You may have passed Sureka House many a time while walking down Loudon Street. On the third floor sits Anupama Sureka, a no-nonsense sort of lady in her late 50s. Her son, Prateek, has been in the news lately, for organising the Penn Masala shows. t2 dropped by the office of the new chairperson of FLO, Calcutta, to know more about her and her plans.
Define FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) in your words...
FLO is a platform that women can use to emerge as strong leaders. It is a kind of a catalyst where one gets the opportunity to learn.
As chairperson, what are your plans for FLO, Calcutta?
More events and workshops. I’m planning to launch business consultancy cell Swayam in Calcutta. It’s a fantastic initiative by the Delhi foundation where women entrepreneurs are connected with a panel of people who can convert ideas into businesses.
Did you always want to be the CEO of a company?
(Smiles) I wanted to be a doctor. But in those days, it was a long process followed by some years of internship. So after becoming a science graduate, I took up sociology instead and completely devoted myself to it; I would sit in the British Council library and read. Then I did my diploma in textile designing.
And now you handle a manufacturing unit in Nagpur!
When I became part of the Sureka family, I said, ‘I want to help out in the company. It is a challenge but I can do it’. And that day my journey started with accounts and finance. Then I studied HR and international trade, and then I said, ‘I want to be the CEO, the 100 per cent decision maker.’ And suddenly Mr [Arun] Sureka said, ‘Okay, you look after this unit’. It was a manufacturing unit in Nagpur where we make bicycle tyres and tubes. I was like, ‘Are you sure?’ I had butterflies in my stomach. I had by then learnt accounts and finance but I was not sure if I would immediately be able to do all these things! But I sat with all the papers and today I am a happy CEO of my unit!
What were some changes you brought about?
I had an interaction with each executive of the unit and asked them what they were doing for the last few years. I asked them to look at the current situation, point out the problems and think about cost-cutting. Let’s meet the vendors and the packing division, let’s have a look at the transportation because we have truckloads of stuff being exported. I found that there were many vendors with better prices that were not being tapped into. Then I found there was a lot of role overlapping too so I made all the KRAs (key responsibility areas) of staff members.
How do you divide time between Nagpur and Calcutta?
I go to Nagpur every month. In Calcutta, the Surekas are a 150-year-old family. We’re into the real estate business for the last 40-plus years [projects like South City, Urbana] and our other primary business is the rubber industry. We are opening a huge unit in Ludhiana end of this year or 2017.
Tell us a little about your personal life…
I have two sons, Prateek, who is based in Calcutta, and Varun, who is in Hyderabad. Both studied in La Martiniere for Boys and went to the University of Pennsylvania. Both are double degree holders from The Wharton School. The Dean of Wharton used to say, ‘Only these two boys can come to my chamber without permission, no one else’. That was a big compliment!
A regular day at work is…
My day starts at 6am. I like to do half an hour of meditation. Just introspecting. Then I exercise in my gym at home in Hyderabad. I have a trainer coming home. By 10.30am, I’m usually in office. And once I’m there, I’m a completely different person. I’m a tough person but I’m very kind at the same time. In the evenings, I like to spend time with family. I like to be out of work by 6pm and then Mr Sureka and I share the happenings of our day.
Any regrets?
None. I don’t believe in regrets. At that moment, whatever I did was required. I gave my best to my boys, husband and family. Now I want to give some time to myself.
Picture: Rashbehari Das
SNAP CHAT
Travel or stay home?
I like to travel but these days I travel every five days so I want to be just locked in my room and read books!
Your kind of books are...
The Difficulty Of Being Good by Gurcharan Das and Leadership Wisdom by Robin Sharma. I also used to read a lot of Dale Carnegie.
The book that changed you…
Reading Joyce Brothers [American psychologist] in my initial years changed a lot in me. It made me believe — ‘Yes I can do this’.
Shop till you drop?
Absolutely not! If I go shopping and I like the feel of the fabric, I say, okay, give me 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6! I’ve been using the same shade of lipstick and eye pencil for years.
Name two women you admire…
Recently, I met two women — (l-r) Debjani Ghosh (MD and VP, sales and marketing, Intel India) and Naina Lal Kidwai (country head, HSBC India) at the book launch of 30 Women in Power. I admire these kind of women. I like women achievers because I learn from them.
You love listening to...
Sufi music and Hindi songs like Arziyan and Maula mere, maula mere… it soothes the mind.
Breakfast consists of...
Figs, walnuts, almonds, papaya, anar and a cup of zero-fat milk. My lunch is also very healthy and then dinner is normal. I’m absolutely not a foodie.
When I eat out, it’s usually at...
Chinoiserie in Taj Bengal.
Your sun sign...
Sagittarius. We’re stupidly honest. A lot of people tell me that I’m not diplomatic and I say, ‘Let it be! Until now I have done my job well’.
