FOR Vikash Mathura, obtaining his MBA degree involved heartache – literally.
On 1 August 2008, he found himself unexpectedly having to undergo open-heart surgery to remove a two-inch orthopedic nail that had been dislodged from his elbow, travelled through his veins and penetrated his heart.
FOR Vikash Mathura, obtaining his MBA degree involved heartache – literally.
On 1 August 2008, he found himself unexpectedly having to undergo open-heart surgery to remove a two-inch orthopedic nail that had been dislodged from his elbow, travelled through his veins and penetrated his heart.
Despite this dramatic turn of events, Mathura continued his studies unabated, flying to Rhodes nine weeks later to attend the third stint of his second year on the Master of Business Administration course.
Mathura, who is based in Johannesburg, says he “fell in love with the institution and with the Grahamstown folk” when he did his PME at Rhodes in 2006.
Further motivation to do his MBA here came from the fact that Rhodes Investec Business School (Ribs) was voted as one of the top 100 business schools in the world.
At the recent graduation ceremony of the Commerce Faculty, he was awarded the MBA Fellowship Award, an accolade conferred on him by his fellow students.
This award is given for leadership attributes which in his case involved having to represent, support and hold together a very diverse group of individuals from a range of cultures and backgrounds.
Mathura says, “I think they voted for me because I’m outspoken yet diplomatic.” Ros Parker of the Business School confirms this: “He always made sure the students got what they needed.”
Mathura is currently employed by Ellerine Holdings Limited (EHL) as the Deputy Managing Executive of the Beares/Lubners Furniture Group and he hopes to contribute towards making EHL a world-class entity in the retail sector.
His outgoing personality has also led to him being a popular host on two Radio Lotus programmes. The MBA class sometimes referred to him as “our DJ”.
Mathura believes his Rhodes MBA expanded his ability to think about business solutions more laterally. “I believe that the MBA degree makes one wiser and smarter, not necessarily more intelligent.”
The second most valuable thing about his MBA experience was the lasting relationships that he formed, whom he calls his “friends for life”.
Mathura says his near-death experience has made him more introspective about the things that are really important to him, like his wife and two children.
His family flew to PE with him and then enjoyed the scenic 140km drive to Grahamstown for the graduation event their first trip to the Eastern Cape.
Mathura will be registering for his PhD at Ribs in 2011 and says, “Once again, Rhodes University is my academic institution of choice.”
