Mallika Srinivasan elected Chairperson of TAFE

K. T. Jagannathan

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The Hindu A file picture of Ms. Mallika Srinivasan who has been elected as Chairman of TAFE. Photo: K. Pichumani

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Ms.Mallika Srinivasan will be the new Chairman of Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) and TAFE Motors and Tractors Limited.

This follows a unanimous decision by the boards of the respective companies to elect Ms. Mallika for the top slot. Apart from her responsibilities as Chairman, she will continue to discharge her present duties as Chief Executive of the two companies.

Hitherto vice-chairman of these two companies, Ms. Mallika is elevated to the Chairmanship following the demise of Chairman and Managing Director A. Sivasailam on January 12. Late Sivasailam joined TAFE in 1961 as the General Manager, which had just then been formed in collaboration with Massey

Ferguson (now AGCO). He became the Chairman and Managing Director of the company in 1964. He held the position until he breathed his last.

A simple and unassuming person, Ms. Mallika is a focussed businesswoman. She cares for the details. Her conservative look does not easily reveal the aggressive businessperson in her. She took the Indian corporate world by surprise in May 2005, when she successfully supervised TAFE's acquisition of the tractor, engine and gears division of Eicher Motors for a consideration of Rs. 320 crore. Today, Ms. Mallika-driven tractor business of the Amalgamation Group has emerged a leader in the field.

Ms. Mallika has a distinguished academic record, too — PG in Econometrics, University of Madras, Business Studies at Wharton where she was a Member of the Dean’s Honor List and Alpha Beta Gamma Society, all-India rank holder and recipient of the Kulapathi Gold Medal in Marketing and Advertising from Bhavan’s College of Mass Communication, a course in Hindi literature.

``While we will miss our late Chairman‘s leadership, we are confident that Ms. Mallika, as our new Chairman, will continue to provide the dynamic leadership, path-breaking ideas and astute strategy to take us forward on our exciting growth plans for the future,'' says a notice put up TAFE's official website.

Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited35, Nungambakkam High RoadChennai - 600 034, IndiaT: +91 44 2827 9073tafe.comMALLIKA SRINIVASANPottipati Plaza Number 35, Nungambakkam High Road, Chennai 600034Phone: +91-44-28274582 | Email: ms@tafe.comCHAIRMAN - TRACTORS AND FARM EQUIPMENT LIMITEDA leader and strategist, recognized for professionalism, commitment to excellence and contribution to IndianIndustry and Academia. Skilfully leveraged the company’s resources and competencies to increase TAFE’srevenues from US$ 20 million in 1985 to US$ 1.6 billion in the year 2012. TAFE is now among the three largesttractor manufacturers in the world.EDUCATIONMaster of Business Management: Wharton School of Business - University of Pennsylvania, USA 1985- Member – Dean’s Honor List- Member – Alpha Beta Gama SocietyMaster of Arts in Econometrics: University of Madras - Chennai, India 1981- Secured First Place in the UniversityPROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCETractors and Farm Equipment Limited 1985-PresentKey Accomplishments-tractors and exponential growth of TAFE’s exports.-tractor market dropped by 38%.

- Initiated steps to tap global markets to balance the swings in demand in this cyclical industry. TAFE’sproducts are now sold in 67 countries spanning South Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and North America.- Transformed the organization through the Business Excellence Model. TAFE was commended by the Jury ofachievements in the journey of excellence in 2009.- Steered TAFE to the US$ 1 billon league in 2010.ORGANIZATIONS & AFFILIATIONSPresident (1989 - 90 & 1990 - 91) Tractor Manufacturers Associa on (TMA)New DelhiPresident (1990 - 91) Madras Management Associa onChennaiMember (1991 - 95) Board of GovernorsIndian Ins tute of TechnologyChennaiMember (January 1993 - September 1996) Southern Regional Commi eeIndustrial Development Bank of IndiaPresident (1998 - 99) The Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI)ChennaiMember (Till June 2001) Board of GovernorsBharathidasan Ins tute of ManagementTiruchirapalliDeputy President The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry ofIndia (ASSOCHAM)New DelhiChairperson (2001) Food & Agriculture Sub Commi eeConfedera on of Indian Industry (CII)ChennaiMember (July 1999) Governing BodyIndian Ins tute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)New DelhiChairperson (2002 - 03) Infrastructure Sub-Commi eeConfedera on of Indian Industry (CII)ChennaiCURRENT MEMBERSHIPSMember (October 2002) Execu ve BoardIndian School of BusinessHyderabadMember (January 2007) Governing BoardRural Technology And Business IncubatorIndian Ins tute of TechnologyChennaiBoard Member (July 2011) AGCO CorpUnited States of AmericaHONORS & AWARDSBBC (1999) First Business Woman of the Year award for IndiaZee TV (2005) Zee As tva Award for Exemplary WomenIndia Today (2005) Business LeadershipIIM Lucknow - Lakshmipat Singhania Award (2005) Na onal Leadership AwardEconomic Times (2005 - 06) Business Woman of the Year AwardWharton School of BusinessUniversity of Pennsylvania (2007)

Featured among Wharton’s 125 influen al peopleand ideas listBusiness Today Awards (2004 - 10) Recognized as one of the - 25 Most PowerfulWomen in Indian Business - Seven yearsconsecu velyUniversity of Madras (March 2010) University of Madras Women’s Day Award inrecogni on of Ms. Mallika Srinivasan’s contribu onin advancing the cause of women in the field ofIndustryIndia Today (March 2010) India Today Women - 25 Power WomenThe Economic Times Corporate Dossier (April 2010) Most Powerful Women Leaders of India Inc.Ernst & Young (March 2011) Entrepreneur of the Year - ManufacturingBusiness Today Six Most Powerful Women of India Inc.Fortune Magazine Ranked 3rd among India’s 50 Most PowerfulWomen in BusinessForbes Asia Recognized as one of the Top 50 Asian PowerBusinesswomen