Rise Like a Phoenix

Pradip Chanda is a management consultant, author, columnist and noted speaker on the subject of corporate turnarounds and start-ups.During a corporate career lasting more than 40 years, including 20 as a CEO, Pradip’s core competency has been the ability to conceptualize and champion clear business strategies while main­taining focus on achieving operational results.Following graduation from Calcutta University, Pradip began his working career as a management trainee at Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Bombay in 1966. He spent the next 19 years holding senior management positions in marketing and new product develop­ment with Unilever and GlaxoSmithKline, based in Bombay, Delhi and London.In 1985, Pradip shifted to the entertainment industry as presi­dent and CEO of Gramophone Co. of India Ltd, better known as HMV. HMV’s turnaround, from the verge of closure to its re-emer­gence as the #1 music company in India, is perhaps the most suc­cessful restructuring case in India of its time.While, at HMV, Pradip made a significant contribution in steering the adoption of an internationally acceptable IP protec­tion regime for entertainment software in India, and setting up anti-piracy initiatives as the president of Indian Phonographic Industry (1986–93), an affiliate of IFPI (International Federation of Phonographic Industries).Since 2002 Pradip has worn a number of different hats—author, business strategy consultant, professor, mentor to three start-ups in media, entertainment and technology.

• PrefaceAcknowledgementsThe Challenge of Turnarounds: A Day in the Life of a Turnaround CEODown Memory Lane: The HMV StoryA Tale of Passion: The Bharat Tiles StoryEarly Distress Signals: Consequences of Turning a Blind EyeThe Perennial Dilemma: Turnaround or ExitThe Journey Begins: What Business Are We in?The Building Blocks: Unlocking the Value of Under-utilized AssetsOpportunity Knocks Only Once: Sub-optimal Utilization of AssetsWho Leads the Way?: The Profile of a Turnaround CEOPeople Matter: The Turnaround OrganizationCore Values of a Company: Winning with GraceGetting Ready for the Future: Sustainable Survival and Growth StrategiesEpilogueIndex

In this book Pradip Chanda has distilled years of personal experience into powerful lessons for leading such a turnaround. Every senior business leader would benefit from reading this book.