Business Today, People

PEOPLE

When the going gets easy, the tough, well, change tack. That's exactly what the suave Navroze D. Dhondy, 40, did when he quit Anthem Advertising to head Percept. Although Navroze catapulted Anthem's billings from Rs 12 crore to Rs 60 crore in just 5 years (1994-99), he confides that "the challenge of converting Percept from a plain-vanilla ad agency into an integrated marketing communications agency was too good to resist."

A part-time poet, Navroze is now busy composing new lines for Percept. In black and white. Naturally, since his collection of poems, In Black And White And Other Jottings, is all set to be released next month. That's not all. The avid photographer is also getting ready for a photo-exhibition on Cyprus. So, what could be a full-time CEO, a part-time poet, and an occasional photographer's focus in life? "Do what you want to do, and don't blame anyone if you can't." We won't, Navroze

Ravi S. Reddy: Soft Solutions Just like we won't blame Ravi S. Reddy, the 36-year-old software professional, of nipping a budding career to boot up on his own. Ravi began his career with Satyam Computers in 1994, but left it 2 years later to launch Megasoft, an ERP solutions-provider, in the US. In just 3 years, Ravi ramped up Megasoft's revenues to Rs 86 crore--a quarter of what his former employers, Satyam Computers, managed in 1998-99. Having left an indelible mark on the East Coast, Ravi is now moving east--back home. And what a home-coming it has been. In 30 hectic days, he hired 200 infotech specialists, struck a strategic alliance with Satyam Computers, and caught up with his second love: Carnatic music. "We wish to grow our company rather than go in for sub-contracting," he avers. Programmed for growth, eh?

Programmed baton-passing has always been a tradition at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). Because, as a rule, there's only one nomination for the president's post: that of the previous year's elected Senior Vice-President. In November, 1999, therefore, Gouri Prasad Goenka, 59, the Chairman of the Duncan-Goenka Group, will take over from the current President, Sudhir Jalan, 45, at FICCI's Annual General Meeting. Simultaneously, Goenka will hand over the post of the President, Indian Council of Arbitration, to spic's A.C. Muthiah. But Goenka is already preparing for his new assignment. First, he has persuaded son Shrivardhan, 24, to postpone his plans to pursue an MBA for a year so that he can spend more time looking after the Rs 2,500-crore family business with 22 different product-lines. Second, GP has already drawn up an agenda for himself at FICCI which he wants to restore to its past glory. "It would be premature," says the affable Calcutta-based industrialist "to talk about the plans yet." But you could safely expect interesting things to happen. After all, GP is the quintessential turnaround artiste, who has built his empire by acquiring sick companies and making them profitable. So, FICCI could profit from its next president

Profits aren't what inspire Gita Piramal, 45, but passion. After Business Maharajas (1996) and Business Legends (1998), Gita is now ready with her next book, Business Mantras, a collection of quotes from leading Indian businessmen. Between managing her household and looking after corporate affairs at Blow Plast as Director (Corporate Communications), just when does this super-lady find the time to pursue her creative endeavours? The secret: her 2 daughters, Aparna, 22, and Radhika, 20, as well as their cousin helped her collect the 2,500 quotes that find a place in her work. Last month, the magic mom was on a 2-day visit to Calcutta to promote her book, due to hit the bookstores this month. During her visit, Gita spent half a day at a jute mill near Calcutta, getting inputs for her next project, Managing Radical Performance, co-authored by none other than management guru Sumantra `Individualised' Ghosal. Says Gita: "We are collecting information on 20 companies, and the work is absorbing." That should book her berth among the top business authors

Someone who's already there is the two-time Kerala Sahitya Academy award winner for Literature, A. Sethumadhavan, the 57-year-old CEO of South Indian Bank. His first acclaim came for a novel, Pandavapuram, and the second for an anthology of short stories, Pediswapnangal, which translates as nightmares. But do you get nightmares when you see NPAs, Mr Madhavan? "All is bright and well," comes his quick reply. "My bank's assets only give me pleasant dreams." Not only does Sethumadhavan know his bankers' books pretty well, he also plays with words with the same ease. But then, he loves doing just about everything: from keeping ledgers to authoring books to sports. He credits his company's success to "upholding a vision and engaging in prudent banking" while also feeling "the pressing need to innovate." Bank on that

Also bank on the innovative abilities of Sadiqua Peerbhoy, the Creative Director of the Bangalore-headquartered maa Bozell. Disturbed by her ordeal in scouting for a graphic design school in South India for her 18-year-old daughter--who, finally, had to go to Sydney--the Peerbhoy couple have started a school of their own, the Weekend Design School. With hubby Bunty, the 51-year old CEO of the Rs 200-crore MAA Group, Sadiqua has managed to rope in Wigan & Leigh College, which too was trying to enter India. For a woman who started off as a model, ventured into furniture designing, ran a boutique, wrote novels and newspaper columns, and created ads at MAA Bozell, Sadiqua now uses her skills as the Head of Academics. Ad-mirable, isn't she?

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