Cover Story: The SuperCEOs, Pg 2

"Arthur Andersen is obsessed with client service. I enjoy working with clients, which has been recognised "
Jamshed 'Jim' Wadia, Managing Partner, Arthur Andersen.

Examine the career-charts of our subjects closely, and you'll find they made one crucial shift that opened up the door to the top. Without this point of inflexion, they would, probably, never have become CEOs.

Rana Talwar: "Perhaps the most significant shift I made was in 1982: from treasury and trading, which are basically investment-banking operations, to consumer banking. At a time when the bank's retail operations were being set up. It was a high-risk move. But one that made my career"

Moderator: Consider the critical factors here. Talwar's move enabled him to acquire two vital ingredients of a CEO's learning process. He learnt how to deal with risk. And operated in an environment that called for close interaction with customers. Of course, it is easy to identify in hindsight that the move was critical. But answering two questions beforehand can help distinguish the strategic move from the one that adds no value. First, does the industry--or the industry-segment--you plan to move to have the potential to grow rapidly; ideally, the fastest among your company's businesses? And second, are your growth prospects high? If you can answer both in the affirmative, you are, probably, on the right track.

Perform only one task better than others, develop only one skill far beyond a level anyone can reach--and you're locking yourself into a niche that may never open up the stairway to the top. What's more important is exposure to as many different aspects of a company's functioning as possible. And that means being proactive about seeking new opportunities, never settling down. Bobby Abraham joined Weyerhaeuser Company as an Analyst in the Operations Research Department in 1966. By 1970, he became the Manager of the department and, in 1973, he moved to the Corporate Planning Department as a Manager, where he rose to Director by 1977. In 1986, in what was to form the basis for his appointment as the CEO of Paragon Trade Brands, he moved to the Personal Care Products Division of the company as its General Manager.

Rakesh Gangwal: "I got lucky at United Airlines. Not many people move up the ranks, like I did, from the operating side of the business. Opportunities would arise, and I would offer myself for the post. I was willing to try just about anything. Fortunately, I was able to prove my ability to change things and add value to whatever I did"

Moderator: What goes without saying is that you must excel at whatever you do. However, the real issue is to ensure that the corporate carousel takes you all around the company. You can attribute Gangwal and Abraham's multi-functional meanderings to a psychological trait of restlessness--or you can attribute it to the Indians' mythified intellectual dilettantism. But it does work as a formidable factor in creating a GICEO.

It is extremely important to maintain a steep learning curve. Quitting your company may be necessary if it doesn't offer opportunities to acquire and upgrade your skills, or doesn't throw strategic challenges in your path.

Gangwal: "By 1994, United Airlines had become one of the world's most formidable airlines, with a competitive route-structure, an excellent fleet, a marketing plan to fit an international carrier, and an attractive frequent-flyer programme. These had been hurdles in building United Airlines, but they were overcome. The only burning issue was costs, but the employee buy-out, which generated high productivity, solved that problem too. While it may have been fun to stay on, it wouldn't have been challenging enough. So, when Air France asked me to look into its problems, I saw an opportunity once again. They were far more formidable and stark than they were at United Airlines: an inefficient route-structure and schedule, antiquated management tools, an outdated marketing plan In a government-owned airline with its inherently bureaucratic structure. The potential for Air France was enormous, but there were many things to be fixed to realise that potential. And to top it all, I did not speak French"

"The one career move I hold responsible for my success is joining a new, young company, and applying my entrepreneurial skills there"
Shailesh Mehta, CEO, Providian Financial.

Moderator: Where others would have seen unnecessary risks, Gangwal saw a golden opportunity for learning and self-renewal. Make it a point to give up the comfort of the familiar, and plunge into uncharted territory. Of course, if you're close to the top in your present company, it may not be an easy decision since staying on could well mean getting you the CEO's post.

Talwar: "I moved from Citibank to Standard Chartered Bank in 1997. I was certain that the decision was the right one. I would definitely have had a shot at the top job at Citi. But while I was running the consumer-banking and mortgage businesses in Europe and the US for Citi, in terms of both expertise and emotion, I was drawn towards the emerging markets. And those are the markets Standard Chartered is focusing on"

Moderator: If you can ensure that your track-record includes entrepreneurial roles, your journey to the top will accelerate. Consider the shift that Shailesh Mehta made after serving Ameritrust Corporation for 12 years. In 1986, giving up what could have been a trip to the top, he joined a start-up, First Deposit, as its Executive Vice-President and coo, building a business from scratch. His reward, after being moved to First Deposit's parent company, Providian, was the post of CEO when it restructured its subsidiaries to create a consumer finance powerhouse.

Shailesh Mehta: "The one move that I hold responsible for my success is joining a new, young company, and applying my entrepreneurial skills there. In each of my positions, I have focused on creating value and wealth for not only the company, but also for its shareholders"

Bobby Abraham: "Between 1986 and 1992, I was responsible for Weyerhaeuser Company's Personal Care Products Division. Under my aegis, revenues grew from $170 million to $480 million. Our marketshare grew from 8 per cent to 16 per cent. My efforts also facilitated the acquisition of Johnson & Johnson's diaper technology, patents, and research facilities to establish the leading research team in the private labels business"

Moderator: Not surprisingly, when Weyerhaeuser decided to exit the private label diaper business, by taking its Personal Care Products Division public in 1993, Abraham was shortlisted to head the company, Paragon Trade Brands.

Tempting as it is to point out typical Indian traits, it is impossible to say what they are. Many people say that Indians respect authority, are deeply spiritual, and believe in family values. However, the only traits that appear relevant are the ability to apply the mind, the appetite for knowledge, the desire to perform well in an alien environment, and the sensitivity to interact with, and lead, people from diverse cultural backgrounds. These characteristics can actually serve you in better stead than an MBA degree from a top B-school--or an American accent--can.

Wadia: "I have never undergone any professional management training apart from a handful of executive programmes at places like insead. Arthur Andersen is a real meritocracy. It is an organisation that is obsessed with quality and client-service. I enjoy working with clients, and that, in my opinion, seems to have been recognised"

Moderator: To trace the success of an outstanding individual back to his country and culture would not only be fallacious, but downright laughable.

"The belief that whatever I do should be fun drove me to my moves. It wasn't money, it wasn't a calculated decision"
Rana Talwar, Group Chief Executive, Standard Chartered Bank.

All the GICEOs ensured that their abilities were noticed, for which close interaction with their predecessor and building relationships within the organisation are necessary. In fact, becoming an understudy to the boss is a surefire way of climbing to the top.

Sanjay Kumar: "Charles Wang, the CEO of my company, believes in identifying an individual to facilitate the transition at the top. I was Director (Software Development) at Uccel when Wang acquired the company, and he turned to me for an understanding of our functioning because I had been closely involved with the company. He usually identifies one or two people in the senior- or second-level management of the target company as a "Computer Associates kind," and manages the operational integration of the acquired company through them. For me, that has been translated into a constant process of learning directly from the CEO to the point where our thought-processes are virtually alike today"

Moderator: I would like to leave you with a final insight. Even if you possess the right qualities, the door to the corner-room will not open up for you. You will have to open it up yourself.

Gangwal: "Things don't happen. You have to make them happen. And the best way to do that is to do what you're doing better than others. Some people are so caught up in the next year, in the next 2 years, in the future, that they do not do a spectacular job today. That's lethal"

Moderator: I know all of you share an emotional bond with the GICEO, a sense of identification that is both inspirational and genetic. They stand before you as examples of what each one of you can achieve too. But look not for uniquely Indian qualities in them as that would blinker you to the fullness of their capabilities. Rejoice, instead, in the arrival of the GICEO, for he represents the ability to stand up and be counted among the best in the world. That's a benchmark which is attainable--and worth attaining--by every Indian manager.