People In The News: Ace Face

Tennis legend STEFFI GRAF has been appointed the Ayurveda brand ambassador of Kerala. A decision in this regard was taken by the state cabinet, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said. The Kerala Tourism Department was given the sanction to rope in Graf to promote the state under the department’s ‘Visit Kerala Scheme’. However, the details regarding the remuneration that she will be receiving has not been disclosed.

A Golden Parachute
The chief executive of Boeing, JAMES McNERNEY, who stepped down on 1 July, is in line to start receiving $3.9 million a year in pension payments for the next 15 years. Company filings show that he will get pension payments worth $58.7 million over that period of time. Unlike other Boeing employees, McNerney’s pension benefits will stop accruing at the end of the year. McNerney’s pension plan was conceived when he was hired.

Punjabi Dunk
History was created when SATNAM SINGH BHAMARA became the first India-born selection in the NBA draft. The 19-year-old centre, who was the 52nd overall pick, stands 7ft. 2in tall and will play for the 2011 champions, Dallas Mavericks. However, an NBA appearance may have to wait a couple of years at least, as he will have to first play in the summer league donning Dallas colours followed by the A D-League in which he will start for Texas Legends.

In The Race
Louisiana governor BOBBY JINDAL recently announced his US presidential candidature, becoming the first Indian-American ever to be a serious candidate for president. Previously, the Republican had lost a race for governor. He was elected to the Congress twice before finally winning the election and becoming the governor on his second try, at the age of 36. “But rest assured, I am tanned, rested, and ready for this fight,” he said while announcing his candidature.

Succession Plan
The 85-year-old CEO of Suzuki Motor Corp, OSAMU SUZUKI, named his eldest son the new president of Japan’s fourth-biggest automaker. The announcement eased investor concerns over the firm’s succession plan and boosted the company’s shares by more than 5 per cent. Two other executives had briefly held the post of president in the 2000s.

Deloitte Delight
India-born PUNIT RENJEN has taken over as the chief executive officer of Deloitte Global. This  once again puts the spotlight on the growing number of Indians getting global roles at the Big Four accounting firms.Renjen has a 28-year-long involvement with Deloitte. In the past 18 months, India has emerged as a leading talent base for accounting firms.

Shown The Door
Housing.com has finally ended its tumultuous relationship with CEO RAHUL YADAV. The company’s board sacked him as it  did not find his attitude towards the investors, company’s partners and the media befitting of a CEO. This has brought to an end a series of bizarre events over the past few months at one of India’s most-watched startups.

Minding Her Business
Bollywood actor and yoga buff SHILPA SHETTY is now out to woo shopoholics. Along with husband Raj Kundra, she announced their home shopping channel Best Deal TV’s tie up with e-commerce portal Amazon.in to expand foothold in the fashion and apparel segment in India. Together, they will sell fashion and lifestyle products backed by Bollywood celebrities.

(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 27-07-2015)