S Padmanabhan: Poor optics

BACKSTAGE

This February, India's largest IT services provider "" Mumbai-based Tata Consultancy Services "" announced that it had appointed Ajoyendra Mukherjee as the global head of human resources, following incumbent S Padmanabhan's move to Tata Power as an Executive Director, Operations.

The announcement, however, was overshadowed by another significant development that very day when around 500 (0.5 per cent of TCS's total employee strength of over 108,000) of TCS's staff had to quit due to poor performance, and blogs were full of criticism of TCS's HR policies since the company reportedly had effected a marginal cut in the variable salaries of its employees earlier.

Not too much should be read between the lines, though. TCS had undertaken a similar task last year too, weeding out the underperformers through its performance-linked appraisal system. Besides, the Tata group board had decided on the dates for the announcements much in advance.

Moreover, Padmanabhan, an engineer and MBA from IIM-Bangalore, was on the board of TCS, and headed the HR operations for over four years "" a period in which TCS added almost 70,000 employees. TCS will add almost 32,000 employees to its staff in this financial year alone. And the company boasts of the lowest IT industry attrition rate which averages 11 per cent (including its BPO operations).

Much of the credit goes to Padmanabhan, despite his being an operations man. "Padmanabhan has been an integral part of TCS's success and growth in the last two decades. We are particularly appreciative of the tremendous leadership and contribution he has made in the area of HR, a function he took over four years back," said S Ramadorai, CEO and MD.

But why an operations man for an HR role? TCS executives are quick to point out that most TCS HR heads (including S Mahalingam before Padmanabhan, and now Mukherjee) are people who have excelled on the operations front. "TCS needed someone who knew the business, and was experienced in all parts of the organisation," said one.

Padmanabhan, 49, who has been with TCS for nearly 22 years, neatly fitted the bill. Having joined the company in 1982 as a trainee, he progressed into various roles. He headed the Application Software and Maintenance Practice (2001-2002), the Delivery Centre at Sholinganallur, Chennai (1998-2000) and the Airline Industry Practice (1999-2000).

He was also CEO of Aviation Software Development Consultancy "" a joint venture between TCS and Singapore Airlines (1996-1998), and Country Manager for TCS Switzerland (1993-1996).

He took a lead role in the IPO of TCS and demonstrated a strong grasp of finance fundamentals by contributing significantly in the TCS's road show during the IPO, say company executives. Since 2003, he has been heading the Global Human Resources function of TCS. In September 2007, he was elevated to the post of Executive Director.

"He is a calm, methodical person with a quirky sense of humour," says a company executive who has worked closely with him. "In fact," adds the executive, "Paddy (that's how Padmanabhan is addressed as among friends) is not loud. He thinks through everything, listens carefully, collaborates with everyone, and is very eager to learn new things despite his senior position in the company."

All these qualities should hold him in good stead in his new role at Tata Power.