Health and wealth carry equal weights in the life portfolio of Ram Medury. His job as CEO of Maxiom Wealth – a Hyderabad-based wealth management and investment advisory company – mandates him to make a fortune for his clients. Yet, Mr Medury’s passion for Yoga, table tennis, travel and Himalayan treks ensures that health is not an afterthought in his stressful world of an investment manager. 

The dynamic investment adviser from Hyderabad has over 25 years of rich experience, spanning different careers. With a bachelor’s degree in computer science, topped with an MBA from IIM Bangalore, Mr Medury has been associated with Infosys, the ICICI Group and Poonawalla Fincorp and many other reputed companies. Meanwhile, entrepreneurial ambition overrode his high-flying career, leading him to set up Maxiom Wealth in 2016.

Sharmila Chand catches up with the Maxiom Wealth chief during a brief break from his big bets of the day. She is particularly amazed by Mr Medury’s eloquence in Advaita philosophy and his rich picks that deliver alpha returns for his clients’ portfolios. In a lively conversation with Ms Chand, Mr Medury outlines the essential ingredients of his client-first management style.  

Your five management mantras

·         Let people take ownership.

·         Manage by exception.

·         Measure what is very important, or else it will not improve.

·         Take genuine interest in each person’s life. Do not treat them as just a resource or revenue source.

·         Build systems and processes.

Any game that helps your career
I play table tennis (TT). This teaches focus, quick decision-making and the power of consistency over flashiness. This is very useful when one is managing large investment portfolios and must take several crucial decisions every day. The TT builds adaptability and sharpens thinking under pressure because every opponent in this game is different. You also learn to handle failure calmly, reset after mistakes, and trust patience and timing rather than rushing.

The turning point in your career life
When I decided to leave the comforts of Infosys and plunge into the chaos of retail finance in Mumbai, it set me on a path of rediscovery. The next inflection point was when I started Maxiom Wealth, leveraging my experience in technology and finance. The journey as an entrepreneur has been very rewarding, as I enjoy the process of creating solutions that directly benefit clients.

Secret of your success
I do not treat success as a milestone or a goalpost. It is about professionally doing my best each day, helping clients in their investment portfolios, while not compromising on my core values, and while maintaining a balance between my family responsibilities.

Your philosophy of work
I do not like the term, work. What we do must be an outlet for our creative energies. In other words, it must be play. What seems repetitive and feels like drudgery must be automated. In today’s AI world, it is possible to distil what we all do for a living into more of play. And my personal approach is to create something of value, while having fun and do one’s best without worrying about the result. I also believe in executing first and refining later.

Any particular person you admire
There are many persons who have provided inspiration. From our recent history, there are legends like Krishna Devaraya and Chhatrapati Shivaji who built great empires and institutions. In recent Indian business arena, entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Sridhar Vembu who drove innovation against adversity.

Best advice you got
It is difficult to pinpoint any one particular advice. We encounter a fork in every journey that we travel. Advice on which branch to take is helpful. However, the path not taken can also be of great meaning. In other words, there is no point having regrets about what we did not do. Let me give an example. After my graduation, a person I met encouraged me to go for an MBA, whereas I was set on a more technical path. While the post-MBA journey has been greatly rewarding, a deeply-technical career would also have been equally wonderful. The bottom line is to believe in oneself and enjoy the journey itself.

Your journey so far
The journey as an entrepreneur has been very fruitful. My earlier corporate career has also given me a great sense of accomplishment at a fairly young age itself. There are many lessons learnt in the process. These include: Pursue your curiosity; do not wait for opportunities or the right time; do not miss doing something that could result in a regret later; simplify life; do not try to over-optimise things; focus on health at an early age rather than in the 40s; and many more. I have learnt these by committing several mistakes at various phases.

Your favourite books
There are many books that I often refer to. Some of those are the Mahanarayana Upanishad, Jed McKenna’s trilogy, The Gene and many more. I like reading from a diverse set of topics and not just from the investing domain.

Your fitness regime
I believe in a holistic regime that combines both body and mind. Yoga helps me train the body for flexibility and mindfulness. Meditation is a core element of my Sandhyavandanam practice, which is grounded in eternal spirituality. I also do resistance training and go on long bicycles rides once or twice a week.

Maintaining calm and peace in stressful situations
As an investment manager, I do encounter stress daily, as the stakes related to portfolio decisions can be quite high. To reduce the physical and emotional burden of this stress, I have built systems that implement our investment philosophy by picking quality stocks and funds at reasonable prices. Believing in the process rather than just chasing results lets me maintain peace. I also believe that grit is a valuable trait to acquire. One has to grind through tough situations and see through the storm till the end.

Message on management that you would like to give to youngsters

·         Youngsters must manage their health first. Build muscle, avoid sugar, sleep 8 hours per day, and walk 10,000 steps daily.

·         Manage your money. Save first, and spend next. Do not take loans except for the first home. Invest in good stocks and funds with the help of an unbiased adviser.

·         Help others first. Then networking automatically happens.

·         Ensure that you deliver multiples of value compared to what you take in a transaction.

·         Let your work be aligned with your core life values. Balance your work and life, so that you do not burn out.

Defining yourself
I am a fund manager who pursues curiosity, likes to finish things and finally view myself as a seeker.

Chand.sharmila@gmail.com