The headline was; "On his first day as global CEO of Ogilvy, he chose to be in Mumbai (Bombay) - a clear indicator of where he sees the future" Well, it may be correct because how many of you know that Global Hub for Digital Production of Ogilvy is in Bangladesh? ;) Anyway... let's have a look at some highlights from the interview;
- His immediate priority is Ogilvy's clients instead of financial issues during the global meltdown.
- His second priority is to set a longer-term business plan for Ogilvy. He believes in 5-year plans. He states that; "We have had some success in countries like India with five-year plans, which some say are rather communist-like. Annual plans tend to be quite short in terms of horizons. So I introduced five-year plans initially in China, then in India, and also in Japan. Now, I want to do a global five-year plan"
- Lessons (which I also agree with) from his Asian experience, in his words, are; "One thing that I am taking from here is the optimistic and pragmatic way of approaching life" and "Patience. Asian cultures on the whole are more patient. The Goldman Sachs's way of life is kind of impatient. Sometimes be prepared to wait, be prepared to argue through to get to a consensus are important techniques of the business, that our colleagues in the West don’t have"
- He defines the digital medium in India (including online marketing and I think) as a conundrum. Well, to be honest, this is the truth :) There is a huge potential along with lethargy.
- He thinks that arrogance is what ultimately destroys an organization.
I think it is good to read the whole interview to understand him more and see his global vision. Here is the link for Times of India - Brand Equity
Congratulations and good luck, Mr. Young...
