Page 35 - GEIMS Chronicle 22nd Edition-July 2022

Mr Salil Raghavan Interview with top brass of GESCO
Head - HR

Mr Salil Raghavan, Head – of HR at The Great Eastern Shipping Company Ltd, was born and brought up in the cultural capital
of Kerala, Thrissur. He did his schooling in Thrissur where his mother was a teacher. She kept a strict check on his activities
during his childhood.
As a kid, he dreamt of playing cricket for India. But he could not continue his passion, though selected for the school team as
his mother believed in education over sports. He recalls a funny moment when his mother regretted not letting him play
cricket, when he lost out on 10% grace marks in nal exams for sports.
He pursued his degree in Bachelor of Technology in Industrial Engineering, from Trivandrum, he laughs saying he was
desperate to be independent as any teenager. Later he was equally desperate to get back home. Speaking of his engineering
college days, he calls it a disaster. He was drawn more toward extracurricular activities than academics.
He was a part of various things such as college magazine, student politics, and strikes, and joined the Students Federation of
India. He was nominated as hostel union secretary. With everything happening around him, he just could not truly focus on
academics. Later, he pursued MBA at XLRI, Jamshedpur.

He recalls it to be a refreshing change. He looks back at those 2 years as the highlights of his life and also academically
ful lling. He played for his college cricket team. He says most events in his life were wonderful accidents, even GESCO. He had
moved nearly 4 companies in the initial 13 years of his career till he found his true place in GESCO. He is here since the last 17
years.

When talking about what his expectations with cadets are, he says one must have the inquisitiveness to learn and be
focused, adapt and become competent to run things.
This is the profession where people get the opportunity to take up responsibility at a very young age, so the person has to
adapt to the environment and change. His message to all the cadets is “Be result oriented for yourself as well as the company.”

- Editorial Team

GEIMS CHRONICLE Twenty Second Edition July 2022 35
INDEX