After a short stay in Delhi, I spent the last two days in Bangalore, India - home to over 1600 Reuters employees. This is always an exhilarating visit for me because of the talent and enthusiasm of our staff. This trip was especially memorable for them and me, as we were joined for a "town hall" meeting with the newest member of the Reuters Board of Directors, Nandan Nilekani.
For the three people on earth who do not yet know of Nandan, he is the brilliant co-founder and CEO of Infosys, the leading Indian technology and business process outsourcing (BPO) provider. It is a real coup for Reuters to have Nandan join the Board in January 2007, as he will bring a wealth of global and Indian experience and technology savvy to the Board.
As part of the meeting, I asked Nandan a series of questions and then invited the capacity crowd of Reuters employees to put their own questions to him. Perhaps the most memorable exchange was when I asked Nandan why he had turned down so many other boards of often bigger and more prominent companies in favor of Reuters. Nandan replied that it was based on his belief that the company stood for principles in the world, that the brand reflected these principles and was a great platform to build upon, and because of the quality of our people.
As you can imagine, the local Bangalore boy "made good" created quite a stir, and it was heartening for me to see the pride on so many faces contemplating the key role Nandan will play on the Reuters Board.