Alumni of the month – March 2014

Rohit Jayakaran
MSc International Business, 2003

Rohit Jayakaran is Senior Presenter and Head of Digital for Arabian Radio Network, the largest operator of radio stations in the Middle East. The LSBU Alumni Association recently caught up with Rohit who explained his curious transition from International Business graduate to a national media personality, entertainer and film-maker.
 
"To be a good entertainer you have to be passionate about what you do. The only person you are competing against is yourself. The ability to build on your strengths is the quality that propels you beyond your wildest dreams".
 
When Rohit completed his Masters in International Business at LSBU, he secured a job as a Business Analyst. Little did he know at the time that his subsequent career route would eventually take him to Radio Presenter on the Drive Time show on the UAE's No.1 Bollywood Radio Station - City 1016. In addition to this, he is also Head of Digital for the Arabian Radio Network (ARN) in the UAE. "I have always wanted to be a Radio DJ" explains Rohit. "After I completed my course, I ended up getting a job as a Business Analyst. However after a while I realised that what I really wanted to do was be in the media and radio was my true passion."

He soon moved back to his native India to pursue his dream. Having learned early in his life that being a professional in an industry that you love is one of the highest targets you can set yourself, he persevered and managed to get a job with a local radio station: "Because I loved my job, I worked harder and kept innovating in every aspect." It was not long after that Rohit moved to Dubai and accepted a position as DJ with ARN. The enthusiasm he brought to the role meant his work was quickly noticed and he was eventually promoted to Head of Digital, overseeing non-traditional radio across the largest radio network in the Middle East.
 
The glamour of working in the media may seem a far cry from the number crunching of strategic forecasting, yet Rohit is adamant he could not have achieved his success as a Stand-up Comedian, Filmmaker, Columnist and Radio Presenter without the learning experiences from his time as a business analyst or student: "When I look at my job profile today, I realise that everything I have done in the past comes in handy. My job as an Analyst needed me to be meticulous, organised and a thinker. As a student, LSBU taught me to think so I became a good problem solver. My coursework would expose me to real world business problems that I would have to solve. These are skills that I use every single day." These skills saw Rohit make it to the Hot 100 List in Dubai last year in recognition of the range of talents from radio to filmmaking.

Despite his high profile and busy schedule, Rohit still manages to find time to come back to LSBU whenever he can and still keeps in touch with former classmates. He even made a cameo appearance in the recent LSBU Alumni Association video that was originally aired at last year's graduation ceremonies: "I had an amazing time at LSBU. My fondest memories have to be at McLaren House where we threw lots of fun parties that got us into trouble a few times but gave us some amazing stories to share over the years. The bonds I made then are still strong today. Something makes me feel as though I never left LSBU. My relationship with this great institution will continue forever."
 
Find out more about Rohit Jayakaran’s work