Synopsis
ONCE UPON A TIME, there was a familywhose very name connoted wealth.The Vanderbilts had a vast empire built on freight through steamboats and railroads Over a few generations, the wealth worth billionsin today’s money had been frittered away and the business itself faded as new options came up in the freight business. Their story remains an enduring exampleof what happenswhen business leadersfail to embrace the futureand transform. BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION is a live subject, one that authorsR. Gopalakrishnan and Hrishi Bhattacharyya have between them a hundred-plus years of leading in their companies. Their learnings, supported by numerous examples, make for riveting reading.One chief lessonwhy such transformations succeed or fail has to do with combining the art and science of the change – the heart and the mind – and getting the balance of the two right. In life as in business, to effect a transformation, one needs a compelling narrative, one that inspires the organisation. Important too is to see transformation as a continuous endeavour and made a part of work culture ratherthan to considerit an exercise undertaken only in a crisis. Embrace the Future is a major book by two business leaders that will appeal to anyone who hasfaced change in today’sfluid business environment, most of us. As Gopalakrishnan and Bhattacharyya emphasise, companies that fail to adapt are destinedto perish. One needs to learn from the past,manage the present and preparefor the future. We must imagine the future we desire and then fold it into the present.
5:15 PM Registration & Hi-Tea
6:00 PM Welcome Address
Mr K Mahalingam
President, Madras Management Association & Partner/Director, TSM Group of Companies
Launch of the Book “Embrace The Future: The Soft Sciences of Business Transformation”
Address by the Chief Guest
Mr R Seshasayee
Chairman, Asian Paints Ltd
Address by the Authors
Mr R Gopalakrishnan
Author & Corporate Advisor
Mr Hrishi Bhattacharrya
Author, Management Consultant & Teacher
Former Senior VP, Unilever
Q & A
7:20 PM
Vote of Thanks
Gp Capt R Vijayakumar (Retd), VSM
Executive Director
Madras Management Association
End of the Session 7:30 PM
Mr R Seshasayee
Chairman, Asian Paints LtdR Seshasayee is the Chairman of Asian Paints Ltd since 2023, with a distinguished career spanning various leadership roles. He began as a Chartered Accountant, initiating his journey with Hindustan Lever Ltd in 1971 Joining Ashok Leyland in 1976, he ascended to become Managing Director in 1998, and later Executive Vice Chairman, spearheading its global growth and sustainability initiatives. Under his stewardship, Ashok Leyland experienced significant financial growth and market expansion.
Seshasayee's influence extends to the banking and technology sectors, having served as Chairman of IndusInd Bank and Infosys Ltd. He played pivotal roles in enhancing market capitalization in both organizations. His leadership extends beyond the corporate realm; he has been actively involved in industry associations such as Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
Seshasayee's contributions to public service include participation in governmental delegations and chairing prestigious educational institutions like the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli (NIIT) and Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing (IITD & M), Kancheepuram. He presently chairs the Executive Committee of Krea University and holds leadership positions in charitable organizations like the Cancer Institute, Chennai, and Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF).
His illustrious career has garnered numerous accolades, including the 'Star of Italian Solidarity' award and the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
Mr R Gopalakrishnan
Author & Corporate Advisor
R. Gopalakrishnan has been involved in multiple organisational transformations during his professional career of over fifty years in Unilever and in Tata. He has authored several books, this is Gopal’s nineteenth book.
He studied physics at Kolkata University, engineering at IIT Kharagpur and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He has been a professional manager from 1967. He has served as Chairman of Unilever Arabia, as MD of Brooke Bond Lipton and Vice Chairman of Hindustan Lever, as director of Tata Sons and several Tata companies and also as an independent director of Press Trust of India (PTI). He serves as non – executive chairman of Castrol India and Independent Director of Press Trust of India. He is actively engaged in both instructional and inspirational speaking.
Author, Management Consultant & Teacher
Former Senior VP, Unilever
Hrishikesh Bhattacharyya is a management consultant, teacher and author. In a careerspanning fifty years, he was a senior vice president in Unilever, based at their company headquarters in Europe.
He is a seasoned management consultant and strategic thinker, delves deep into the dynamic landscape of business strategy He unravels the evolution of strategy, emphasising the criticality of innovation, ethical alignment, and navigating unforeseen disruptions. He shares invaluable insights on crafting successful business strategies in an ever-evolving global landscape.
He is a visiting faculty of Strategy at the Ross School of Business in Michigan and has co-authored several scholarly papers with Dr CK Prahlad.
Mr K Mahalingam
President Madras Management Association & Partner/Director, TSM Group of Companies
Education
1984-GraduatedfromNITTrichyinChemical.
Engineering-DistinguishedAlumni2016.
1987-CompletedPGDMfromIIMCalcutta.
KeyAchievements
Exceptional leader, transformation specialist, and impactful investor with over 35 yearsofexperience.
Driving force behind T S Mahalingam & Sons, turning it into one of South India's well respectedautomobileafter-marketbrands.
DiversifiedTSM’sinterestsintofinancialservices,realestate,andangelinvesting.
Transformer
Transformed TS Mahalingam & Sons into a prominent brand, retailing 5000 cars annuallyinSouthIndia.
Accelerated TSM’s growth from a single-business, single-location operations into a multi-business,multi-locationorganisation
Pioneer
Pioneered the distribution of third-party loan products in partnership with Citi bank, revolutionizingfinancialservices
Co-developedbrandslikeAutoline,Propshop,andSheltersalongwithCitibank Entered the real estate space in 2003, is today a prominent player in residential, commercial,andleisurepropertieswith100+projectsdelivered.
Impactor
President of the REC alumni (RECAL), leading impactful projects and massivefundraisingincollaborationwithNIT.
President of the IIM Calcutta Alumni Chennai, enhancing the IIM Calcutta brand. Launching unique initiatives focused on imparting practical knowledge to managementstudentsinTN&beyond.
President of the Madras Management Association (MMA),India’s top management association.
Member of the Chennai Angels'Executive Committee, guiding operations and ensuringcompliance&corporategovernance.
Investor
Active angel investor, mentoring buddingentrepreneurs and fostering entrepreneurshipbygrowingtheecosystem.
Recognized as a go-to person for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking guidance, support & funding.
