Conversation over coffee with Anjali Mullatti, CEO of FLIP

“Behind the inevitable success, lies a never-say-die attitude”. A woman who remembers the hard work of her career, the unflinching confidence and the grind involved in bootstrapping a company. In conversation with Anjali Mullatti, the CEO of FLIP.

What is unique about FLIP?

FLIP - www.learnwithflip.com - started in 2009. It is now known as ‘India's chartered financial analyst (CFA) for a reason. The programs are not about what you will learn, but what you will be able to do on the job. FLIP programs are written by senior Industry professionals who have an intense practical expertise, so this ensures that a FLIP certified candidate has banged on relevant functional knowledge. Also, FLIP certifications are the only certifications that carry logos and endorsements of leading banks and FIs. These banks and FIs prefer a FLIP certified professional. No other certification in India offers that.

Take us through the journey of the FLIP National Challenge, since inception.

FLIP National Challenge (FNC)- which has completed its 8th successful season - is an open contest, which caters to the management students, on a level playing field. FNC is a platform where business school students compete against each other, to get the highest marks, in select FLIP Certifications. The top-ranking students also get Pre-Placement Interviews (2nd year) and direct Summer Internships (1st year), in prestigious finance & banking roles.

Unfortunately, in India, we still possess a caste system  - the big companies especially, have a strict tiering system, which restricts a bright student from a lower-tier B school, from the start. Since the FNC is open to any full time 2 year MBA,  if they are hardworking, confident and worthy, nothing can stop them from coming out with flying colors. Students, often themselves feel a lack of confidence if they are from a lower-tier B School, which is lamentable! If you are endeavoring and confident, FNC is a great showcase for your talent - see an example I’ve detailed below. So believe yourself and participate.

How do you select the PPI partners for FNC as that acts as a critical and vital pillar?

For the FNC, we always work with recruiting partners, who are aspirational. It works on 3 pillars - first is an aspirational company; second is an aspirational role, and third is the willingness of the partner to consider a level playing field - if the student is in the top ten of the FNC, s/he must be interviewed for that aspirational role, irrespective of B School. We have come across partners who were rigid regarding the tiering system. In such cases, even as a young company, we had the guts to stand up and say sorry! That does not work. If they are good enough to be in the top, then the FNC makes sure that they get their due.

Enlighten us about the proud moments you have experienced during FNC?

One of our FNC alumni ranked 1st in FLIP’s Corporate Banking & Credit certification, for the second years. He was from Alliance Business School, whereas the others in the top 10 were from the top 10 business schools in India. He attended the PPIs with, YES Bank, ICICI Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank, and cracked both YES bank and ICICI bank.

YES Bank took the plunge and offered him an equal pay job - that campus wasn’t one they ever visited. It was a proud moment for us to have him in YES Bank’s prestigious MT program, called Y-PEP. Currently, he is  Vice President at YES Bank, handling large corporates. While his achievement is purely his own, the FNC opened the doors to that opportunity.

Apart from top rankers, every single FLIP alumni have found the learning in the programs they’ve taken, extremely helpful in their placements and jobs - of course, assuming they’re in a relevant interview! So the bottom line is that the FNC is a great opportunity, for both first and second-year students, to showcase their interest and initiative, and leverage their careers.

How do you define the success of your retail campaigns with relevance to the FLIP national challenge?

FLIP is a bootstrapped company - we ensure we live on our own income! No handouts for us. This makes us cautious with our spending - and pushes us to be innovative in the ways we market. FNC was one way where, with the tremendous recruiter credibility, it was a good way to reach out to Business schools. FNC has been a major contributor towards the positioning of FLIP as a premier certification brand, in banking and finance. And because of the FNC, our retail presence has grown as well.

What advice would you give to the aspirants?

Competitions are different! You need to understand what value you’re aiming for in a contest and the tips to crack it. Speak to alumni who have not only participated but also succeeded in the competition previously - there are thousands of FLIP alumni, listed on our website as well. Also, the ‘last-minute night-out’ approach doesn’t work for FLIP certifications. They’re scenario and application-based, so pure mugging up won’t work.

Also, unlike other contests, with the FNC every student can clear and gain a valuable FLIP certification, which greatly helps placements. So, while the Prizes are for the top ten, the value you derive is for every participant. Believe in yourself and participate.