Dreams never die
Less than 30 years ago, a teenager living in the Chawls (tenements) of Central Bombay (now Mumbai) dreamt of becoming one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world.
“I would own a large corporate, with many branches and divisional offices. I will provide employment to hundreds of people. I will, through honest means, strive hard and make my dream come true.”
He did not mention his dream to anyone for fear of being reprimanded to think of the unthinkable and chase the stars that seldom seem to come to hand.
The dream that cherished, more important, pursued, has come true today, making him one of the most impressive personalities in New Zealand.
“One should dare to dream; nothing is impossible for those who persevere and try,” Steve D’Souza, Managing Director of the burgeoning Kalamazoo Group said.
Just how the ANZA Byculla boy came to be the joint owner (with his wife Odelia) of a multi-million dollar enterprise in less than eight years after they migrated to New Zealand with their son and daughter is in itself an impressive story and a source of inspiration and endearment.
It is also a lesson and an example to those who wish to emulate him. Suffice it to say that it was faith – in self, God, environment, business community and the country – that encouraged and enabled him to progress and achieve the impossible.
While that vision was held for long, its achievement was no easy task.
With his qualification in Business Management from the Bombay University, Mr D’Souza joined a commercial enterprise as a filing clerk on a ‘princely’ salary of Rs 500 (about $18) per month. Fifteen months later, he obtained the job at Technova Imaging Systems. He stayed with the company for 12 years, understanding the products, processes and services, rising from the role of a Junior Trainee Sales Executive to the head of its Digital Division.
“It was a unique experience, with on-the-job-experience taking me to various departments of the company, colleagues and clients. The turnover of the company jumped fifty times, from Rs 40 million ($1.23 million) to Rs 2 billion (about $61.5 million). I understood that success never lags hard and sincere work. My faith in my dream was further strengthened,” he said.
The Middle East bug bit him like it did to millions of others, taking them to the countries of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council and he landed in the Sultanate of Oman on New Year’s Day in 1996. The Sultanate was enjoying the oil boom of the 1970s, and people like Mr D’Souza formed a part of the nation’s vision to progress and prosper.
At the turn of the Millennium, it became common for Non-Resident Indians in the Arab Gulf to migrate to Western countries, notably US and Canada. Mr D’Souza decided to move with his family to the South Pacific and landed in New Zealand, only to discover that the experience that he had gathered were of little use and that he had to start afresh.
“I became a salesman seeking charity on commission basis. But within three weeks, I learnt of a vacancy at Kalamazoo and joined the company as a salesman,” he said.
He came under the watchful eye of the company’s owner.
Progress was meteoric. Mr D’Souza was rated the Top Salesman during the first year of his employment, appointed Regional Manager (North) in the following year and as he marked his third year, he owned half the company.
Despite its market strength, Kalamazoo became sick, and the situation interested him. He took up the challenge, purchased the remaining shares and set to work. The financial situation was not great but Mr D’Souza knew that given time and effort, he could turn the company around.
And he did in less than a year.
Last year, when Wyatt & Wilson, a Christchurch based printing house fell ill, Mr D’Souza went to its rescue, purchased the company, put more money and people. Less than a year later, the company is turning out money.
Today, Kalamazoo is a multimillion-dollar Group, accounting for more than 660 staff, including its printing plant in India. State-of-the-art technology keeps him close to the ground at each of the entities, including dedicated servers that provide online access from anywhere in the world.
We heard that he is currently in the process of acquiring two or three other financially distressed companies to add to his stable of success.
The fact that he can spot a win-win situation was demonstrated when he agreed, in less than 24 hours to sponsor the Best Professional Services Business Category of the Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards 2010.
Phone (09) 5707246 Email: stevedsouza@kalamazoo.co.nz
Achievements never fade
Guests at a Bharata Natyam concert held recently in Auckland (Indian Newslink, June 1, 2010) were awed at the agility and sincerity of purpose with which he performed a variety of items. Those qualities characterise this young executive in the pursuit of his profession as a consultant across the Tasman.
A dancer par excellence, Govind Pillai was the source of endearment and admiration to the 800 men and women present at the concert. His ability to demonstrate the finer elements of the ancient Indian art and present a Bharata Natyam item non-stop for 32 minutes, earned him a resounding applause.
Mr Pillai was a source of admiration and emulation even as a student at School in Dunedin, when he established (at 16 years of age) his own company called, ‘Sucharu System Integration,’ with ‘Imagine, Inspire and Invent’ as its motto. With clients in Australia, Fiji, India and New Zealand evincing interest, the company began to grow. A number of innovative concepts including the first ever New Zealand Masters Games Website with live competition results, as well as a Physiotherapy Treatment Planning system for aged-care homes were among its offerings.
The spirit of entrepreneurship and the urge to make a difference in life and career dominated his formative years, giving him a unique insight into the nuances of business and realities of life.
An MBA graduate from the Australian Graduate School of Management and an Honours (degree) graduate in Engineering, 26-year-old Mr Pillai is a seasoned management consultant, pursuing his career as Manager at Ernst & Young. Among the fields of his expertise are corporate strategy, business unit strategy and business performance improvement.
He encourages and fosters the entrepreneurial skills in people to become leaders in their industry. He has contributed to the ability of a client to win IT Service Management Forum (ITSMF) Award for Innovation.
Mr Pillai gives vent to his artistic and management talent as a dancer and Vice-President of Flare Dance Company Inc, a Melbourne-based performing arts company, helping to shape its strategic direction and increase revenue.
Email: iam@govindnet.com Phone:+61-414-674722.
