Vidia Mooneegan
Senior Vice President and Managing
Director
Ceridian Mauritius
Cyber Tower 1
Ebene, Mauritius
Vidia.Mooneegan@ceridian.com
Octave Wiehe Auditorium
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University of Mauritius Graduation Ceremony, 17 April 2013
Dr The Honourable Rajeshwar Jeetah, Minister of Tertiary Education, Science, Research and Technology
Chancellor, Sir Ramesh Jeewoolall
Pro-Chancellor, Professor Sudarshan Jugessur
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Harry Coomar Rughooputh
Members of the Congregation
Distinguished Academics
University Graduands
Distinguished Guests
Parents
Ladies and Gentlemen
A very good morning to all of you! I am truly honoured and humbled to be given the opportunity to address this
gathering.
We are in an era of unprecedented change. Uncertainty and unpredictability will continue for the foreseeable
future. The pace of change will accelerate.
A convergence of forces is reshaping the global economy:
• Emerging regions, such as Africa, India, China and Brazil, have overtaken economies in the West as engines of
global growth
• The pace of innovation is increasing exponentially
• The world is going digital, new technologies have created new industries, disrupted old ones, and produced
communication networks at phenomenal speed
• Global emergencies seem to erupt at ever-shorter intervals
• Increased global competition and quicker cycle times are redefining the ever-changing marketplace
• Governments and corporations have a mandate to do more, faster but with limited resources.
These developments will have a profound impact on economies, organizations and the people working for them.
These forces are creating a new context for social and economic development. It is getting harder for companies to
remain relevant, innovative, and profitable.
Let me share some statistics with you ….
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If you look at the list of Fortune 500 companies in 1955, you will note that 87% of them no longer exist.
Half a century ago, the life expectancy of a Fortune 500 firm was around 75 years. Now it’s less than 15 years
and declining further.
75% of the US biggest home lenders in 2006 no longer exist
While the challenges for succeeding in this kind of environment are real, I believe that there are huge
opportunities out there for those who are prepared.
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Mauritius is located between the two fastest growing continents in terms of economic and population growth. The
Indian Ocean is the ocean of this century. Mauritius has an Exclusive Economic Zone of over 2 million square
kilometers (marine area). Think about its potential.
You may have heard about Nick D’Alosio, a 17 year old student who sold his iPhone app called Summly to Yahoo
for US$30 million last month. Why can’t someone in this auditorium develop an app which can go round the
world? All you need is an idea.
What about the world of work?
The world of work is changing at an amazing speed.
If you look at the list of top jobs in US and UK today, you will note that many of them did not exist 5 years ago.
Today, because of rapid economic and social change, universities have to prepare students for jobs that have not
yet been created, technologies that have not yet been invented and problems that we don't yet know will arise.
Technology is changing job titles, job descriptions and the skills that job seekers need. For example, in the
Technology sector, job titles such as App Developer, Data Miner, Social Media Manager, and User Experience
Designer did not exist just a few years ago.
All of this point to a truth that we all have to embrace: In order to have a successful career in any industry, you
have to make a lifelong commitment to learning. The days when you could walk out of university with a degree,
get a job, and then do that job for 30 years are over. And that’s because no one can predict with certainty where
the jobs of the future will be, or what they will involve. It’s up to today’s graduates to stay engaged with their
careers and their industries, so the hot industries of tomorrow don’t take them by surprise. Think of yourselves as
constant learners, capable of growth and improvement every day.
The rapid expansion of social computing which has seen the development of social media sites, such as Facebook
and Twitter, will continue to be a major factor influencing how business is conducted. There is also an increasing
desire for people to have more work-life balance and flexible work patterns. Technology will enable people to
work anywhere anytime.
What are employers looking for?
Employers are looking for people with good communication and interpersonal skills. People who are organized,
able to work in teams, take initiative, possess the energy and enthusiasm to achieve goals. They are looking for
creative thinkers to help with problem solving.
Life is not fair. There are no free lunches. No one owes us anything. We need hard work, tenacity and persistence.
To succeed in your career you need::
1. Education – the formal learning that you take
2. Experience – the on-the-job experiences that you acquire, and
3. Exposure – the set of relationships you develop when you enter the world of work.
All three are critical to building capability and becoming more valuable. Employees need to be able to keep up with
rapidly changing technologies and update their skills in order to remain competitive.
Before I close, I would like to share some thoughts on how to win in these challenging environments. Success is a
matter of understanding and religiously practicing specific simple habits that always lead to success.
If you develop the habit of winning, you will make winning a habit. I would like to share with you one habit of
winners – “Winners are passionate in what they do”.
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It is impossible to succeed without passion. No one has accidentally and lazily succeeded in life. Passion is the fuel
and energy of life.
Steve Jobs said “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do
what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
You all know the story of Bill Gates. His parents were frustrated with him. They wanted him to become a lawyer.
He was an aimless kid and never got good grades. Until one day he discovered that he loved the technology of the
computer and he just took off. He found something that gave him passion.
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Passion fills you with energy.
Passion is the catalyst for self-discipline. How do you discipline your life? Fall in love with something. You will
never find a successful person who is not disciplined.
Passion puts fun into working. You will not see the difference between work and play.
Another habit of winners: “Winners value the process of winning.”
Losers overvalue the outcome and undervalue the process of winning. Winners understand that there is an entire
process to follow before you win. Preparation is key. Practicing successful habits day in day out is the most certain
way to win over the long term. Talent is never enough.
You need to move from being an occasional to a consistent high performer. You don’t have to be average. Find out
what motivates you. Develop a system of simple successful habits and success will be there.
Finally, I would like to congratulate all the students. You know that with determination and hard work, you can
accomplish what you set yourself to do. You succeeded. It is not a question of whether you will achieve more
success in your career. The question is: what will it look like?
I also want to recognize the effort and the sacrifice made by your parents without whom you will not be here.
There is no better day than today to thank your parents for your academic achievement.
Be optimistic. See potential when others see problems. Tenaciously hold on to your ideas otherwise others will
drag out your energy. The first step to accomplish the impossible is to refuse to believe it is impossible.
Be adaptable. Make adjustment when things do not go to plan.
Make a difference, build value and you will have the kind of satisfaction that can only come from doing truly
valuable work.
Do not do choose a career based on money. Better do something you love than making lots of money and getting
bored out of your socks. Do things to help people and create value for others – the money will follow.
Once again, congratulations. Wish you the very best for the future.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Vidia Mooneegan
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