YOGESH AGRAWAL ’91
Expanding the pharmaceutical industry Yogesh Agrawal ’91 is managing director of Ajanta Pharma Ltd., a global, Indian pharmaceutical company with presence in more than 35 countries across various continents. He is responsible for expanding company efforts in Asia, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. Yogesh won the Young Achievers Excellence Award for dynamic leadership shown in his field and at a very young age.

role jwu played in your career Overall atmosphere at the university was very healthy and supportive. It really helped shape my fundamental orientation towards work, and provided me with insight on various subject matters.

defining moment Becoming CEO of Ajanta Pharma (Mauritius) Ltd. (APML). It gave me enormous exposure to various functions of an organization and continues to be a great highlight of my career.

biggest challenge To restructure the parent company, Ajanta Pharma Ltd., from low-margin generic business to higher margin, sustainable brand marketing company in India and countries across the globe.

vision for your industry’s future Despite the current global economic situation, I am optimistic about the pharmaceutical industry. I believe India holds enormous opportunity for contract research and manufacturing services.

most important ingredient in life Besides my family, drive to achieve and excel. Being able to successfully overcome the challenges that come your way.

ZAMAZNI ABDUL WAHAB ’97
Celebrity chef and educator Zamzani Abdul Wahab ’97 is head of special projects for KDU College in Malaysia. Known to millions of Malaysians as “Chef Zam” a.k.a. “The Singing Chef,” he combined his passion for food with vocal talents and comic banter to gain national fame. Chef Zam has been featured on TV shows, and in newspapers and magazines promoting products and charities.

biggest challenge My shyness in public and little self-confidence was the biggest obstacle, and now it's history.

what brought you to jwu My own aspiration to be educated at a university that nurtures its graduates to be ready for the world.

best advice Once you have the knowledge, no one will ever be able to take that away from you and the more you share, the better person you will be.

quality admired in others Ability to speak different languages.

favorite quote “He who asks a question may be a fool for five minutes, but he who never asks a question remains a fool forever.” —Tom Connelly

BASHAR WALI ’92
Leader in hospitality and financial guru Bashar Wali ’92 is executive vice president and chief development officer for Provenance Hotels in Portland, Ore. With more than 15 years of industry experience from acquisitions and finance to operations and technology, he is now leading the growth of Provenance Hotels to ensure strategic success for the company’s portfolio.

lessons from jwu Concepts and theories are great; hands-on experience is invaluable. The ability to perform every discipline within an operation and apply all the theories you learned in class, is extremely useful.

role JWU played in your career JWU’s reputation in the hospitality industry has helped open many doors. The name immediately gives you credibility backed by the quality education, experience and successful alumni.

best advice Tough times do not last; tough people do.

career advice for new alumni Neither the company you choose nor the title you start out with matter; the most important keys to success are hard work, determination and drive.

favorite quote “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” —Winston Churchill

TARUN MALIK ’90 M.S.
Advocate for students, community leader Tarun Malik ’90 M.S. is vice president and dean of academic affairs at Johnson & Wales University’s Charlotte Campus. Tarun oversees academic, fiscal and physical environments for all academic programming and serves as an ambassador for the campus community.

lessons from jwu At JWU, I gained a new appreciation for “work ethic,” and reaffirmed the importance of fairness and caring for peers and students.

outsider, rebel, entrepreneur or team player All of the above. Circumstances and situations demand that you play a different role. Whatever role you choose to play, your intentions should be honorable and loyalty to your employer should never be questionable.

quality admired in others The ability to remain focused in the face of adversity.

most important ingredient in life Humor. You have to learn to enjoy and appreciate the lighter part of life.

on your nightstand “Noble Rot” by William Echikson and “Brain Rules” by John Medina.