India's Prolific CEO Guru: KV Kamath

Bangalore: KV Kamath will be remembered in history not as the CEO, who turned ICICI bank into country’s largest bank but for creating a generation of leaders for India’s financial sector.

People feel it was Kamath’s remarkable success in promoting women Like Chanda Kochar, Kalpana Morparia and Shikha Sharma to make them reach at the top as his greatest achievement. Morparia said, "He didn't notice whether we were wearing sarees or suits. The fact that we were women had nothing to do with anything."

V Vaidyanathan, one of Kamath's male mentees said, "Gender was never a factor for Mr. Kamath. And neither was age. He took early calls on people and when he was convinced about their talent. His mentoring was never in-your-face. It was about giving you big opportunities and then letting you play the game. He was caring in his own way, but you had to understand his signals, the non-verbal cues."

As Chanda Kochar made a comeback after her maternity leave after a year in 1996, KV Kamath made her in charge of the ICIC’s western region office and gave her all the responsibilities for launching a new product.  Kochar was given a huge responsibility. It might look like an unkind way to treat a lady with a year old toddler at home, but Kamath was aware of what he is doing.

It was his trust and believes in Kochar that she managed to achieve her target in 3 months. He says, "Of all the people I have mentored, Chanda is my favourite. She knows how to manage her priorities. However challenging the assignment, she always delivered. I just had to keep giving her bigger opportunities."