“Every individual has a purpose in life. While some may find their purpose early on, others take time to realise their true calling. I believe it is this search ones purpose that keeps us walking through the sands of time,” says Lancy Mohan Menezes, business unit head, print and supplies at Emitac Distribution.
Menezes chose a career in IT at a time in India when the only respectable career options were associated with medicine and engineering. He graduated with a “Bachelor of Engineering” degree in Computer Science. Following his graduation, Menezes took up jobs with prominent IT distribution houses across India, Saudi Arabia and finally the UAE.
“I have spent over 18 years in this business. I have witnessed the PC go from being a ‘luxury’ investment to being an affordable ‘necessity’. Interestingly, the printing and imaging solutions industry continues to grow despite the move into the era of digitisation and digital content in addition to the pressure on adopting a paperless environment. With automation and digitisation there are more documents printed today than ever before and this has led to the transition from standalone printing devices to multi-function devices (MFD’s) that can be accessed via the internet from any part of the world. We are in the midst of perhaps the most interesting technology era where a whole host of devices from PCs, printers, and smart phones in addition to a range of other mobile devices are expected to be able to interact with each other, how the vendors leverage these demands to create the latest innovations only remains to be seen,” he says.
Menezes believes that with all the changes ahead, the role of the IT channel will become all the more important. “The channel plays a vital role in the vendor’s go-to-market strategy and is an internal part of the sales cycle. We provide the first hand feedback, knowledge and experience required to launch a product effectively in the market. The channel has stood the test of time and in spite of the economic downturn have evolved stronger and are the real ‘heroes’ that contribute to fulfilling and driving demand in the market place. There is a lot that I have personally learnt from my participation in the channel, my journey has inspired me and helped me realise the importance of self learning, self motivation and intelligence. I have mastered the art of planning, executing and driving effective growth strategies through my peers and seniors in this industry,” Menezes says.
Hailing from the city of Bangalore in India, Menezes has been married for over a decade and has two beautiful children. He says, “My wife has been a tremendous support and has been the wind beneath the wings to help maintain the balance between work and family. The kids have been a great inspiration for both of us and they may find it funny reading this, but life truly has more meaning with kids around.”
“’Switch of’ and ‘un-wind’ are inspiring words but tough to enact and imbibe, however over time one learns to take control of their thoughts and prioritise their time. A passionate hobby definitely helps and I turn to music, swimming and walks to unwind, other times I occupy myself with kids activities of which there is an exhaustive list,” Menezes adds.
One of Menezes more interesting hobbies involves collecting and reflecting on age old idioms and proverbs that he believes is ground work to one day writing his own book. “Fiction isn’t my style, I am a practical person and therefore my book will probably revolve around the many intrinsic relationship and human ‘bonds’. I don’t want to spill the beans just yet,” he says.
He believes in the adage “You live only once” and therefore strives to live a balanced and tries fruitful life and contribute to society whenever possible. Ten years from now, Menezes aspires to be part of the board of directors at a vibrant organisation where he can be a trusted consultant, establishing strategies for future growth.
