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Menzies Aviation has been an active partner with Parikrma in hosting the Parikrma Champions League since its inception. I was able to sit down with their EVP Finance, Giles Wilson for his comments on the PCL and their relationship with Parikrma.
How did Menzies Aviation get involved with Parikrma?
We have been involved with the Champions’ League for four years but have been sponsoring Parikrma since 2008. We have a large operation in India so with our connection to Bangalore, Parikrma seemed like an obvious choice of charity to get involved in.
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What were the main objectives of becoming such an active part of the PCL?
We believe in Parikrma and we believe in what Shukla and her team are trying to achieve. The partnership with Parikrma for the PCL works well because once a year, we bring between 12 and 14 senior management staff to be a part of the PCL; it gives them a chance to develop and is also a thank you for all their hard work. So being a part of this effort, gives them an opportunity to experience a new culture and a place away from work where they can both develop and enjoy themselves.
You talked about development of senior management. Can you give me any real life examples of how being a part of the Parikrma Champions’ League has positively helped your senior management?
Ok, so a real life example of this positive development would be Sarah (Williams). This is her fourth year being a part of the PCL. The first year she was a participant, and today she has moved up the ranks to becoming the Human Resources and People Development head for the global team. She is a perfect example of this, and today is at the head of organising this event with Richard (Knight) on a yearly basis.
On a personal level, I know that this is your first year being involved in the organisation of the tournament. I realise it has only been a few days, but what are your impressions of the event so far and what are your expectations of the next week?
I think that the tournament is fantastic, the children are wonderful and the atmosphere is brilliant. In terms of organization, the team, the volunteers, the parents and the sponsors have done a great job putting the tournament together, so I’m having a wonderful time. In terms of expectations, I just want to get through it! But seriously, this is a new pitch; so it is a new experience for us the organisers, as well as the players, and we have all had to adapt.
So far it has been brilliant. We have been here for three days and it has been such a nice atmosphere. I hope we will have a very fair and professional set of games over the next few days. Mostly though, I hope we all have fun.
Looking to the future, would you make any changes to the tournament in terms of format, organisation or otherwise?
As I stand here today, no, I don’t see anything that needs to be changed; rather I hope that it continues. The tournament has a lovely feel about it and I hope that carries on. I keep coming back to the point that we need to remember what this is all about, so if the children here are having fun, we are all having fun and the event will be a success.
