CEO Snapshot

Meet Vivek Mehra,MD & CEO, Sage India

Vivek joined SAGE India as Deputy Managing Director in September 2005. He has an MBA in Marketing from Columbia University, New York and a B.Sc. in Textile Technology from the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York.

On 1 December 2006, he officially became Managing Director and CEO of SAGE India. In January 2016 he was awarded the “Sharda Top Rankers Excellence Award for Visionary Leadership”. A. Get to know me…

1. Who am I? Am a CEO, thinker, traveler, mentor, poet or just a pipe dream salesman?
2. What motivates me? The publishing industry, the people at SAGE, opportunities I foresee, passion for my job and the learning it entails.
3. How I came into publishing? It was totally accidental…after a few stints here and there, I joined SAGE in September 2005, became the MD in November 2006 and ever since, it has been a fun ride.
4. Two things that changed my life: First, the movie Guide. It made me believe in the purity of love and that a common man could achieve greatness with his actions. Second, the music of RD Burman. I didn’t realize how much it lifted me when I felt very down. But I found out I gravitated towards it when I felt down.

B. A day in my life…

1. How I start my day? I get up at 5.30 in the morning. My day starts with Yoga, then dropping my daughter to school and then to office.
2. What I do back home? Reading, writing, Maths homework with my daughter, etc.
3. What time my day ends? I usually wind up by 10.30 at night
4. My stress buster: Cooking is a big stress buster and my best dish is Biryani.

C. Life is beyond work too
A view of the gifts Vivek received @ his office

1. Favourite sport: Squash.
2. Favourite topics to read: Leadership, management emotional quotient, self-analysis.
3. Favourite author: Richard Kaplan, Clive Cussler, David Baldacci.
4. Print vs Kindle: I read on Kindle a lot as it is very convenient and I am comfortable on digital.
5. Favourite movies: How to Train Your Dragon – 1 & 2, Kungfu Panda, action and thriller movies.
6. Favourite actors: All actors who personified James Bond
7. Favourite cuisine: Mughlai and North Indian. Nothing beats dal-chawal.
8. Favourite destination for a holiday: I like exploring new places. I love Switzerland.
9. Business leader who motivates me: Steve Jobs, Ratan Tata, Dr. Jagdish Seth and Dr. Pritam Singh.
10. My bucket list: To buy a bike and go riding; the trilogy I am writing is bordering the occult (first book to be out in middle of 2017); finish my Ph.D; and grow with SAGE.

D. If I am born again- what would I like to be?

I. would still want to be me or similar to what I am today.

E. How would I like myself to be known?

Chap who always did an honest day’s work.