Time Out

The Man behind the MD's Chair

Never could have Anil Kamath, MD, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai imagined that he will be heading the same organisation, that was once his 'client.' We tell you more on his interesting journey

When was the last time you heard about a Chartered Accountant (CA) heading a hospital? That's Anil Kamath for you- Managing Director of Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai. "I joined the pharma division of Wockhardt Group, as a finance accountant and in a brief stint of six years, took over as a head of finance in 1984," says Kamath.

He then left the organisation for greener pastures, only to return back in 1998 after a gap of 14 years as Vice President Business Development and then to the position of the MD of Wockhardt Hospital. Over the years, he joined Unichem Laboratories as Vice-President - Finance, where he worked for four years and then Blue Star Limited, India's foremost air conditioning company as Executive Vice-President. He served the company for eight years. Today at 57, Kamath is quite enthused for having been worked for this sunrise sector at the start of his career. "I always wanted to take up medicine and become a doctor. But I had an open discussion with my father who was an engineer by profession and he made me realise my strengths and weaknesses from a clear perspective," says Kamath. The growing influence of healthcare sector in the Indian economy excites him, "I think healthcare is going through an exciting phase. Awareness amongst the consumers and the increased propensity to pay at all levels is driving healthcare to improve the quality of life," opines Kamath.

Apart from work, his life revolves around his family which comprises of his wife and two children. His better half Dr Sandhya Kamath (53) is the Dean of Mumbai based Sion Hospital. "She is not only my closest confidante but also a good adviser. Since we both are working for the healthcare sector, we take each other's opinions into account. I take hers on the clinical matters, while she takes mine on the administration side," shares Kamath. His daughter Ashwini (24) is a qualified architect, while his son Ameya (21) has just graduated in management studies. Kamath and his son share the same passion for wildlife and the family has visited many wildlife sanctuaries together. "Now that I am very busy with Wockhardt's growth, I do not really get that kind of time," says Kamath. The Kamath family's favorite visiting spot is Goa. "Apart from its scenic beauty it is also a place where the temple of our family deity is situated," he states.

In his free time he is fond of reading and his quest to learn makes him take some time out to teach as well. "I still am continuing with education by teaching at the various management forums. Teaching continuously keeps me on the learning curve. I meet a lot of people, share experiences which in turn, has made me richer as a person and also keeps me updated on different sectors," shares Kamath. He is an avid reader and considers it synonymous with relaxation. His loves reading management books like Harvard Business Review, the Fortune and the Economist, and also does a bit of fictional reading. "Reading stimulates my mind. Currently, I am reading a very interesting book by CK Prahalad called ‘the New Era of innovations’, which talks about the paradigm changes that are taking place which will change the way businesses are run today and the kind of change one should expect in the near future," he shares.

He keeps himself fit by going for regular morning walks and going to the gym. "Walking is a good de-stressing activity and helps me remain active all the time," shares Kamath. He likes all genres of music, be it Hindi or English, classical or filmy. "I don't have any specific likings in music. Any music that sounds good to my ears, is ok with me," says Kamath.

As of now, we take him through the 'Mixed-bag' to share his good and some not-so-good moments.

The Mixed Bag

Your best prize in life so far
That is a difficult one, I can't really figure out what is the best prize. I think I always got recognition wherever I was.

Your first day in school
That was long ago. I was a little lost because for the first time my parents left me in school and they had to go home. I was all alone by myself. I was just playing around, little anxious looking out for my mother who was not there but the teacher was quite reassuring and then I got settled quite easily.

Your first ambition
To become a doctor but I became a CA. I feel I took a right decision.

Your first day at work
It was at Wockhardt and it was very comfortable because my association with Wockhardt was much before that. It was actually one of my first clients when I started working as a trainee through my CA firm. So, my first day at work was extremely comfortable because I knew the Chairman and the organisation. I was quite comfortable.

The first time you fired somebody
The only time I fired a person was once, when I found that the issue was related to integrity. This is something I will not condone.

The toughest decision you have taken
The toughest decision was choosing between CA or business management after completing my graduation in commerce.

The best memory of your childhood
My birthday celebrations. My parents used to always celebrate my birthdays with lot of friends coming in and all of us having a great time.

Your happiest moment
When I got qualified as a CA in 1978.

Your funniest moment
Once I bought a chocolate and kept it on a table and went out just for five minutes. In that period my dog silently stole the chocolate and ate it. I hunted for the missing chocolate till I found him running all over the room with it. That incidence was quite funny.

Three things you can not do without
My pen, watch and a smile on my face.

One trait that you would like to change about yourself
I feel I need to become a little more firm with people. I guess I am a little too soft and sensitive at times.

Your first vehicle
It was way back in 1976, a very popular four wheeler model called Standard.

One parental advice that you remember
My father gave me an important piece of advice which I still follow- work very hard and do things independently, without depending on anyone.

Sonal Shukla