Adgully’s special feature section – ‘Offbeat’ – seeks to give a glimpse of the lesser known facets of our very well-known industry leaders. We present, in the industry leaders’ own words, an interesting read on areas that are not usually highlighted in regular media coverage – be it about their childhood days, secret skills that they possess, how they unwind from their hectic schedules, and much more.
Sushil Matey, Director – Marketing, Livpure, is known for his leadership skills, sharp business acumen and turning around companies. In his current role, Matey heads marketing & strategy at Livpure, a leading water purifier brand, apart from heading Urjakart, a B2B e-commerce company.
Armed with 31 years of experience, Matey is a professional who has managed business across Consumer Durables, Auto, Lifestyle Products, Inverters/ batteries, and e-commerce has rich working knowledge in Brand, Marketing, Sales, Product Management, Distribution and e-commerce. In the course of his career, Matey has worked with HR Johnson, GE–Godrej Appliances, LML Ltd, Nitco Tiles, Masco Home Products (Detroit, USA), and Euro Ceramics.
Also Read: Offbeat: Roopak Saluja – Thriving on geographical mobility
In his personal time, Matey is an avid reader of management books as well as spends time listening to old Kishore Kumar songs. He currently lives in New Delhi with his wife.
A precious childhood trait that you still possess?
I have been a straight talking person when it comes to expressing thoughts regarding any problem or issue, which I still practise.
Any superhero fetish and what power you wish you possessed?
My superhero fetish is Superman, because he has a lot of arsenal power which also includes super-strength, invulnerability, super-speed and vision powers. The power I wish I could possess is the ability to remove evil from the society.
What is your biggest fear and how do you face it?
Fear is an unpleasant emotion that every individual has at almost every stage of their lives. My biggest fear has been the fear of failure. And nobody wants to fail. I overcome my failures by preparing for them as well as I can.
A secret that you have which no one knows about?
Singing; I do that a lot, but people don’t know about it. Only a handful of my near and dear ones know that I do sing. Whenever I get time, I sing my old favourite songs.
What would one find in your playlist?
You will find songs by Kishore Kumar in my playlists. His skills and ability to effortlessly slide into multiple voices was an inextricable part of his idiosyncratic personality. I love listening to old songs because they are evergreen.
Your go-to activity to relax?
My go-to activity to relax is traveling to hill stations. You get to see new people, new cultures, try out new food, delicacies and cuisines. Above all, you tend to make new memories of the new places you have visited.
What is the greatest lesson that you have learnt from life so far?
There is a saying that life lets you learn the best lessons, whether it’s personal or professional, when chips are down. But the thing which matters is how much we inherit the learnings during failures. My greatest lesson has been that one should not be extra sensitive or emotional.
Also Read: Offbeat: Sabina Chopra – Laughing life’s challenges away
A social cause that you are most passionate about?
I like helping people facing mental health issues. In today’s world, almost every individual is leading a stressful life and the inability to cope with societal pressures leads to mental health problems like depression, etc. And overtly one doesn’t know if the person is suffering. I do feel that this population needs attention and help.
What’s the one thing you would like to change about yourself?
As I said earlier, we learn something new from our life every day and our biggest learning should be to know our current weakness and overcome them so that they don’t become a hurdle in our success. Pondering over, I think I get too anxious about the outcomes. I wish to change this about myself.
If not the Director – Marketing at Livpure, what would you have been?
I would have been a journalist – a political journalist. They hold the 4th Pillar of democracy and do marvellous work behind the scenes. I admire their work in keeping the government in check and raising right issues which concern the common man.
What are three apps on your mobile you couldn’t live without?
I generally like to keep myself updated as to what is happening in India and around the world because today, thanks to technology, we have everything on our tips. The three apps on my mobile without which I cannot live would be the Economist, Business Standard and The Times of India.
What’s the last thing you watched on TV and why did you choose to watch it?
The last thing I saw on TV was Ravish Kumar’s show on NDTV India. I chose to watch it because I genuinely think that he is a face of true journalism.
Which two organisations outside your own do you know the most people at and why?
The industry which I currently deal in is the water and air purifier market. It’s interesting because it has to do with clean water and clean air – two most essential human requirements. I am in touch with my colleagues and peers at GE-Godrej and HR Johnson.
Two things about this industry you don’t like or don’t understand?
I believe that every individual has a different point of view on every subject and their take on things also varies. The two things about this industry that I would say I don’t like are glib talkers and people who do not take a stand on issues when it is necessary.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
One place where I believe I would like to live would be the USA.
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