There was some miscommunication that led to a delay in the mentorship session, but that did not deter Salman Ullah from sharing his thoughts from a wide variety of topics. From being the Vice-President of Corporate Development in Google and having his own investment firm (Merus Capital) now, Salman has much experience to speak of for our benefit. My first impressions of him were that he is witty with his comments, and he has a deft ability to give concise answers to our questions. It was not only the content that we could learn from, but also his charismatic style of delivery that made me be in awe of him.

Amongst the numerous questions that we had for Salman (inclusive the impending merger between Microsoft and Yahoo!), the topic that stuck with me most was about the cross comparison of culture between Google and other huge IT-related companies. There is a public perception that there is a gulf in culture and practices between the ‘uber-cool’ Google and the ‘evil’ Microsoft. As Salman explained it, there is really no significant difference in the working patterns for both companies due to their sizes. When a company reaches critical mass, there is a need to have a structured organisation for the company to run efficiently. Google is not any much different from the other companies in this aspect. It is radically different from the start-up companies which we are all working in. At the discretion of the CEO, the company can change its direction and head towards the goal. Large companies, no matter efficient they are, will take time to realign itself when the focus is changed. Agreeing with that, I felt so fortunate to be working at such a dynamic workplace, and the size and reputation of the company does not matter to me anymore…

- Andy Teo, 13th Batch

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