Suneel Mandava is a Managing Director at William Blair and Company
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Suneel Mandava: Three Mantras for Daily Life
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Suneel Mandava: Write Your Own Story
Suneel Mandava, Managing Director at prestigious Chicago investment bank William Blair and Company, flew down to Atlanta from the Windy City to address a group of Grady High students. Mandava, who came to the United States from India when he was 3 years old, told the story of his father, a man who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to change his destiny.
Mandava told the students that in a culture where conformity is expected (India has a 4,000 year old Caste system, which dictates that the children of every new generation should perform the same exact social function as their parents) his father dared to be different and write his own story. Education, Mandava said, was the turning point for his father. Living with his parents and 7 siblings in a two-room shack, Mandava’s father worked hard every day to be the top student in his high school class, to win a scholarship to medical school, and to finally bring his family to the United States. Mandava’s father did not have many opportunities as a child, but what few he did – notably access to education – he took full advantage of. And, he always asked his teachers and principles for help and guidance, which they readily gave him when they saw his determination to succeed. Thus, by believing in himself, working hard, and never hesitating to ask for help, Mandava’s father changed not only his own destiny, but that of his son, his son’s children, their children, and so on. “When you change the course of your life,” Mandava said, “you change it for every following generation, too.”
After telling the story of his father, Mandava shared what he called “his three simple mantras” with the class. He told them:
1) Believe in yourself – if you don’t believe in yourself and your abilities, who will?
2) Do your best and accept the results – you can’t always be THE best, but you can always do YOUR best.
3) Have compassion for others – often the most successful people are not the smartest or the most talented; they are the ones who can show others that they care.
He reminded the class: when you succeed, you improve not only your life, but the lives of following generations, too. In these days of global warming, economic recession, energy shortages and other such issues threatening to pose serious problems for the future, following generations could certainly use some good news!
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Suneel Mandava, is the managing director, Special Situations & Restructuring, William Blair & Co. He isl located in the firm’s Chicago headquarters and reports to Geoffrey Richards, head of William Blair’s SSR group. Mandava was previously a director with Lazard Frères & Co. LLC’s financial restructuring group, and worked on transactions within various industry sectors, including representing The Tribune Co., Oglebay Norton, Tower Automotive, and SunCom Wireless. Before that, he was a business analyst and senior vice president at U.S.I. Holdings Corporation (previously a Capital Z portfolio company), and an associate at Capital Z Partners. Mandava earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, with a triple concentration in finance, accounting and statistics.
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by Alex Viguerie
SYNOPSIS:
-Suneel Mandava, an investment banker at William Blair, shares his fathers’ inspiring rags-to-riches story and shares his tips for his own personal success.
KEY POINTS:
-1:56- Suneel talks about the “ten percent” in this instance- an example of finding fulfillment in a tough situation.
-7:27-10:45: Look at the contrast: Suneel shows where his family comes from, compared to where he is today.
-12:24: No matter where in the world or from what circumstances, education and success go hand-in-hand.
-15:00-15:49: Suneel’s fathers’ “secret.”
-17:35: Suneel was not complacent; he took advantage of his opportunities.
-19:58: Your actions affect not only yourself, but also your posterity.
-21:35: Suneel’s three keys to success!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
-Suneel’s father came from humble circumstances and is by all definitions a “self-made man.” But could he have really done it all by himself? How was he helped along the way? Is there truly such a thing as a “self-made man”?
-Suneel is very appreciative of everything his father did to make his position possible. How can this humility help someone accomplish more?
-Suneel and his father both worked hard, but also had natural gifts that they nurtured. How can one identify these gifts?
-How is compassion for others naturally related to hard work and personal accountability?
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Suneel Mandava: Write Your Own Story from Grady Talks on Vimeo.
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