Q. Let’s start with your short Introduction (Your childhood, educational background, hobbies etc.)
After completing my schooling from Scholastica, I moved to the UK for my higher studies and subsequently returned after finishing my master’s degree from the London School of Economics (LSE). My education was focused on Business IT and Digital Innovation. I am currently working as the Head of ‘IT and Digital Marketing’ at Northern University alongside my role as a part-time Senior Lecturer. I am also actively overseeing my family’s real estate and hospitality business, Praasad Group of Companies, where I am leading Marketing and Sales. I am the Country Representative for ‘World Marketing Summit’ which is an annual assembling of the world’s leading marketeers and prominent industry experts. The purpose is to share strategies and insights for promoting a sustainable future through marketing. I have recently started working with the government (PPP Authority at PM office) on digitalization of education in public schools and colleges across Bangladesh. As I plan on undertaking my PhD soon, I’m working on my thesis proposal for ‘Black-boxing of Innovation and Digitalization of Govt. Services in Bangladesh’. Keeping my professional aspects aside, I am a gym junkie but a foodaholic at heart. I am also an active member of the Bangladesh automobile scenario. I hold a strong passion for cars.
Q. Tell us about your association with the Prasad Group of companies and what goals is it trying to achieve?
Praasad Group started its venture in 1997 with a fair number of residential projects. We keyed into the tourism industry in 2005 with a few projects in Cox’s Bazaar and Saint Martin’s. By 2008, our emphasis drifted from residential to commercial projects. I head the Marketing and Sales team at this company and ardently work with these facets at all of Praasad’s developments. For the past year, I have been personally overseeing our breakthrough project, the Mirpur shopping complex, which is designated to be one of the leading malls in the city. We’re also preparing to take a few more housing projects and intend to expand our tourism segment with new luxury resorts in Bandarban, Sundarban, Rangamati, etc.
Q. Share your experience as head of IT and Digital Marketing at Northern University and what excites you more about the IT and digital sector?
Ever since my college days, I’ve been exceedingly passionate about IT and apprehended a massive scope in this prospect in Bangladesh. In the past 10 years, the involvement of digitalization in Bangladesh has been remarkable in diversified financial and educational aspects. From my university days, I realized I could contribute broadly to my country if I considered studying in this track. As the head of IT, I administer the infrastructure of the overall IT system. We’re also operating several smaller systems where I’m persistently striving to bring innovative modifications. I actively believe that in today’s world, the importance of technical proficiency is unparalleled. I consistently aim to train all teachers at regular intervals so that they are up to date with the contemporary arrangements. I have also introduced the first virtual learning system at Northern University where 5000 students have already enrolled. I truly believe that every organization should brand themselves because it directly impacts their stance in the business domain and impacts their commercial undertakings. We attempt to represent all our happenings and endorsements to the corporate world so that the communal leaders have a solid impression which makes it easier for them to judge our credibility.
Q. You have been working as a CEO of The World Marketing summit Bangladesh. What is its vision and what are the type of activities you are doing from this channel?
World Marketing Summit is founded by Professor Philip Kotler, better known as the father of modern marketing. I first met him in 2017 at a conference in Thailand. We have been in discussions with him about the prospects of accurate marketing and rationalizing the idea of bringing all the marketers of Bangladesh under a common platform for exchange of knowledge and information. Bangladesh has a different approach in creating strategies and campaigns compared to the west as we have to keep the market and population in mind. So, the goal for creating this platform is to bring the expertise from overseas to the local marketers. In the World Marketing Summit, I just don’t target corporate officials but each and every marketing student from universities as well. I have generated a database of 3500 marketing students across Bangladesh and the maximum responses were from the students yearning to attend the World Marketing Summit. The knowledge of the marketing students in Bangladesh is fairly textbook centered. However, in order to become a suitable marketer, one needs to gather skills beyond these fetters. The students need to be aware of the proper functioning of the market and devise the skills to deliver and market their products to the seven segments in our economy. This material can be best dispersed by the prominent marketers in our country. So, I want to give them an insight of the real marketing world so that they don’t struggle with bewilderment after their graduation. For the corporates, we hold a Summit every year involving all the leading marketers in Bangladesh. This also helps the students to have an idea about the real trade domain and acquire data through the understandings of the leaders. Moreover, the World Marketing Summit is also going to launch two new courses on marketing very soon and we plan to provide guidance if somebody wants to pursue a higher degree in marketing.
Q. How do you maintain the diversified sector simultaneously, since you are occupied with the different sectors of Praasad group and are engaged with the IT and Marketing sector at the same time?
Honestly, I took this very inspiration from my father. I have seen him operating in diverse sectors concurrently. We were brought up in a way that instilled the design of implementing a multifaceted view at work. I like working under pressure. One, amid the many goals I have is to digitalize the public sector which is very much in alignment to what I am doing in the university and with the PPP authority. While I’m working here, I am also being able to particularize my auxiliary ambitions through this. So, in a way this is not really difficult from what I am trying to achieve. I can utilize my experiences to fulfill my brimming dreams. The liaison that I created through the World Marketing summit genuinely helped me in the marketing segment of our company. I work with people from all kinds of backgrounds; but the experience, approach and engagement are different with each. This teaches me a lot about human psychology. I attempt to plan out my strategies in a systematic way.
Q. What is your current and ideal work/life balance and how do you keep yourself motivated?
I invincibly believe that in order to stay vigorous and focused, one needs to keep a check on his/her mental health as well. Self-care is acutely significant. I work till 5 pm and then carry on with some of my recreational activities to possess health and happiness. I work out regularly and love to drive about under the bustling city lights. Mental health is a vital part of our lives. To keep myself motivated, I draw several aspirations. I try to pick a focus and stay driven around it until I accomplish it. Then, I attempt to hunt for my next target that will retain my motivation for the next 1 or 2 weeks. If I fixate on the 1-year dream project, several distractions emanate in the way and it becomes difficult to strive for that motivation all year round. So, the small targets amidst the bigger projects help me acquire a mental gratification and I like to stay cheerful in that manner.
Q. What is your planning and what goal you want to achieve through your passion and current ventures?
Fundamentally, I want to make my parents proud. I wish to devour commercial construction, learn about smart buildings and contribute towards the education sector of Bangladesh while working closely with the government. I am also working as the CEO of the World Marketing Summit where I endeavor to strengthen my corporate relationships. I am involved with the Youth Policy forum, a platform for people to discuss and learn about the pressing policy challenges that our country and the world faces today. I personally administer the ‘Innovation’ fragment. We have appropriated this forum to the government as well.
Q. What are the factors you look for in being a young leader?
I think it is important to dream. Having a goalmouth and doing something just out of love is genuine happiness for me. Working smart and not just hard, plays an imperative role in each and every development I involve myself with. Young leaders today are required to be street smart and also be upright communicators. My vision is to present myself as a keen marketer and have momentous influence in working with the youth of our country.
