Cover Divesh and Neerav Valiram at Las Meninas in The Exchange, TRX
Divesh and Neerav Valiram at Las Meninas in The Exchange, TRX
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With May 24th being International Brother’s Day, we speak to these young Valiram brothers who not only grew up together, but also work together
While blood may be thicker than water, there are plenty of people who advise against going into business with family. Neerav and Divesh Valiram of Valiram Group however successfully navigate working together while maintaining their brotherly love.
While most already know the trio of brothers at the helm of the Valiram Group, Neerav and Divesh Valiram represent the newer generation who have already begun to sink their teeth into the business conglomerate.
“Both of us joined the group slightly more than a year ago. We started out with the Bacha Coffee project, which saw the premium coffee label officially open its doors in Malaysia—being only the fourth country the renowned brand has a physical presence in. And today, both of us have different responsibilities within the F&B division and gourmet retail,” shares Neerav, the eldest of the two brothers.
Read more: International Brother’s Day: Jason and Alvin Chen of CzipLee
Above For Divesh and Neerav Valiram, family comes first
For Divesh and Neerav Valiram, family comes first
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The brothers complement each other well when it comes to doing business. Divesh, a political science graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles, is more of a people person, while Neerav, who studied economics at the University of Southern California, is more data-driven. Even during their university years, they had already dabbled in and tried out multiple ventures of their own, together with their cousin—for instance, starting a medical business during the pandemic years.
“While we hold the same position in ensuring the smooth operations of the F&B locations, we both have different strengths. I like to get into the nitty-gritty of operations, but my passion truly is people. Building relationships is something I appreciate, so I enjoy dealing with the team, ensuring they’re motivated, and handling any HR issues. Meanwhile, back of the house, Neerav is amazing at spotting trends, figuring out demand planning, so we know how to move forward in this digital age, and in essence ‘see the future’ as I call it,” shares Divesh.
Neerav concurs, “Divesh has always been a people person; he can easily make friends with a room full of strangers, and in any business, it’s important to have good, long-lasting and transparent relationships with people, be it employees, partners or any other stakeholder.” Thus, the brothers have created workflows that play to their strengths and enable them to support each other effectively within the organisation.
See also: Launch of the ‘Valiram: The First Hundred Years’ coffee table book
Unsurprisingly, they don’t shy away from discussing work, even at the dinner table. “Growing up, business and family have always been intertwined for me,” shares Divesh. “It was quite normal to hear about our parents’ and uncles’ days, which mostly revolved around work. There is a clear separation, but at the same time, things don’t stay at the office, so I feel it’s quite natural at this point.”
“We actually encourage addressing issues as early as possible so that we can bring them up as and when they come to our attention. I think it’s better to be open and address things quickly, rather than overthinking it, which can develop further issues later on. Adding on to that, we clearly know what our responsibilities are, and we always welcome feedback. You know that when it comes to family, we naturally want the other person to do better—sometimes we just have to get rid of our ego and hear out different thoughts and ideas, because the other person may know something we don’t, or has a fresh perspective,” adds Neerav.
Above Even during their university years, they had already dabbled in and tried out multiple ventures of their own
Even during their university years, they had already dabbled in and tried out multiple ventures of their own
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They also shared that if and when discussions become heated among them, they usually take a step back and reflect for an hour or two before reconvening to discuss the matter at hand. Regarding what they cherish most about each other, Divesh stated that Neerav has grown to be similar to their dad, Dato’ Sharan Valiram, who is their role model. And Neerav appreciated the fact that he could count on his younger brother to step in and handle things well, should the need arise.
“At the end of the day, things can get complicated when family is involved, but if you have a structured way of dealing with problems and disagreements, it’s probably the most rewarding experience,” shares Divesh. “Aside from the challenges, I also want to stress that working with family can be extremely fun and rewarding too. When there’s a shared vision and goal, and we all work together according to our strengths to realise it, it is truly fulfilling. And it’s [reassuring] to know that family will always come first,” says Neerav.
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Credits
Photography: Fady Younis
If tall, dark and handsome is what you're looking for, Aaron Pereira ticks two out of three. This fine chocolate man (that is, a connoisseur of fine chocolate), enjoys the theatre, futsal, real-life conversations and of course, the English language. He believes that language should first be used to express, but the business of a sub-editor is to impress.
Check out his Instagram @aaronlpereira.
