months restructuring the 100-year-old family business of producing and trading in edible oils, then branched out and took a sales job with an IT marketing firm in Chennai.
From there he landed a post as sales trainee with PepsiCo, also in Chennai and quickly rose to the position of Customer Executive in sales, distribution and key accounts management.
Next, Anith returned to academia, attending Leeds University in the UK to obtain another MBA and then accepted an offer with Sony Gulf in Dubai.
“One of my best stints so far, the role was in product marketing and the markets involved the entire Middle East and North Africa,” he said. The best thing about the job was the constant travelling to my markets and the Far East, which gave me an insight into different cultures, habits and customs. Travelling along with education for me is an investment in oneself.
For personal reasons he returned to the UK and took up an offer as a Buyer with Sonex Communications (a retail partner of Sony UK) based in Mayfair, London and “this I would say has been one of my toughest roles to date” keeping in mind we were in retail and we were operating in one of the most competitive retail markets in the world.
Anith is currently promoting VARGHESE chroma and is simultaneously looking at new ventures. VARGHESE as he is lovingly called is passionate about ‘unique’ & ‘exquisite’ objects for home and person and ‘exciting’ designers with a story to tell. Currently VARGHESE’s work can be accessed through the blog but watch this space as there is work being done for the launch of an exclusive ‘VARGHESE chroma’ website featuring ‘exciting’ designers with real stories to tell and who lovingly create objects for you and me to enjoy, look after and pass on to the next generation.
At the SCMS homecoming Anith was booked to speak to what he thought would be a small group of students – and found he was facing an audience of 200.
“I was already in the room and it was too late to attempt an escape,” he said. “I hope I did justice for the time and effort you guys put in and at least a handful of the crowd felt it was worthwhile.
“Now looking back the ‘homecoming’ was one of the highlights of this trip and one I would recommend all of us should try and do. I enjoyed the experience and I left SCMS with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes, but at the same time I told myself I will be visiting and keeping in touch with this place a lot more in the future. The attention and love I received when I came back home to SCMS has ensured that you have a lifelong fan of SCMS in me.”
Launching their graduates in the corporate world with best wishes and high expectations, the prestigious School of Communication and Management Studies (SCMS), Cochin conducted its Convocation Ceremony on April 28. The Chief Guest of the ceremony was Sri A. P. M. Mohammed Hanish IAS, Managing Director, Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala Limited. Elected to Indian Administrative Services in 1996 in Kerala cadre, Sri Harish was the District Collector and District Magistrate of Ernakulam from July 2004 to May 2008. He then got promoted to the Director of Public Instruction from 2008 to 2011 and is presently the Managing Director, Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala Limited; Managing Director, Al Barakh Financial Services Ltd. and Chairman and Managing Director of Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation.
A highly respected individual, Sri A. P. M. Mohammed Hanish I.A.S addressed the students of SCMS and motivated them to strive for excellence. Addressing the 181 eager graduates, he said, “Those who acquire knowledge and implement it for the benefit of society are considered as the champions of the society.” He stressed on virtues such as sincerity and dedication to the job, humility, good sense and being grounded in the values and traditions that enshrine the history and culture of India. He said one should be willing to learn the merits that are present in other races and cultures such as punctuality, adherence to quality and shying away from procrastination.
Urging students to become not only good managers but also good human beings, Sri Hanish asked students to build a value-based society that embraces the good and shuns the bad. He also asked students to be benevolent towards the unfortunate and the deprived.
While Sri Hanish motivated students to inculcate good virtues in them, the Guest of honour, Sri Vinu Varghese, Senior Vice-President of Idea Cellular Ltd. and Circle Head, Kerala Operations, gave students an insight into the corporate world. Sharing his insights from the industry with SCMS graduates, Sri Varghese said, “The corporate world is hungry for talent. It is time for you to gear up for the challenge.” Urging students to get out and taste the world, he added that “if you have to grow, you have to go, move around and see how things work in different markets.”
Stressing on the age-old adage that ‘Change is the only Constant’, Sri Varghese asked SCMS students to become agents of change and breathe fresh life and energy into the organisations they join.
The jubilant students were handed over their diplomas and mementos by Sri Hanish. The meritorious students were then awarded by Sri Varghese. While the Best Student- Academics was awarded to Jerry Antony, the Best Outgoing Student award was given to Geordie Job Pottas. Other students who were awarded were- Christopher Kurian for being the top student in Banking and Insurance specialization and Vidya Nair as the top student in Retail Marketing and Merchandising.
The Convocation event concluded with a formal declaration of closure by presiding officer Prof. P. C. Pillai, followed by group photographs of all graduates, along with the faculty, members of management and guests, in front of the college and the ceremonial tossing of caps by the students. Then all the students, parents, faculty, members of management and guests gathered for lunch.
