Naveen Paul believes that tackling the everyday tasks that come with a marketing job is like flying an airplane. “Both are equally challenging and adventurous. The only difference is that in marketing, you still have your feet on the ground,” he jokes. Paul’s analogy stems from his own childhood ambition of becoming a pilot. Though that did not work out, he found his calling eventually in the field of marketing. He started his career with an advertising agency and later move to telecom.
Looking back on his career graph, he says he has no regrets. “I strongly believe in the saying that one must add life to one’s days instead of just adding days to one’s life. One must make the best of what one has, rather than wishing for what one could have had. I try and inculcate this thought in both my professional and personal life and am happy to say that it has proved very useful.”
Today, as vice-president, marketing at Spice Mobility, his portfolio requires him to straddle both corporate and business-level responsibilities. He says, “Marketing and branding-related activities of Spice mobile handsets is my domain. Holding discussions with the products development team to figure out which handset features would best appeal to users and developing an effective go-to-market strategy are other important tasks.”
While at work, he not only relies on prior experience but also on his hands-off style of management. He says, “I believe in letting go. This essentially means empowering people in the team to act independently and learn on their own. Of course, I am always available to advise them or step in as and when it’s required.”
Interestingly, he says that he has borrowed this approach from his parents. He says, “My parents remain my biggest inspiration. They taught my sister and I the value of hard work and encouraged us to stand on our own two feet.”
He says that every working day is atypical for him. “One learns something new on the job and is faced with new challenges daily. Of course, the day is packed with client and internal meetings but one cannot really compartmentalise the day neatly. It involves a lot of conceptualising and thinking, it is more or less a 24-hour job.”
It is no surprise then, that he finds striking a balance between his personal and professional life difficult. Luckily, his wife, who works at Dabur, understands the rigours of the corporate world and is equally busy herself. When he manages to get a breather though, Paul spends all his spare time with his family. His likes to keep abreast of the latest events around the globe and follows various sports, such as football and cricket.