Interview Log – A Day in the Life of a Technical and Marketing Head

A Technical and Marketing Head is involved in a variety of roles that essentially include drafting business strategies, managing the brand, conducting campaign management for marketing initiatives, and more. It is a demanding role where you need to juggle many tasks throughout the day.

To give you an insight into just what the life of a Technical and Marketing Head is like, we interviewed Mr. Kapil Gandhi. Having over 16 years of rich experience in the Indian Automotive Industry, Mr. Kapil oversees the marketing and technical management of Indemitsu Lube India, a leading brand in Engine Oil & Lubricants Manufacturing and a subsidiary of Idemitsu Kosan Co. (Japan).

Read on to find out what a typical day in the life of a Technical and Marketing Head looks like, what skills and qualifications are required, as well as a piece of advice from Mr. Kapil to those who aspire to work in that role.

 

A Day in the Life of a CEO and Managing Director

1. Please share a brief introduction about your role as a Head – Technical & Marketing at Idemitsu.

Mr. Kapil: I have been one of the members involved in setting up the company’s own & independent operations in India. Being associated with the company for over 12 years, I got an opportunity to undertake various roles in sales, technology and marketing division.

Today, I am Heading- Technical & Marketing Department. I am directly responsible for drafting business strategy & setting up business direction in India.

As a Head- Technical & Marketing department, it is my responsibility to define and manage the brand and conduct campaign management for marketing initiatives that can contribute to the efficient implementation of our business strategies with the mission of our organization

For the same, I have a great team who helps me in the day-to-day management of all functions and allows me to oversee all communications involving the organization including the development and implementation of communications strategy with a broad and diverse range of marketing and business communications. 

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2. What’s your job like? Is there a typical day or is each day different? Can you give us a basic idea of what you do and the kind of projects you work on?

Mr. Kapil: My main job is to support Managers who are leading new initiatives related to technology, marketing & product management.

A typical day is completely different from what it was, a year back. Now it has become more Formal meetings through digital mediums where we review & discuss all of the ongoing projects and respond to strategies being implemented in the market. 

Once in the office, I hold meetings with my managers to keep up with the affairs of the Group, formulate a further course of action, and discuss projects which need immediate attention and also about various aspects of organization sustenance, culture, and growth.

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3. Please shed some light on your career path and how did you move from a Senior Engineer role to Head – Technical & Marketing role? 

Mr. Kapil: I completed my Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical stream from a reputed institute in India. Joining Idemitsu in the sales section was different from my previous assignments. I realized that technology is as important as any other skill set so in order to perform better so I started to learn about Lubricant technology while fulfilling my sales-related tasks assigned to me. 

In parallel to working as a sales professional, I got an opportunity to study management at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. It helped me to understand various management practices, being followed in various big organizations.

Since Idemitsu was in setup & expansion mode, I got direct involvement in all major projects related to sales, supply chain, legal, manufacturing, etc which helped me gain the valuable experience required for a bigger role. 

Last but not the least, I started to set up a Technical & Marketing department, identified key managers and team members with long term business goals.  

 

4. Tell us about some lessons that you have learned to excel in this field.

Mr. Kapil: One of the fundamental points I could learn from experience is “ It’s important to bring the right person at the right position first, then start to develop them for future roles”. 

Another important point which I have learned from Japanese leadership practice is “Employee development is required for personal or professional growth but it is an essential tool utilized for productivity & efficiency improvement of an organization”.

 

5. With 16+ years of industry experience, according to you, what skills or characteristics make someone a seasoned Marketing professional? 

Mr. Kapil: A seasoned professional is always an important asset to an organization. He has a lot to offer. Along with your domain expertise which needs upgrading every now and then, developing certain other skills can help you master your job role and evolve yourself as a seasoned professional. I believe that Marketing professionals have to be reliable, consistent, dependable and an active listener with leadership skills.

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6. What expert advice will you give to mid-level managers to move on to leadership roles?

Mr. Kapil: A manager cannot become a leader until he or she understands the difference between managing and leading.  

My advice for managers (leaders in the making) is “Positive influence always attracts positive energy and only positivity can bring a cohesive environment where anyone can perform and deliver much better than expectations”.      

 

7. Which certifications do you hold, how these certificates have helped you in career growth? (Mention the name of the certificates and brief learning).

Mr. Kapil: I did my B.E. from MDU, Rohtak and also MBA from IIMC (Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta) that has helped me to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex global business environment with changing technology.

However, the mentorship by my seniors in the company is something that has given me practical exposure to all the gamuts of our industry and overall business scenario.

 

8. Which certification courses, skill development paths, books, or channels do you recommend to aspiring Marketing professionals for upskilling? Also, please suggest any course for those who are planning for leadership roles?

Mr. Kapil: On the job training (OJT) is the most appropriate method of developing an individual for a bigger role. Classroom type of training can always help an individual to understand the theoretical part and get to know success or failure stories of different industries or situations so that those insights can be utilized as a reference. Leadership programs by Top B Schools like IIM’s or ISB can be considered based on requirements. 

And, there is no end to learning, it just depends on your interest and your aspiration. In addition to formal courses, we are also blessed to have mentors from the industry who are working closely with the organization in grooming and mentoring their leaders. This is a great way for future leaders to learn from experts.

 

9. Last words – Do you have any expert advice for our readers?

Mr. Kapil: Reading is a habit everyone needs to develop in life so I only have one piece of advice for our readers “Never ever stop learning”.

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