Mohd Shahnawaz
The one who is jovial always
“To be successful, you have to have your heart in your work, and your work in your heart”, says Mohd Shahnawaz, Group Business Manager, Redefine Marcom Pvt Ltd. Fondly called as Shaan by all at Redefine, he started his career in 2007 as a freelance event planner and since then, there has been no turning back.
“I chose event management industry out of my love for travelling. I was confident that if my passion mingles with my work, the duo could fuel me for life.” says Shaan. Shaan worked for corporates like Shobiz, End-to-end and Les Concierges before his tryst with Redefine brought him here in 2010. Digging up the pieces of his memory, Shaan recalls what pushed him to join Redefine, “Back then, Redefine was a budding organisation and one meeting with Directors instilled enough trust in me. I could foresee Redefine will grow into something big one day and in that, I could apparently visualise an opportunity for showcasing my talents and for self-growth. The decision was made and I’m glad I made that decision.”
“Redefine is a family away from family” exclaims Shaan. Finding it a bit hard to do the instant mathematics, Shaan says, “10 hours a day for 8 long years- this is the amount of time I’ve spent here. From celebrating Eid to Diwali and from finding travelling companions to gaming partners- I’ve got and done everything here. It’s an inextricable bond that I have with Redefine and being one of the oldest employees here, I connect with everyone in each department and the connection is spontaneous and inexplicable”.
All smiles while narrating his experience with the leadership here, Shaan says, “It’s incredible what Directors have transformed me into. 8 years ago when I met them, I was naïve and juvenile. What I have become today- starting from how I dress, how I liaison, how I communicate, what I’ve learnt and how I learn, and how I perceive things, I owe it all to them. They have been my guides for professional growth and mentors for personal development.”
“Striking a balance between family and work isn’t my forte yet” says Shaan, not knowing whether he’d be able to find that balance ever. “I am able to tackle work only because of my family. I’ve got lucky there. They have been the pillars of support right from the day I started working, never restricting my travelling plans and always being prompt with any help that I needed.”
Shaan does not believe in functioning within the rigid framework of a rulebook. “I do not have any mantra for my life. Travelling is my prime-priority and most of the crucial decisions of my life are driven by that (choosing to work for Redefine for instance), rest becomes secondary by default”.
Having been in the event industry for 11 years now, Shaan says, “I have seen the lure of ‘fun of travelling’ fading and the bubble of ‘event industry is really happening to work in’ bursting and people quitting the event industry after a while. So it is very important to have passion for the work that you are doing and this what I try to instil in my team each day.”