Reliance Alp

Reliance Accelerated Leadership Program: Candidate Dossier

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From the Chairman

“At Reliance we believe that growth is life, and we always strive to better its pace. The Reliance Accelerated Leadership Program (ALP) is at the centre-piece of this growth agenda. By betting on it, we are betting on the future. The ALP is a program for achievers – proven, and sometimes, in the making.

The ALP is a two-year leadership development program to attract, inspire and groom the best talent in India; it has no equivalent in Indian industry. ALP participants will be provided many opportunities to rise to the very highest levels at Reliance.

If you are between 27 and 34 years of age, are driven towards achievement and can commit yourself to doing big things, doing them right and doing them fast, come join us through the ALP and be at the forefront of your generation's biggest growth story. I am personally sponsoring this program and am committed to its success.

Thank you for your time and for considering the ALP. I look forward to meeting you over the coming months.”

Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani

Chairman, Reliance Industries

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Contents

Why the ALP?Why the ALP?

What will you do in the first two years?What will you do in the first two years?What will you do in the first two years?

What will you do after the first two years?What will you do after the first two years?What will you do after the first two years?

Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

What is the selection process?What is the selection process?What is the selection process?

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About the ALP

▪ The story of Reliance is one of turning dreams into reality. It is the story of scale, quality and global ambition,

of how an Indian company is taking its position amongst the leaders of the world. Since 2001, Reliance has

increased its turnover 10 times and today, with over USD 44 billion in turnover and over USD 78 billion in

market capitalisation, is amongst the largest companies in the world.

▪ Reliance is committed to maintaining this scorching pace of growth – for its shareholders, and above all, for

India. Our revolutionary business transformation initiative is already setting the stage for our next phase of

growth. Mr. Mukesh Ambani, our Chairman, has called it, “the most significant project that Reliance has

taken on in its organisational history.”

▪ The Reliance Accelerated Leadership Program (ALP) is at the heart of this business transformation agenda.

Through the ALP, we aim to bring in a very select group of high-performing professionals who will take on

very senior leadership roles across the organisation over the next few years.

▪ The ALP is not a ‘management trainee program’. It is a program for experienced and high-performing

professionals between 27 and 34 years of age, professionals who are truly capable and passionate about

working in high-growth businesses.

▪ The ALP involves a hands-on, two-year leadership experience that has no parallel. We are looking to attract

and develop leaders of the highest calibre who will lead Reliance to the forefront of global leadership in all

our businesses.

▪ In the first phase of ALP, we are inviting professionals to join us for positions in

– Finance (including Mergers and Acquisitions)

– Procurement

– Human Resources

– Information Technology

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The ALP is designed to be the best two-year learning experience for an experienced professional

▪ The Reliance Accelerated Leadership Program (ALP) is an exclusive programme to

recruit a core group of 27- to 34-year-old professionals who will be groomed into

positions of leadership across the Reliance group.

▪ In the first phase, the ALP would be run for the following four functions: Finance, HR, IT

and Procurement.

▪ The two-year programme will be sponsored directly by Mr Mukesh Ambani. Its

design and delivery will be in partnership with McKinsey & Company, the Stanford

Graduate School of Business and other leading institutions.

▪ Candidates in the ALP can expect the following:

– The potential to take on senior management positions in the next five to seven years

– Challenging assignments

– World-class functional and leadership training

– A network of high-performing, driven colleagues

– Best-in-class compensation

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So what’s in it for you?

Accelerated career trajectory

▪ At Reliance, our leadership philosophy is one of stretch. The ALP

follows the same principle. It takes high-potential professionals

and aims to get them into positions of senior leadership within a

few years. While your career track at Reliance depends on your

performance record, the growth trajectory that ALP offers you is

expected to be significantly higher than any other place.

Branding for life▪ This program will have a very low acceptance percentage and

your selection will earmark you as a high-potential professional.

Besides, the world class exposure and training you receive as

part of the ALP will distinguish you from your peers going forward.

▪ The ALP will be amongst the most sought after development

experiences for high-potential professionals not only in India, but

globally as well.

Best-in-class compensation

▪ In keeping with the exclusivity of the programme, the ALP offers

best-in-class compensation.

Benefit Description

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Contents

Why the ALP?Why the ALP?Why the ALP?

What will you do in the first two years?What will you do in the first two years?




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Description

The first two years are a period of tremendous professional growth; candidates can expect to be pushed outside their comfort zone (1/4)

▪ The first four weeks of your ALP journey will focus on getting to know

the Reliance group very closely. You will:

–Discuss and debate the group’s vision and your role in it - with the

Chairman and the Reliance Executive Committee members.

–Examine each business’ strategy based on presentations made by

the heads of each of the individual businesses and debate it with

them and your colleagues.

–Visit several of our offices, manufacturing plants, retail stores, our

life-sciences complex and meet a cross-section of people from the

shop floor to the Executive Committee.

▪ Through these immersive experiences, we will expose you to the

Reliance Way – its work ethic and values through which we have

earned respect across the world. Most importantly, these

interventions will help you form a strong, informal network across the

organisation.

Program element

Orientation

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DescriptionProgram element


AdvancedBusiness Training

Business Bridge

▪ This six-week program is for those ALP professionals who may have

several years of deep functional experience but not a formal

management degree. It will focus on the essentials that every high-

performing professional should know.

▪Our training partners include leading organisations like the Stanford

Graduate School of Business and McKinsey & Company. We are also

in discussions with other leading institutions including the top

business schools and consulting firms.

▪ These programs will use pedagogical techniques with the highest

impact. These will be supplemented with practical, hands-on methods

that help you think like an effective business leader.

▪ Through these programs, we expect you to develop new skills and

also a top management perspective.

▪ These programs will be held both at our campuses in India and at

business schools abroad.

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▪Most leadership training tends to be about more effective grooming,

communication and niceties. Very few leadership training

programmes look at leadership in an integrated manner and balance

the ‘hard’ with the ‘soft’ stuff.

▪We have partnered with McKinsey & Company who, along with other

leading institutions, will bring their world-renowned approach to

leadership development to the ALP. The program focuses on leading

oneself, others, business and ‘change’ as an integrated practice.

Leadership Skills

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▪While ALP’s empowering programs will provide you the toolkit to lead

change in the highest priority areas, our functional assignments

provide you the opportunity to make that change happen.

▪We take these functional assignments very seriously. These will

include delivery on some of the most important business problems

faced by the functions. While impact horizons will vary, each project

will have a direct impact of our organisational performance.

▪ The ALP will give great thought to matching candidates with

assignments. The assignment you work on will be determined by its

ability to sharpen your knowledge and skills or by its ability to

inculcate the mindset required for outstanding performance.

▪ In sum, each assignment will be selected only when two elements are

met:

– It is a very high priority initiative with a clear owner who is

committed to seeing the results.

– Its successful completion will mean that you acquire new

knowledge and learn skills faster than through any other

intervention.

Functional Assignments

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Candidates will be supported by a carefully planned system to ensure maximum development and success

Hands-on mentorship: Each of the ALP professionals will also be assigned to a

mentor - a senior leader from the function – to coach and guide the candidate over the

two years. Regular coaching by an expert executive coach will complement this

mentorship.

Regular feedback: Feedback and self-improvement are the central tenets of the

ALP philosophy. Candidates will receive structured, regular on-the-job feedback.

Strong community: The program is designed to help create a strong network of ALP

candidates. Your ALP colleagues will form a significant part of your community at

Reliance and a rich network you can draw upon for the rest of your life.

Personal sponsorship of the Chairman: The ALP is part of the Chairman’s vision

and he is committed to frequent, structured meetings with ALP candidates.1

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Contents





What will you do after the first two

years?

What will you do after the first two

years?

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Finance Function: Overview

If you are looking to work amongst the highest-performing finance professionals in the country, this may be

your lifetime opportunity to come work at Reliance. Our remarkable growth (21 per cent compounded annual

growth rate [CAGR] in market capitalisation over the last 33 years since our market debut in 1976 and 22 per

cent CAGR over the past 5 years) ensures that your role will always demand more, and challenge you

constantly.

We manage the largest balance sheet in the country. With a market capitalisation of USD 78 billion and 12.3

per cent weight in the Sensex, the sheer complexity of Reliance’s finance function makes for a rewarding

career in finance.

– Extremely strong balance sheet: Net worth of over USD 30 billion, total assets of over USD 56 billion, cash

and cash equivalent of over USD 5 billion and net profit of USD 3.6 billion in 2010.

– India’s largest merger between Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Reliance Petroleum Limited

completed in 2009.

– Largest treasury desk in the country.

– Three of the largest foreign direct investment deals in the US energy sector with an investment of over

USD 3.4 billion to develop shale gas.

– Finest pricing for a US Bond issuance by any Asian Corporate (10-year notes and 30-year bonds); issue

oversubscribed 7.8 times with an order book of USD 11.4 billion.

– Raised over USD 2 billion worth of syndicated term loans every year since 2008.

– Extensive working relationships with over 90 international banks across geographies.

– S&P rating for RIL’s international debt (BBB) is higher than India’s sovereign rating (BBB-).

Highlights

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Finance Function: Achievements and Roles after ALP

Achievements Roles after ALP

On completion of the two-year Program, all candidates

will be placed into senior roles in the Finance function

at RIL across Financing, Treasury, Accounting and

Control, Financial Planning & Analysis, Business CFO

organisation (E&P, Refining, Petrochemicals, Retail)

and Location CFO organisations (India, USA, Malaysia,

Africa). The decision on eventual roles will be made

taking candidates preferences and expertise into

account.

▪ Finance Asia: Best Investment Grade Bond 2010

▪ Finance Asia: Best Trade Finance Solution 2009

▪ Euroweek Asia: Syndicated Loans and Leveraged

Finance Award 2009

▪ Asset Asia Awards: Corporate Borrower of the Year

2008

▪ Euroweek Asia Pacific Borrower of the Year 2008

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Human Resources: Overview

With nearly 25,000 permanent employees across four continents, Reliance is one of India’s largest

organisations. This huge talent base, coupled with the stupendous pace of growth at Reliance, makes the

human resources function a key force in the delivery of our future strategy.

We cover all major HR domains like staffing, compensation and benefits, learning and development, industrial

relations, employee engagement, HR operations, etc., for the different business, manufacturing and service

units of Reliance.

We have also embarked on an initiative to build a world-class HR organisation, with benchmark processes and

systems around performance management, rewards and recognition, competency and capability building,

succession planning, etc. Being with the HR function at Reliance will give you the opportunity to be a part of this

HR business transformation initiative. In addition to playing a role in revisiting all HR processes and policies to

arrive at a best-in-class HR framework, you will be part of a massive change management exercise, arguably

the only one of its kind being attempted by any organisation.

– Talent base of 23,365 employees (as on 31 March 2010)

– Over 3 million man-hours of Learning and Development activities at manufacturing divisions in 2009

– World-class graduate engineering program called Management Program for Reliance Engineers (MPRE)

in collaboration with IIM Bangalore

– Partnerships with the best international business schools like Stanford for training our highest-performing

employees

Highlights

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Human Resources: Achievements and Roles after ALP



will be placed into senior roles at RIL. The decision on

eventual roles will be made taking candidate

preferences and expertise into account.

Some sample roles are provided below (this is not an

exhaustive list and is only meant to give you an

indication of potential roles):

▪ Head HR, Chemicals Business

▪ Head HR, Finance and Accounts

▪ American Society for Training and Development

‘BEST Award – 2008’ for the Dahej manufacturing

division in 2009


‘Excellence in Practice Award’ for the Hazira

manufacturing division in 2009


‘Excellence in Practice Award’ for the case study

‘Learning Function – A Catalyst to Organisational

Change for Global Leadership’ for the Patalganga

manufacturing division in 2008

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Procurement and Contracts: Overview

Procurement and Contracts (P&C) at Reliance is a globally integrated function servicing all businesses of the

group. We are divided into three major functional areas – procurement, stores and inventory, and contracts.

We as a function have supported successful mega projects such as the Jamnagar grassroots refinery,

development of KG basin oilfields, petrochemical plants, etc. Our Founder Chairman Shri Dhirubhai Ambani

used to say, “Meeting deadlines is not enough and beating deadlines is the expectation.” Fittingly enough, the

P&C Group has completed almost all Reliance mega projects in record time.

As a function, we have consistently outperformed the industry by leveraging our state-of-the-art sourcing and

materials management competencies and deep cross-category expertise. Our intense focus on building a

powerful competency set in our employees is supported by an unmatched talent pool – part of our unique P&C

academy.

We are on a growth trajectory without parallel, and our purchase portfolio is expected to grow manifold in the

near future. For any talented and ambitious P&C professional, working at Reliance is definitely an unbeatable

platform to develop into a world-class business leader.

– Total purchase portfolio of approximately USD 5 billion per annum

– Over 100 categories with over 1 lakh Stock Keeping Units

– Over 20,000 suppliers all over the world

– Complex logistics work to deliver materials to 14 major manufacturing sites spread over three continents

Highlights

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Procurement and Contracts: Achievements and Roles after ALP

Roles after ALP

On completion of the two-year Program, all candidates will be placed into senior roles at RIL. The decision on

eventual roles will be made taking candidate preferences and expertise into account.

Some sample roles are provided below (this is not an exhaustive list and is only meant to give you an indication

of potential roles):

▪ Category Managers

▪ Procurement Managers

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Information Technology: Overview

The Information Technology (IT) function at Reliance Industries is the backbone of all our business processes

and information flow. We are key enablers in the efficient functioning of the company’s massive processes.

From Exploration and Production to Textiles and from Consumer Retail to Mumbai Indians, our team supports

all the business, services and manufacturing units of Reliance. We also support other functions like Group

Manufacturing Services, Reliance Technology Council, HR Shared Services, etc. Owing to the size and scale of

Reliance, its IT footprint is spread across India and overseas.

Our service portfolio includes horizontal applications and services, enterprise application services, and

business relationship management activities. We maintain the web presence for the entire group and support

online transactions for all its businesses.

As a member of our IT team, you will have direct business impact and hone your technical and business talent

like no other place.

▪ Pan-India presence spans 60 cities, 160+ offices, 14 manufacturing sites, 1,000+ consumer retail stores and

500+ petroleum retail fuel outlets

▪ International IT operations in over 20 countries including locations like the USA, UK, Singapore, Malaysia,

Kurdistan, Dubai, Africa, Australia, etc.

▪ 50,000 users worldwide serviced by 1,100 IT team members

▪ World-class IT infrastructure which includes a one-lakh square feet data centre

▪ Management of over 1.5 billion emails annually

▪ Amongst India’s most complex and widespread SAP platforms with 20,000 active and 35,000 ESS users and

over three billion transactions in SAP every year

▪ USD 7 billion worth of e-commerce and internet sales per year and USD 5 billion worth of internet collections

per year

▪ 60+ IT training modules (both e-learning and classrooms) and 100+ IT training sessions per annum

Highlights

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Information Technology: Achievements and Roles after ALP



will be placed into senior roles at RIL. The decision on

eventual roles will be made taking candidate

preferences and expertise into account.

Some sample roles are provided below (this is not an

exhaustive list and is only meant to give you an

indication of potential roles):

▪ Head, Data Center Utilities

▪ Head, Network Management

▪ India’s Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise (MAKE)

Know Network USA, 2008

▪ EII Award for Profit Category from Information

Integrity Coalition (IIC) USA, 2008

▪ The NASSCOM-CNBC TV 18 IT User Award in the

Manufacturing Sector category, 2008

▪ Global CIO 50 - IT Leaders Changing the Business

World by Information Week, USA, 2009

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Contents





What is the selection process?What is the selection process?

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We are looking for high-potential candidates who fit the following description

Candidate profile

Between the ages of 27 and 34 yearsAAA

First degree in engineering a must for candidates without advanced degrees; CAs and MBAs preferred

BBB

Highly entrepreneurial and driven CCC

High achievers with an outstanding academic or professional recordDDD

Have at least 12 months of experience in either HR, Finance, IT or Procurement; over four years of

experience strongly preferredEEE

If you fit the bill, see the next page for application details.

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A best-in-class selection process designed to help you make the right decision

The Reliance ALP selection process is very rigorous; it has been designed to help candidates understand Reliance well and to ensure their questions are answered

before they can make a decision.

Interested professionals must apply for the ALP through the website1

Shortlisted applicants will appear for a short, specially designed personality and

business aptitude assessment2

Successful candidates will be invited for interviews with Reliance HR leaders and

respective functional leaders3

Candidates who make it through these stages will be made final offers.4

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Contents




Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions


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Frequently Asked Questions (1/6)

About ALP

Is this a part-time opportunity?

▪ The ALP is an intense, full-time experience. Once selected for the ALP, you will be an employee

of Reliance.

How is this different from a regular management trainee program?

▪ The key factors that distinguish Reliance ALP from regular management trainee programs are:

– The ALP is a very exclusive program. Management trainee programs recruit the best

graduating talent in any one year. The ALP program will recruit experienced candidates with

proven leadership skills across a very wide age band. Your colleagues in this program will be

the best talent of the industry.

– Focus on developing candidates for senior leadership roles at Reliance as compared to

developing candidates for entry/mid-level roles in other programs.

– In the ALP, you will be accepted into a function at the beginning and will be groomed over

two years for leadership in that function. Over time, candidates will move towards taking on

senior leadership roles, not limited to their chosen function.

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Eligibility

I am 26 years old, but have been working for four years. Am I eligible?

▪ Sorry, you have to be between 27 and 34 years of age on 1 January 2011 to be eligible for this

wave of ALP. However, we strongly encourage you to apply next year.

What kind of educational qualifications are required? Do I need to have experience to join ALP?

▪ In order to be eligible to apply for Reliance ALP, your first degree should be engineering. If you

do not meet this criterion, you should either be an MBA or a chartered accountant or have

another advanced degree. Prior experience of at least 12 months in the relevant function is

mandatory, while at least four years of work experience in the relevant function is strongly

preferred. Consulting assignments, rotations and contract assignments are considered relevant

experiences for the ALP.

What attributes should a successful candidate have?

▪ Excellent problem solving skills and business judgment. A track record of achievement,

entrepreneurism and leadership. A bias for action, with detail orientation and execution focus.

I am 35 years old but am very interested. What should I do?

▪ You have to be between 27 and 34 years on 1 January 2011 to be eligible for this wave of the

ALP. Since you are 35, you cannot apply to the ALP. However, you can apply through the

careers section of the RIL website for other roles at Reliance.

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I have only two years of experience. Will that put me at a disadvantage?

▪ The ALP is designed to recruit the highest potential candidates. Candidates with over one year

of relevant functional experience are eligible; those with over four years of experience are

preferred. We encourage you to apply.

I have applied to Reliance in the last one year. Does that make me ineligible?

▪ No. We would be happy to receive your application again.

Selection process

How do I apply for Reliance ALP?

▪ The applications for Reliance ALP should be submitted either through your executive recruiter or

online.

Will I need to choose a function while applying for Reliance ALP?

▪ Yes. As part of the application details, you can apply to one of the following:

– Procurement

– Finance (including Mergers and Acquisitions)

– Human Resources

– Information Technology

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I do not have proof of my college/school rank. Can I still report according to my estimate?

▪ Yes, please report rank based on your best estimate. You will, later in the process, be asked to

submit your marksheets and certificates so we can validate your estimate.

What is the selection process?

▪ Applicants will be short listed based on academic achievement and work experience. They will

then be invited to appear for an aptitude assessment. The successful candidates will be invited

for interviews with Reliance leaders in Mumbai.

What arrangements do I have to make for participating in the selection process?

▪ We will bear expenses for travel to Mumbai to participate in the interviews.

Will I be selected for a particular role?

▪ No, you will be selected for your potential to rise to group leadership at Reliance. In the first two

years, you will undertake a series of assignments in your selected function across different

Reliance businesses. These assignments will be carefully chosen to ensure your development.

After the completion of two years, your final roles will be decided taking into account your

preferences and business requirements.

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ALP Program

What will be the roles that I would play during the rotations?

▪ Your roles during the program will be designed to provide you the best developmental

experience over two years. Each individual will have different assignments during the program;

these will be decided to optimise your preferences and the best developmental experience for

you. At the end of the assignments, we expect that you will have a very solid grounding in the

functional area you are interested in.

What training will I receive during ALP?

▪ You will receive up to 12 weeks of business, advanced functional and leadership training. This

training will be delivered in collaboration with top international B-schools including the Stanford

Graduate School of Business, McKinsey & Company, and other training partners.

What kind of exposure will I have to Reliance senior leadership during ALP?

▪ This is a high potential program. We believe that while skills can be learnt in the classroom,

perspective and mindsets can only be learned through apprenticeship and exposure to senior

and seasoned leaders. You will have regular interactions with the Reliance Executive committee

and the Chairman, both on the job through assignments in their offices and also through

structured interactions. Reliance will be investing in your development as a world class business

leader for the next two years.

Where will I be located during the Program?

▪ Though several rotations will be based in headquarters (Mumbai), you may also be at other

locations in or outside India.

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Post-ALP at Reliance

How will my post-ALP role be decided?

▪ Your exact post-ALP role will be decided after taking your preferences and business

requirements into account. It will be based on a comprehensive evaluation of your performance

and potential.

What are the kinds of roles will I move into after the two years in ALP?

▪ You will move into “N-2” roles or, in some instances, “N-3” roles – that is, either two or three

levels below Functional Head with significant responsibilities and often large teams to lead.

I am already in an N-2 role. Why should I join?

▪ Given the size and scale of Reliance, our roles have significantly greater responsibilities that

those at similar levels in other organisations. In addition, good performance will be rewarded

with an accelerated career track that will give you more opportunities than other organisations.

Documents

Reliance Alp