Babu I. Razack
A Man of Hybrid Talents
By - VB.Ramani
As an agricultural graduate with distinction from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Mr.A.K.Babu Ismath Razack must be an expert in successfully grafting plants - i.e… adding to a plant, a branch of a different plant variety to produce astounding results.
He has evidently done this to his career, by branching out from agriculture to the new field of Accounts & Management and achieving success !!!
With dedicated and sustained efforts over a number of years, he has achieved eminence in his new field to rise to the position of group finance manager of Ali Alghanim & Sons Trading & Contracting Group, Kuwait, a well known business group with about 1000 staff & workers, an annual turnover of $ 100 million with three subsidiaries handling construction works in oil fields, architectural buildings, telecom works and firefighting.
Considering that the contracting division had just 5-6 staff in 1997 when he joined them as accountant, Babu's contribution to the impressive growth of the company to the current size and status is all the more evident and laudable !!!!
Babu started his career as Agricultural Officer in the Tamil Nadu State Agriculture Department and worked in various capacities over a decade to work with the farming community to improve their status.
With rich experience gained by him as Agricultural Development Officer in carrying out all agricultural activities for a block, oil seeds development etc., he efficiently conducted farmer field school, which was a focus for Integrated Pest Management at that time.
He proudly recalls his 40-days assignment to Gujarat State to procure and transport after quality-check, a considerable quantum of high yielding ground nut variety (JL24) from Gujarat to different locations in Tamil Nadu. He handled all the technical and logistic arrangements in an excellent manner - and he was just 21 years old then !!
While working in State Agriculture Department, he qualified himself as cost accountant finalist from the Institute of Cost & Works Accountants of India, post graduate diploma in personnel management from Annamalai University and Master of business administration with specialization in finance from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore , a first distance MBA batch when there was huge attraction for business learning.
With such proven skills, initiative and drive, Babu was recruited as accountant by Mr.Colin Weddell, Group General Manager, Ali Alghanim & Sons , an inspiring personality , a guide and philosopher for their new contracting division in 1997. Babu was made the Chief Accountant within an year. He considers it as a recognition of his sincere and hard work. The management of Ali Alghanim & Sons has always attached considerable importance and value to his strategic ideas for the growth of the company and benefitted by implementing a number of his major suggestions.
Even while his career path was progressing swiftly in the organization , Babu's thirst for further studies never stopped. He realized the importance of certification in his profession. He chose CMA ® as a course of study and became the member of Institute of Management Accountants, USA in year 2004. He passed the rigorous 4 parts CMA exams in the early 2008 and awarded as Certified Management Accountant, CMA®, the globally recognized gold standard certification.
He has participated in several International Conferences on IFRS held at Dubai and Kuwait. He became the Associate Member of Institute of Cost & Works Accountants of India (AICWA) in 2009, which was his pending dream. He was a delegate at the SAFA Conference, held at New Delhi.
He attended the 92nd IMA Annual Conference held at Orlando, Fla. , USA as company delegate during June 4-8,2011 and his participation as facilitator for Brown Bag Discussion Lunch on the topic ' Where does Management Accountant Fit in an Organization? ' was very well received by the experts participants while sharing their ideas.
Even after so much of success and achievements, Babu still continues to be a simple and kind person who is readily approachable to all, especially when it comes to sharing his knowledge. He treats his staff as family and guides to work effectively and efficiently.
He conducts periodic trainings to management staff and executives on various topics on Cost Accounting, Management Accounting, Project Management and Inventory Management in addition to his regular duties. He has good liaison with reputed auditing firms and banks.
You may be interested in knowing about his early life and family. Babu was born in Abiramam, a village town in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu . His family moved to Ilayangudi, another small town from the same district.
He lost his father at the age of four. His mother, a middle school teacher, with her dedication and determination in her life, made all the family members - Babu, his two brothers and a sister - as professionals.
He did his school study in Ilayangudi High School and got first rank in his school in SSLC exams. He completed his Pre University Course in American College Madurai and B.Sc (Agriculture) in Agricultural College, Madurai ,Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Then he embarked on his highly successful career path.
Behind every man's success , there is a woman; For Babu, it is his lovely wife Nathira Banu, a very good thinker, advisor, house maker and daughter of an enthusiastic veterinarian. They have two lovely daughters Shifara and Farhana.
Shifara is doing final year B. Tech in information technology in the B.S.A Crescent Engineering College, Chennai. His younger daughter Farhana is doing XII standard in FAIPS, Kuwait, taking business stream as her choice.
Babu is fond of reading books, indoor plants and spending time with relatives and friends. He has long term association with a small social group in Kuwait which extends financial support for deserving students who pursue professional courses including in business and financial management.
