Sujata Agrawal

It was Sanjay Pandya's affinity for numbers that led him to choose the career of a chartered accountant. He changed two jobs because he did not find them exciting enough. He was looking for opportunities abroad, a job that would give him the chance to grow in his profession. That's when he got a call from a headhunter for the post of finance manager in a Tata company in Zambia.

"The only association that I had had with Africa up to that point was when Winnie Mandela and Sam Nujoma, former president of Namibia, visited our school to talk about apartheid in South Africa," recalls Mr Pandya. "Our school always celebrated UN Day on October 24 and on several occasions invited prominent personalities to express 'solidarity' with the South African freedom struggle."

Mr Pandya seized the Africa opportunity, met Raman Dhawan, then director of Tata Zambia, and was briefed on the challenges of doing business in the continent. "It seemed like an exciting project. I was just 26 and ready for anything."

Mr Pandya came to Zambia without any preconceived notions about the country. He knew that it was a socialist nation, with a once-rich economy but going through a difficult period. There was a lot of business potential though, and that was what interested him. It was a tough life initially but professionally he found it very satisfying.

Working as an expatriate has been challenging and fulfilling for him. "You have a small setup and, therefore, a greater sense of responsibility. More importantly, you learn things beyond your functional area." Apart from looking after the finances and preparing accounts, Mr Pandya would at times have to take over a colleague's job when that person went to India on annual leave. "The processes and systems had to be kept going. It gave us a chance to learn about other operational areas and interact directly with our customers. Also, you had to work round the clock; you may not be in the office but you never stop thinking and that is what helps you and your business survive."

Working with the local population was another chapter of learning. Of
Mr Pandya's team of 20, there were 17 local people. "You had to earn your spurs with the Zambians. It's human nature to challenge the outsider and I had to prove my capability. It took me nearly a year to understand the local psyche and earn their respect, but I had a great group of people to work with."

Striving for perfection is second nature to Mr Pandya and it is this trait that he feels has held him in good stead in Africa. Mr Pandya believes in the maxim: a place for everything and everything in its place. "I don't like leaving things half-baked," he says. And if that meant going on Sundays to clear paper work, then he did that too. "I felt that I had a responsibility towards the company and towards myself to deliver results."

Doing his job well also meant training his team. "You have to know the psyche of your people and how to get the best out of them. You put systems in place that your team can follow. I found that if you are organised in every aspect of your day-to-day life, it gives you the strength to do well."

Striving for perfection also means that he gets impatient with inefficiency. "When things don't work or are not done properly, I get worked up." But he's mellowed with age. "As you mature you accept that you cannot change certain things."

After eight years in Lusaka, Mr Pandya was in a state of ennui when a new challenge came his way. He was offered a move to Tata Africa in Johannesburg, to look after the finance and accounts area. "Looking back, I think it came at the right time."

South Africa was, again, a challenge that Mr Pandya relished. It was a developed country where the Tatas were trying to establish a presence. "There is a difference in the style of functioning between the two countries. Our activities are more focused here." The experience and knowledge gained in Zambia helped Mr Pandya in his new assignment.

Mr Pandya credits Raman Dhawan for much of his professional learnings. "Mr Dhawan is more than just a boss; he is a leader and a good human being. He has an open-management style of functioning and we can always discuss anything with him."

Commitment to his work has meant that Mr Pandya has had little or no time to cultivate a leisure pursuit. He manages to catch a game of tennis on weekends or spend time with his family, but he always leaves time for reading. Mr Pandya loves reading; his parents are avid readers and so are his children.

An indulgent but practical parent, he once took his children to a bookshop, on a weekday at midnight, to buy the first copies of the fifth Harry Potter book (he bought one for each child so they would not fight). Then he promptly locked them away when they reached home at 2 in the morning. He gave the books back only on the weekend. "It was one of the most peaceful weekends I have ever had," he says with a broad smile.

Mr Pandya came to Africa on a two-year stint not knowing at the time whether he would stay on. But, as he says, "The company and the country have been good to me. I love my job. I find it challenging and that's why I have continued. We have set up our office in South Africa, but there are many new developments and projects happening. It's an exciting time to be here."