Arun Varughese, head of Rand Merchant Bank’s telecommunications, media and technology (TMT) advisory practice, is an investment banker with deep financial expertise and a track record in mergers & acquisitions, strategy and technology.
He has extensive experience in the fields of finance, investing, start-ups and entrepreneurship across multiple markets around the world.
Varughese – BBusSci (hons), PGDA, MCom (financial management), CA (SA), CFA, MSc (Major Programme Management, in progress covers a wide range of clients for RMB, with a focus on high-profile M&A.
We posed a few questions to Varughese.
What does your company do?
RMB is a leading solutions-driven corporate and investment bank that offers clients innovative capital markets, corporate banking, advisory and financing solutions across multiple industries in sub-Saharan Africa, London and India.
What do you most admire in business and why?
I admire Warren Buffett immensely. He has probably the greatest investment track record in history and he has shown that sticking to your principles and focus areas can yield superior results. “Compounding” is the secret sauce behind long-term success, and we can apply it to every part of our lives.
How do you attract and retain talent?
We focus on building a unique culture that is inclusive, empowering and focused. Our culture is the number one reason for attracting and retaining talent. Employees want to feel valued, be part of a high-performing team and have a pathway to growth. We aim to build that culture at RMB, which enables the best talent and ultimately the performance of the business.
If you could go back and give your 18-year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Be patient. Compounding takes time and building a great career will take plenty of time. We are in such a rush when we are young – we’re full of hubris, thinking the road to career success is easy and quick.
What’s your favourite productivity hack?
Get a simple to-do-list and keep working on the tasks constantly. Don’t let things pile up.
What occupation (other than your own) would you like to try?
I would have loved to be an angel investor on a quest to find great entrepreneurs and ideas that can shape the world.
Where do you see the technology industry heading in the next three to five years?
We are moving rapidly to a cloud-native and digitised world where many aspects of our daily lives will be digital. The sheer scale of investments being made in digital infrastructure, online platforms and digitisation of businesses points to a very exciting future.
What is one book you’d recommend to our audience and why?
Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson. This is a wonderful insight into one of the greatest innovators of our time. It’s fascinating to understand how he become the man we now admire, and to look at the factors that shaped his thinking. There is much we can still learn from his methods, way of thinking and vision. — (c) 2022 NewsCentral Media
