Damien O’Brien, chairman of executive search firm Egon Zehnder, talks about the evolution of company boards and identifying new leaders
Last August, when Vishal Sikka, CEO of India’s second largest IT Company, Infosys, resigned abruptly, the company had a tough task at hand—to quickly find a replacement. To do that, Bengaluru-based Infosys had turned to Zurich-head quartered Egon Zehnder, an executive search firm established in 1954 and ranked sixth among the US’s best recruiting firms by Forbes. Egon Zehnder didn’t disappoint, and soon helped zero in on Salil Parekh as the new CEO.
The firm has been in India for 22 years, with offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi. In the past it has helped companies including Infosys, Wipro and Microsoft find their top leadership.
In an interview with Forbes India, Chairman Damien O’Brien, who is based in Zurich, talks about what makes successful leaders, the evolving role of company boards, and how they identify leaders. Excerpts:
Q What are some of the trends you see emerging out of India?
What we are seeing in India is in line with what we are seeing around the world. That is, the emphasis on leadership development and developing a pipeline of leaders.
When I had joined our firm in 1988, 90 percent of what we did was executive search. These days a large part of what we do is working with companies to develop their future leaders. That is what we are seeing here in India, and globally too, because of the shortage and complexity of leadership.
Q A lot of companies still look outside when they have to find their leadership. Is that trend changing now?
This story is from the March 2, 2018 edition of Forbes India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2, 2018 edition of Forbes India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
The pandemic has also brought with it an improved focus on hygiene, use of technology in dining, rise of cloud kitchens and resurgence in popularity of Indian ingredients
Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years
THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN
Covid-19 has shown that women are more likely to face the brunt of job losses than men, and find fewer opportunities when they want to resume. That apart, several have to deal with increased hours of unpaid work at home and even domestic abuse
LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE
Leaders must not only guard their teams first during a crisis, but also deal with stakeholders with respect and dignity. And apart from pursuing business goals, they should remain committed to our planet and the environment
PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST
Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term
DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION
As the pandemic brings technology and innovation to the core of business and daily life, the next decade will see about 150 million digital-first families in India
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure
Living Waters
A virus has caused us to scramble for oxygen but our chokehold on the environment is slowly strangling the very waters that breathe life into us. The virus is a timely reminder: We are merely consumers, not producers of life’s breath on this planet
