Bhutto No More!

As the world condemns Benazir Bhutto's death, Pakistan burns in flames. How ironic it is that as soon as some popular figure passes, we always tend to remember or are reminded of only the compassionate side of the person. The media's obsession with the deceased person's supporters also helps to build a positive light on the deceased. Regardless of how much the person was hated while on earth, that very person, when dead, seems to enjoy elevated love and sympathy.

the fact that Bhutto was assassinated washes off some of her questionable records in the past. Let's take for instance the situation when she was relieved from the duty of the prime minister twice because of corruption charges. During both her power grabs, her husband was continuously involved in controversial cases of having misused the state funds. None of these charges were proven in court, but as a prime minister, there are ways to get around the court conviction.

It was her foolishness for having gone into the masses to campaign for democracy and freedom, when her life itself was on questionable security. Apparently she was never promised nor provided adequate security by the military government. For someone who thinks of herself as the only person that can restore credibility and democracy in Pakistan, she undermined Pakistan's need of the hour by going into unprotected grounds in public. If she was the only remaining hope for Pakistan as she claimed, then the person to be blamed for taking away the hope for Pakistan has to be none other than Benazir Bhutto.

Airline Industry - Is it for me?

As the time to land at IIM draws near, I am already thinking about career opportunities post my MBA. One industry that has caught my attention has been the airline industry in the Asia-Pacific region.

If I as a student carry any leverage in the type of companies I want on campus for recruitment, my vote would certainly go to some of the well established as well as to the emerging airlines in the Asia Pacific region. Let's take a moment to analyze the airline industry.

1. An expansion in a regional economy has a parallel effect in the transportation industry. As businesses grow, the need for business travelers to travel grows simultaneously. Given that the larger percentage of passenger revenue for airlines comes from business travelers, rather than from leisure travelers, the market potential in the emerging markets is very strong. The acceleration of numerous private airlines in India, China, and South East Asia demonstrates this notion. In addition, numerous airport infrastructure improvement projects in India and elsewhere further endorse the notion.

2. Looking at some of our backgrounds, and how we (me and my classmates at IIM) would fit into the airline industry's human resource pool, here is what comes to mind:

• IT background - There should be numerous management opportunities available to revamp or innovate the airline's ticketing systems, baggage tracking systems, flight tracking systems.
• Finance/Accounting Background - These folks could get opportunities to manage the financial state of the airline, analyze certain mergers and acquisitions of competing airlines, develop strategy on how to stay lean in expenses by analyzing salaries given to employees, how much is spent on components/parts procurement, airline meals, fuel, airport landing and takeoff fees.
• Supply Chain / Operations background - Those of us with this background certainly could manage the overall supply chain value add by analyzing the best medium to purchase parts, entertainment systems, airline food, seatings, engines etc. In addition, these folks could also play the role of a company advocate to Boeing and Airbus in laying out the airline's business requirements.
• Middle/Senior Management background - These folks could land coveted positions in regional management positions in different regions across Asia-Pacific and abroad, where they would be managing the airline's presence locally, as well as promote the airline.
  

3. Of course, the state of the airline industry is not all cream. Stiff competition, escalating fuel prices, international security mandates and laws, crowded skies, no margin for error in safety regulations, are just a few of the challenges that this industry faces. But, that's where we would come in and develop strategies on how to stay profitable in spite of these difficulties.

IIM Bound

The absence from this corner was almost forgotten until a friend of mine reminded me today that my last post here was back in October. Quite shameful I would say.

As 2007 fades into history, lots have transpired since I last posted. I am headed to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, to do my MBA. Studying in India's most coveted business school is an exciting proposition to look forward to. But the logistics that I have to take care of before I get there have been overwhelming to say the least. From leaving my job, to renting my house, to selling all the furnitures, car, and other assets have kept me occupied, while refraining me from really basking in the glory of having an opportunity to study in an institute some consider to be better than the ivy league lineups in the US.

As the new year dawns upon us, here is wishing all of our resolution(s) to come true.

More to come.