IIM Calcutta hosts the 5th Arijit Mukherji Memorial Lecture virtually with corporate expert Mr. Shiv Shivakumar

Kolkata: The Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta organized virtually the fifth edition of The Professor Arijit Mukherjee Memorial Lecture on 17th February. The lecture was delivered by Mr. Shiv Shivakumar, IIMC’S distinguished alumnus and Group Executive President- Corporate Strategy & Business Development – Aditya Birla Group.
Mr. Shiv Shivkumar is also the bestselling author of his recently published book titled ‘The Right Choice: Resolving 10 Career Dilemmas for Extraordinary Success’.
‘The Right Choice’ delves deep into the ten frequently faced dilemmas in a person’s career. The author shares his wisdom and experiences from his illustrious career as one of India Inc’s longest-serving CEOs. In his trademark straightforward and lucid style, he spoke of lessons and learnings on each of the ten dilemmas. The book also contains insights and perspectives from twenty-four highly experienced professionals.
A brand expert, Mr. Shiv Shivakumar has worked with various multinational brands over the years. He is an alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Calcutta and is one of the few people to receive the ‘distinguished alumnus’ award from both these institutions. Prior to his current position at the Aditya Birla Group, he was the Chairman and CEO for PepsiCo India for four years and before that he was with Nokia as CEO for India and emerging markets for nearly a decade.
The virtual event started with an address by Prof. Vipul Mathur, Dean, Chairperson – Students Affairs, IIM Calcutta where he described Late Prof. Arijit as a prolific scholar who was widely recognized in the field of experimental economics. Born in Calcutta, he studied at St Xavier’s School and at St. Xaviers College and completed his PhD in the USA. The first lecture took place in 2016 and has had in the past notable speakers – Nobel laureate Prof Mohd Yunus, Mr. Madhusudan Gopalan, MD & CEO of P&G India and Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India- Mr Krishnamurthy Subramanian.

Amidst a virtual audience of over 700 members from across the globe with a mix of students, faculty, professors and corporate leaders, Prof. Anju Seth, Director, IIM Calcutta enthusiastically welcomed Mr. Shiv Shivakumar to his alma mater. She introduced him as an acclaimed thought leader and a great friend to both the Institute and her personally. Prof Seth spoke highly about his contribution to the corporate sector and expressed her gratitude to him for sharing his insights with our audience.
Mr. Shivakumar started his speech by remembering the late Professor Arijit Mukherji. The topic of his address was ‘The Right Choice; Journey from a student to a company, to a leader’. He shared insights about the career dilemmas that are faced by the young graduates in a post Covid-19 ecosystem. He discussed problem solving techniques related to ‘managing a career’ in the lives of MBA students and managers as well. He highlighted the dilemmas that students face for various career decisions, be it choosing the right subjects, which sector/industry to work in, and how to perform well in the corporate setup. He also gave meaningful industry insights and valuable advice on how best to have a successful career based on our interests.
The lecture was followed by an enthusiastic Q&A from students and faculty alike. Mr Shivakumar encouraged the students to make the right choices and prepare themselves for a better tomorrow.