Achieving authenticity: The real quest for credibility

Monday, 17 June 2013 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

‘Can I trust him? If he asks me to jump, should I jump?’ Tata Sons India Director R. Gopalakrishnan sums up the notion of authenticity succinctly in these questions. This trust is a factor that is increasingly critical to business relationships in a world ravaged by greed and its consequences.

A company, whose existence in the past revolved solely around profit, must now recognise the symbiotic nature of its relationship with the ecosystem in which it exists, both ecological and economic. The modern company needs to shift away from the mere consumption of value to its creation, ensuring that it does not barter away the natural inheritances of future generations.

At the CIMA Business Leaders Summit 2013, Gopalakrishnan takes on noteworthy questions such as, ‘What is the purpose of a company? What does it owe, to whom and over what time-frame?’ Whilst averring that such complex issues do not allow for any one elixir, he will share with the audience experiences that India’s Tata has accumulated over its century and a half of existence, some of which may be relevant for the times ahead.

R Gopalakrishnan has been a professional manager for 45 years from 1967 onwards, 31 years in Unilever and 14 years in TATA.

Having served as Chairman of Unilever Arabia, in Bangalore as Managing Director of Brooke Bond Lipton India, and as Vice Chairman of Hindustan Lever, Gopalakrishnan possesses inside knowledge of what it takes to lead a multinational corporation. He is also an independent director on the boards of Akzo Nobel India and Castrol India.

He studied engineering at IIT Kharagpur, attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and is a Past President of the All India Management Association.

Gopalakrishnan has authored several books including, in 2012, ‘What the CEO really wants from you: the 4 ‘A’s for managerial success’, which was published by Harper Collins India. In addition, he has written articles and delivered guest lectures, as well as designing and teaching an unusual course entitled ‘Learning what’s not taught’.

The CIMA Business Leaders Summit, scheduled for 1 and 2 July at Cinnamon Grand Colombo, is partnered by Sri Lanka Telecom (strategic partner), Citizens Development Business Finance PLC (principal sponsor), HSBC (official banker), Sri Lankan Airlines (official airline), Cinnamon Grand Colombo (official hotel), ThakralOne and Lankem (co-sponsors), Wijeya Newspapers (exclusive print media partner), LBR and LBO (official digital media partners).