Our dear colleague Victor Pereira, Assistant General Manager, Alumni and External Relations, passed away due to a cardiac arrest on August 30, 2023. The news of his death came as a shock to most of his friends and colleagues as he was only 50.

Victor  is survived by his wife Brijita and his sons Elvis and Louis.

Cheerful, dynamic, approachable, empathetic, passionate musician, friendly and troubleshooter are some of the words his colleagues used to describe Victor.

J Albert Xavier, General Manager-Development, Executive Education, IIMA who met him for tea for over 15 years said, “Victor was my best friend, during our tea sessions we spoke about everything under the sun.” Despite their ten years age difference, he says they had a lot in common and relied on each other’s counsel. Albert says both he and Victor were chain smokers, it was only when Victor suffered from a heart attack around 2011 that Albert stopped smoking and even convinced Victor to do so.

Since joining IIMA more than 15 years ago, Victor worked in departments like Housekeeping, Student Activity Office, Placement Office and Alumni and External relations. “Victor liked student facing roles where he could interact with students,” said Albert. “He believed all problems can be solved by talking and that’s how he was able to resolve differences,” he added.

For Victor, music was a passion and part of his everyday life and his beloved guitar found itself on the office wall when he joined the institute years ago. A talented musician, he was part of a musical troupe that played concerts across the city and in the institute. He has also passed his passion to his sons Elvis and Louis.

At the Alumni and External Relations department, Victor worked closely with former students for reunions and other events. They responded with condolences messages and his memories, “Victor was always a very cheerful and helpful support from the Alumni office for every Alum who visited campus. He sincerely worked for every occasion of Alumni interaction,’’ wrote Kalpen Shukla PGP 1986.

Many alumni considered Victor as their friend, “I lost a friend of many years,” wrote Ashwani Gupta MDP 2010. “He was one thread who united many batches,” wrote Sowjanya Bonda PGP 2009. “[He] never lost temper and handled every situation with a smile. Played the role of director in the movie 2 states,” wrote Srijan Pal Singh PGP 2009. “He was a friend to many of us. He was the SAC officer at our time and he was a constant partner in crime. Never thought he would go so early,” wrote Abhinav Jain, PGP 2011.

Victor may have gone but his memories keep him alive in our hearts.

Some of the messages we received from IIMA faculty members and colleagues–

It is with profound sadness that I pen these lines for Mr Victor Pereira – a young dynamic individual loved by one and all. During his time with us, Victor touched lives with his sincerity, hard work, and enthusiasm. No number of words can express the grief that we are all feeling now.

—Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA

I have many fond memories of Victor, a dedicated member of the IIM Ahmedabad community who served in the Alumni Office. Victor’s commitment to our institution and its alumni was unwavering. His tireless efforts and warm demeanor left an indelible mark on all the alumni he encountered. His legacy of service and camaraderie will be dearly missed.

—Prof Sunil Maheshwari, Dean (AER) IIMA

Victor was a wonderful and dependable colleague. I had worked with him in Alumni affairs and I cherish our interactions. Alumni loved him and he shared a strong bond with many of them.

—-Prof Saral Mukherjee, IIMA

I first worked with Victor during my placement chair days. He was a huge source of strength during difficult episodes and continued to provide immense support during all times, including the pandemic. We have lost a very precious member of our IIMA family and his absence is going to be felt sorely by all of us. One of my happiest memories is when we went for the Officers Development Programme this year, Victor regaled us with his astute mimicry of all of us. We could not stop laughing throughout the evening and the next day became joyous as well. We are going to miss him greatly.

—-Prof. Kirti Sharda, IIMA

Victor had me involved in western music related events on campus since 2010, and I attended several of his concerts and performances, the most recent in June with both his sons Elvis and Louis attending. It’s such a shock, I have no words left. Too young to join the rock music legends up in the sky but nevertheless he has. Keep strumming those guitar strings, Victor.

—Prof Navdeep Mathur, IIMA

He was a wonderful colleague and a multifaceted talent. I worked closely with him during the planning stage of the FDP conference and would cherish his help and advice at every stage of the process. He was an acclaimed guitar player and I had the opportunity to witness and appreciate that side of his character in a few of his concerts.

—Prof Dhiman Bhadra, IIMA

I worked very closely with Victor during my time as Warden when he was the SAO. A gentle soul,  always ready to help is how I will forever remember him.

—-Prof Arnab Laha, IIMA

Victor was warm and affable, always going out of the way to help people. He had an infectious energy and had a way of making people feel at ease. He was a constant companion in everything that we did to build deep long-lasting relationships with alumni. He particularly relished meeting people and never missed an opportunity to call people over to meet in person or stay in touch on social media or connect over a phone call. He would often say his retirement plan is to open a chai ki tapri and talk to everybody who would come by. His ever-present optimism meant that there was always a solution to every problem. He loved life and music was his way of expressing that. His sudden passing away is a profound shock for all of us. It still feels like he is just around the corner and will walk in any minute.

—Anurag Choudhury, Associate Vice President, Alumni and External Relations Office

Victor was an invaluable member of the Alumni Office and played a key role in reunions. He was energetic, collaborative and loved meeting people – I have seen many alums complimenting his work. I will always remember his proactive nature, helpful conduct, love for music and zest for life.

––Ms Chhavi Moodgal, CEO, IIMA Endowment Fund

Victor Sir’s life in one line always ready to help anyone in need and at any time.

वैष्णवजन तो तेने रे कहिये जे पीड पराई जाणे रे |

—Dhyanesh Vyas, Web-Executive, Alumni and External Relations Office