Anuj is a Managing Director & heads Global South Asian business in the UK for UBS Global Wealth Management. He has been in banking for over 22 years. He holds MBA from India, MSc from University of Rochester, USA and Master in Advance studies from University of Bern, Switzerland. He is also an alumni of IMD Geneva and holds Chartered membership at MCSI UK. During his career, he successfully helped launch and build a Global banking franchise both in Asia and in UK. He is married and lives in North west London with his wife and two boys.
Anuj is keen to learn new things, travel to new places and learn about various cultures across the globe. Anuj is also interested in history and culture and its socio-political impact on the society. Having travelled and dealt with individuals in various societies has helped him shape his understanding on the subject.
He always emphasizes the importance and relevance of emotional quotient in shaping an individual in his personal and professional life. For him, this is one of the most important parameters in hiring new talent.
1 Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?
I was born and brought up in Chandigarh, India and spent a considerable amount of my life there, so I have a natural connection with the city, which inspired me for its openness and easy adaptive nature. Similarly, I have been living in London for over 16 years and have realised that the city has much to offer - its international flair, multi-cultural co-existence, history and much more. I have been travelling across the world but once you live in London, there is nothing in the world that attracts and offers you anything more.
2 What are your proudest achievements?
I am not there yet to be proud of my achievements. I am still working towards it. My proudest moment would be when I am able to fulfill both my professional and social aspirations i.e, my small but sustainable way to help the society. Being a parent, the ultimate objective is to implant our value system to our next generation. It should be part of their DNA to help the most disadvantaged and give back to society.
3 What inspires you? (50 words response)
I think staying true to yourself is really important. Also, I believe that our culture and values shape our personality and I appreciate that whenever I see it in someone. I am really inspired by millennials, who are destined to inherit their family wealth, for their urge to do better for themselves and equally for the society.
4 What has been biggest obstacle in your career?
Any workplace is full of obstacles and opportunities. When things which are beyond your influence become critical for the business, many times one may feel helpless. Over the years, these experiences have helped me to develop an art to challenge and navigate these obstacles and sometimes convert them to an opportunity.
5 Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
Without mentioning names, several people have taught me vital lessons and shown me directions over the years. However, one notable experience has helped shape my value system in my early career. When I was a young executive, my regional head asked me to run an independent unit where many of my colleagues were highly experienced and much older, but energy was getting diverted in every direction. This assignment provided me lifelong lessons that with right engagement and support, any one of us can achieve the best results. I learned that enabling the talent and faith in your people are the best business virtues.
6 What is the best aspect about your current role?
Meeting the most successful people across the world. Many of them are first generation entrepreneurs. It is fascinating to know how they convert the opportunities to successful ventures in their respective domestic markets and how they adapt and change when they approach global markets. The most exciting part is how humble they are about their achievements and the value system they provide to their young kids who will be inheriting their vast wealth. They are most engaged with us for UBS charity programs and take a keen interest in social welfare & empowerment. They want to bring the real impact to the society while building their business empires. Also, through our own UBS Optimus Foundation, we are running a program on child education in India and measuring its real impact and that too is very satisfying.
7 And the worst?
I would love to see the next generation of talented men and women choose wealth management as their preferred career, which now is not necessarily the case. Some of the best brains are exploring other career options outside the financial industry.
8 What are your long term goals?
Our goals are the output of culture and value system. The Asian value system pushes us to achieve the best in our career and our culture pushes us to do well for our society. The art of giving is an age-old phenomenon and now we want to measure the impact of our contributions on the society. My goal is to do both, and I am working towards it.
9 If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
Private sector has the best brains and the government has the best resources. The government’s main objective is to serve the society, using the resources efficiently. I would invite people from private sector to help and to create an environment for efficient resource allocation and optimally benefit the most disadvantaged people, bring real change to their life.
10 If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why.
I don’t believe much in historical figures except to draw inspiration from their work. I believe my most treasured thing i.e, my time will be best spent with anyone who is doing real efforts to bring change to someone’s life. That person would be my hero and I would like to see if I can do the same for someone else. Life is too short and we all should use it most efficiently by bringing happiness and a smile to others and while doing so, one need not spend fortunes or be recognized for their selfless acts.
