‘My Manager Taught That Only Results Matter’

Suresh Soni, chairman and CEO, Nova Medical Centers shares his first job experience

What was your first job? 

My first job was as a corporate marketing manager at Abbott Technologies in Los Angeles, California in 1989.

How was your experience with Abbott Technologies? 

Abbott Technologies is a private company that designs and manufactures power equipment, primarily for the defence and high-end industrial sector. I worked directly for the owner/managing director, Peter Batte.

During the first month, I had gone to visit a potential new customer, Teledyne Controls. I ended up making a $ 1.25 Million sale to Teledyne. My boss was extremely pleased and gave me the additional responsibility of managing the sales function as well. As a result, my annual compensation increased five-fold.  I dedicated my entire waking hours to my job and spent an average of 16 hours a day working.

I installed a computer network as well as a custom sales management system. I worked with most of the US defence contractors including Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, and Lockheed. This industry is extremely quality conscious and they pay serious amounts of money to ensure compliance to rigorous military specifications.

I got exposure to most business areas: engineering design, manufacturing, and finance and selling. Over the next six years, we grew the business six-fold. It was a remarkable journey and I became the general manager of the business. I was offered a partnership in the firm which I accepted.

What are things you learnt in your first job? 

• Cash flow is the most important metric in running a business
• Customer is king and should be treated as one if you want to grow a business
• If you have revenue, most problems can be addressed!

What are the skills you acquired? 

I acquired selling, financial management and computer skills during my first job.

What was your manager’s teaching? 

My Manager taught that only results matter.

What was the turning point in your career? 

The turning point in my career was my transition from operational role to becoming an entrepreneur in 2003.

What is the most crucial step/assignment you have handled so far? 

The most important decision I made was to quit my day job (operational) with an intention of joining the Venture Capital industry. However, I could not find a position as I did not have previous experience in the industry. So I went to Harvard Business School to undertake the Advanced Management Program. This helped me very significantly in my career development and networking.

What is your advice to the new kids in the block? 

Knowledge is power, so young people should read a lot.  Follow your dreams. It is very important that you should be passionate about whatever you do. And, success is bound to follow.

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