Exclusive Trusted Magazine Q&A with Bhiren Jivani
How could you describe your career path in few words?
Being raised in a family of bankers, 'a banking job' was embedded into my DNA. The obvious
choice directed my career to JP Morgan (Mumbai) which was followed by a move to UAE
with banks like RAKBANK and Emirates NBD. Covered most parts of banking- operations,
treasury, product and sales. Sales occupied the biggest portion of the pie and the most
enjoyable one as well. Then our world's changed- Covid took the world by surprise, with that I realised that the world is unpredictable and you have to be in the drivers seat. Many previous
beliefs were not true anymore. I moved to London (again salaried) and again faced corporate
limitations along with an unpredictable future. I was 36, with lesser physical and mental
energy than I had at 25. Obviously 5 years down the line that wouldnt change, infact it would
get worse. All fingers pointed to one direction and then my partner and me decided to setup
our own consultancy- International Wealth Solution Limited. IWSL is a B2B wealth
management consultancy based in London. We cater to High Net worth and Ultra High Net
worth clients through our distribution network in Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. We
provide solutions to the complex needs of HNW and UHNW clients which include Legacy
planning, Inheritance planning, etc. We also provide bespoke solutions to UHNW clients
What was your most challenging experience and it has changed your
mindset?
After 15 years of being salaried, giving up a salary was extremely challenging. It is a
addiction which is difficult to let go. Knowing that your bills will be paid even if you have a
bad month in sales is definitely a cushion. The transition from salaried to self employed
completely changes your mind. You have to think outside the box. There is a lot to learn and
unlearn.
When you get surprised by unusual or uncertain context, what do you
think?
Firstly, you need to remain calm. Think it through. I am sure covid took the world by surprise
so everyone has built some sort mental ability to calm down and think. Avoid a panicked
decision as 9 out of 10 times it would be the wrong decision. If needed take an opinion of a mentor or a more experience leader in the field and their perspective will calm you down as
they make it look so much more simpler than you have anticipated
What’s the most important key success factor for you based on your
experience?
It's definitely the disciplined effort which really counts. Keep trying (though it can be
demotivating and demoralising at times) . The biggest deals come with the most unexpected
effort sometimes. Disciplined effort can get you over the line as the results will come. It may
not be immediate, but they will come.
What would be the major pitfall that may undermine the success of a
leader?
Possible pitfalls that would undermine the success of a leader would be ego and over
confidence. Both of these elements can massively affect business decisions. It can be difficult
to step out of your natural self and take decisions, but one's who are able to do it would see better results. These two pitfalls would apply to all, but it would be more detrimental to
business owners.
