Norm W K Lo loves Indian food and is fond of savouring daal and naan, that is whenever he is in the country. And for him getting close to the food he loves is not a far-fetched dream, as Lo's job mandates he travel to India at least twice every month.
As the vice president of Research In Motion (RIM), the manufacturers of BlackBerry devices, Lo is responsible for building and cultivating the Canada-based company's relationships with various partners and carriers across the Asia-Pacific region.
Based out of Hong Kong, his visits to India include destinations like New Delhi and Mumbai, and at times to the IT capital of the country -- Bangalore.
On his visits to the country, he meets mobile service providers and discusses strategies to increase the penetration of the quintessential gizmo for a corporate executive.
The BlackBerry is an all-in-one device, enabling users to access office mails even while on the move.
"I am here to expand our services. This requires me to meet telecom service providers and vendors across the country and as most of them are either in Delhi or Mumbai, I travel to these cities quite often," he said.
Lo, an MBA from the University of Ottawa, is "very bullish" on the Indian growth story. "The Indian GDP is growing by leaps and bounds and the country is emerging as an important market not only for RIM, but also for many multinational companies," he said.
The 43-year-old is also an athelete. He is a long distance runner and a marathon freak. Biking and squash also takes up a lot of his time. "These keep me fit and fine, and I don't call it a hobby," he says.
Then what is his hobby? Lo claims looking after his two sons -- two-and-a-half-year-old Pronson and one-year-old Kiernan -- is his hobby as it consumes a lot of his time.
He holds a degree in Engineering physics from the University of British Columbia and Mechanical Engineering and PhD in electrical engineering from Carleton University.
Somewhere in the middle of the conversation, Lo picks up a BlackBerry Pearl and begins demonstrating its use. A few BlackBerry prayers later (and a surreptitious glance down, perhaps to keep a tab on his emails) he begins demonstrating the Pearl, which was launched in India on Monday.
And as the conversation reaches a crescendo, Lo shoots a question -- what do you think should be included in the BlackBerry? Well, how about a phone with two SIMs (one number for the official purpose and another one for personal use), and the ability to alternate between them?
There is no point in carrying two phones at the same time, is there? "Doable," he says. "All of us have a personal life," he concedes.
"I like India and would like to travel around the country. It's very warm and hospitable," he concludes.
