The session on Mergers, MBOs and other corporate reorganizations by Paulo Volpin started 5 minutes late. Reason: They had a problem with the computer projector. Fixing it turned out to be a hi-tech exercise, though. A guy came in with some kind of a hand-held device, pointed it around like a remote control, and the projector was on. 6:05PM — 5 minutes lost.
5 minutes later, “IP address conflict”. The Professor gives up and moves on to trusty slides. He came prepared.
Their IT isn’t all bad, though. In fact, it’s rather good. They have mail terminals scattered around the place for people to check e-mail, without having to go to the Computer Center.
The computer center isn’t far away, though — just across the road — about twice the distance from the IIM-B hostels to the Computer Center.
What’s lovely, though, is their audio-video system. They have one in each room, and the control panel looks lovely.
Their chairs are awful, though. The seats are cramped. There are no arm-rests. They don’t move. They’re too close to the table. (OK, I’m fat.) They aren’t shaped to my back. Anyway, to sit there for 3 hours on those chairs for a fidgety guy like me is tough.
Couldn’t tell much about the Professors. So far, they look just like IIM-B professors. The students on the other hand, are something exceptional. Each has tremendous work experience (a prerequisite for getting into IIM-B in the first place). There’s
- a Russian consultant who used to work for BCG for 5 years (before you ask: he wants to become an I-Banker — that’s why he’s here)
- an English lady who started a company called WorldCom (no, not that one: she sold the name to THE WorldCom 🙂
- an American IBMer who worked at Lehman Brothers for summers (his name is Stephen, and he’s not me, and I’ve never heard of him)
- an English VP from Lehman Brothers
- a French film production expert about to join UBS Warburg
and lots more.