“Get out of your comfort zone”, advices Professor and Director, SSN School of Management, Srinivasan to the current youth and aspiring students

B. Srinivasan, Professor and Director, SSN School of Management has over three decades of experience in the Indian industry and over 9 years of experience in teaching marketing elective courses. He holds a B.Tech degree from Regional Engineering College, Trichy and a PGDM from the IIM, Kolkata where he was placed on the Roll of Honour. B. Srinivasan has extensive experience in the industry primarily in the FMCG sector. He has handled several roles in sales management, product and brand management, advertising and sales promotion at various levels in FMCG companies. He was also into strategic marketing consulting for major companies in the country. He has taught elective courses in sales and distribution management, consumer behaviour and brand management for full-time MBA students of Madras University, Anna University and post-graduate program in Management offered by Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, Chennai.  

Kindly tell us about your experience in the education industry and what makes it the best industry to work in?

It is perhaps one of the most challenging roles which call for a 100% involvement and dedication. This is true if you are not in the top tier of B Schools. When executed well and the outcome is good, the job can yield tremendous satisfaction that is comparable to any responsibility in other industry. Another interesting advantage is the opening of doors in any institution or corporate when you are from the education industry. It is heartening to see that most people respect education and are willing to go the extra mile to contribute.

Any of the significant challenges you faced as the Professor and Director of SSN School of Management?

Building a momentum in placement and retaining it is perhaps the most significant challenge which I faced as the Professor and Director of SSN School of Management. All other processes have to lead to this outcome. And a lot, including reputation, depends on this outcome.

How does your curriculum ensure best practices of industry?

As an affiliated institution, we operate under the curriculum, syllabus and assessments Anna University. The curriculum provides for extensive industry exposure by way of two internships. One for six weeks after the end of first year and another a four-month project-based internship in the final year. To supplement the curriculum, we blend industry practices by engaging people from the industry in academics, arranging industry visits. Being a fully residential program, we are able to go beyond the university curriculum to include real-life aspects.

What goals do you have in your mind for SSN School of Management?

We are a part of SSN Institutions. Our immediate aim is to become autonomous and in due course, a deemed University. This will give us a lot more flexibility in the academic process which will lead to better overall outcomes.

You pride yourself on the level of education and responsibility you teach here to students. How do you ensure the quality of education in your institution?

We believe that if there is a strong intention, quality will automatically follow. We are proud of the fact that our efforts in this direction have been recognized by many independent agencies such as NAAC (grade of A+), NIRF by MHRD (India Rankings band of 51 to 75) and certifications for ISO 9001:2015

How do you tend to establish a relationship with the students?

We do this mostly by following an open-door policy and being available to them. This is done without any compromise on quality.

How do you look at the growth of students through placement opportunities available at SSN School of Management? How do you wish to push the envelope further?

We have achieved a good track record in placement over the past years and we have alumni in many leading companies in India. We plan to pursue roles which entail higher responsibilities and offer a greater choice to our students. Even now, our policy is not to thrust any roles on students.

What is your philosophy of leadership? How would you describe your leadership style?

My philosophy is transparency and I think it is for others to comment on style. I don’t think too much about leadership style and so on and just get on with the job.

Any suggestions you would like to give to the current youth and the aspiring students?

Get out of your comfort zone. This summarizes it all.