Source : Hindustan Times - Shine | View Original

Anuj Kumar. 34 years chief executive officer, affle

A 34-year-old dynamic leader with rich experience in marketing, advertising and technology, Anuj Kumar has a vision of making Affle the leading global mobile technology innovation and advertising company. Kumar who leads the global management team at Affle, has demostrated considerable success in terms of buildlng the organisation's business and leadership position across Asia. Consolidating existing strength and driving global growth form his two-pronged agenda at the moment. Kumar believes that mobile media has tremendous potential in terms of marketing and is of the opinion that for large-scale adoption by masses, consumer technologies need to be just one thing - simple. Hence, Kumar works closely with the development teams to create innovative and simple products with a strong focus on user experience. In the last five years he has been instrumental in building dose alignments with telecom carriers and handset manufacturers and creating newer mobile advertising avenues.

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What time do you wake up? What time do you sleep?
I usually sleep well past midnight and wake up at 7am  

How do you commute to office? How long is the commute?
I usually take 10-15 minutes to get to office  

On average, how many hours a week do you work?
For me time spent in office would usually be 10-11 hours a day but then some of my best ideas have come out of the office setting

What is the first thing you do on reaching office?
As soon as I reach office I like to sit down and plan my day and make note of all things which need to be completed/prioritized  

What do you like most about your job?
The energy I see around in Affle keeps my enthusiasm levels peaking

What is the one thing you like least about your job?
Nothing. Overall I love the chaos which comes with working in a nascent industry

What is the secret of your success?
I enjoy what I am doing

What do you have for breakfast?
Breakfast is usually quiet simple like egg and toast or something Indian. However one thing I cannot do without on the breakfast table is a glass of chilled cold coffee  

How often do you exercise? Daily/3 time a week/occasionally/never?
It's five days a week for sure. I do get a bit lazy on weekends but try and make it up by going for a quick swim or a sport  

Your favourite book?
One of the books I read when we had just started Affle and which left: a solid impression on my mind was The Google Story  

How do you relax? Any hobbies?
I love taking time off with the family and heading for vacations. I am also a foodie and like experimenting with cuisines  

Your favourite film?
Sholay, Shakti (1982) Jab We Met, Lage Raho Munnabhni and the list goes on

When and where did you last go on a holiday?
The last holiday was in Spain. I went to Barcelona, Ibiza and Madrid. and it was an awesome experience

One gadget you cannot live without?
My iPhone

What makes you happy?
I love spending time with my two-year-old son

Your favourite quote/phrase?
Steve Job's 'Stay hungry, stay foolish'

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
The biggest lesson has been that one should acknowledge mistakes and learn from them so that the same mistakes are not repeated

What was your first job and salary?
My first job out of campus was at JWT, a leading advertising agency which was then was called HTA in India. The starting salary was around Rs. 15000 to Rs. 20000 a month

At what age did you become a CEO?
I became CEO at age 33

What job would you rather be doing?
The day I find that answer I would possibly do that job and not this one

What characteristic/behaviour do dislike most in others?
I get annoyed when I see capable people around me not striving for excellence

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I would rather stay away from predictions and let life take its own course

What is your biggest strength?
My passion

What is your biggest weakness?
I am sometimes slow to give up

What is your most cherished possession?
The team which we have built in Affle