THE MAKING OF THE GICEO

THE INTERNATIONAL FACTOR
ANITA RAMACHANDRAN, Director, Cerebrus Cons.

The obvious factor common to the GICEOs is that they have had considerable international exposure. In the past, it was sufficient if a CEO-aspirant had worked in one market--US, or Europe, or any other region--but today, companies need people with experience in both developed and developing markets. The second important factor is that none of them has moved across industries. Being educated abroad makes a difference too: 5 of them--Bobby Abraham, Rakesh Gangwal, Rajat Gupta, Shailesh Mehta, and Jim Wadia--have gone to college abroad. That has given them the opportunity to network in an international context. For companies, it is a comforting feeling to hire someone who, they think, understands the culture of the markets in which they operate. Indianness per se could not have played a role in the elevation of these managers to the CEO's post. On the contrary, hailing as they do from a part of the world where their company's operations are not significant, they would have had to work harder to be accepted. Actually, it is probably the ability to stop being only an Indian that is crucial to be a GICEO.

THE KNOWLEDGE FACTOR
TARUN SHETH, Consultant, Shilputsi

The identity of the industries in which the GICEOs have emerged as heads of their companies is revealing: banking, management consultancy, and airlines. These are industries that require cerebral strengths, analytical abilities, and relationship skills--all of them widespread among Indian managers. Few Indians, if any, are likely to achieve the same distinction in manufacturing industries. The most important thing for a young manager wishing to emulate the GICEO is to choose the right company to work in. It should have a proper system of appraisal, career-planning, and international placement. It is also essential to be a part of an organisation that is growing, or winning--or both. Indians, as a race, are more sensitive to the environment and people. The important thing for Indian managers is to develop competencies in their business areas, focus on performance, and hone their change-management skills. They must also acquire the expertise that comes from working in a culturally-diverse environment to round off the portfolio of skills needed to become a GICEO.

THE MOBILITY FACTOR
RAVI VIRMANI, CEO, Noble & Hewitt India

Do Indians make good CEOs by virtue of their nationality? Probably. Five of the GICEOs--Shailesh Mehta, Bobby Abraham, Rakesh Gangwal, Rajat Gupta, and Rana Talwar--spent the first 20 years of their life in India. The experience of growing up in a country like India gives people the ability to handle diversity and ambiguity effectively. These are essential CEO attributes. A second critical ingredient is the imperative to be open to the idea of switching jobs and companies. Gangwal demonstrates that if you cannot leverage a change to increase your effectiveness, you have to look for another platform and, if necessary, another organisation. Managers who have managed to acquire high market value through the sheer power of their achievements find it easier to move across organisations, or across the layers within the same organisation. When Talwar let it be known that he was planning to leave Citicorp, 5 major international banks vied to hire him. In almost every professional community, the news of high performance spreads, which is what has contributed to the creation of the GICEO.

THE ADAPTABILITY FACTOR
MADHUKAR SHUKLA, Professor, XLRI

The qualities that an Indian should possess to become the CEO of a transnational depend on the specific company, and how truly global it is in character. In general, an Indian will need to struggle doubly hard to prove himself. This means he should be far above the average in his technical and managerial skills. Rana Talwar, for instance, as the head of Citibank's Asian consumer banking division, increased its revenues from $35 million to $530 million in 10 years. However, mere technical and managerial skills will not propel the Indian manager to the top post. To head a global company, he must display sensitivity to and adaptability to cultural differences. Skills such as networking, and negotiating with people who are culturally different are vital too. There are 2 interesting factors common to the GICEOs. First, they belong to communities known to be liberal or regionally mobile. And second, they either started their careers abroad, or spent a significant part of their working-lives in foreign postings. That helped them in overcoming parochialism on their journey to becoming GICEOs.

The Profile of the GICEO  II  The Making of the GICEO

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