Great people, however highly ranked, never lose sight of their ultimate goal in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the corporate world. For them, discharging humanitarian duties is as important as consolidating their revenues. One such leader, Dr. Shailesh Ayyangar, Managing Director, sanofi-aventis, India, is one of those rare professionals who have remained steadfast in their commitment to corporate social responsibility.

A veterinary doctor from Gujarat Veterinary College, Dr. Ayyangar also holds a post-graduate degree in Management from IIM, Ahmedabad. He was appointed Managing Director of Aventis Pharma Limited in 2005. Dr. Ayyangar was also Managing Director of Sanofi-Synthelabo (India) Limited, before which he served as Executive Vice-President (Sales and Marketing) in GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Ayyangar, now 51, has held several positions of responsibility, including Strategic Marketing Director for the Tropical Medicine portfolio from 1996 to 2000 in the United Kingdom. Apart from running Pharmaceutical Sales operations in India and Bangladesh, he was also responsible for the Animal Health Business Unit in SmithKline Beecham and worked for some years with the National Dairy Development Board.

Dr. Ayyangar's recent humanitarian activities are of as much note as are his business ventures. The disastrous tsunami and its devastating fallout elicited sympathy from all and sundry: in India, even the normally stoic corporate conscience was badly shaken. Many pledged assistance, but few in the corporate world committed themselves as wholly as did Dr. Ayyangar: his response to tsunami victims was instant and massive.

Partnering with Isha Foundation, his company promptly assisted in relief and rehabilitation work, contributing a sizeable amount and providing tangible assistance - in the process pioneering a new phenomenon in rural healthcare: the Mobile Health Clinic. This is a facility intended to provide basic healthcare, distribute medicines and create health awareness under the guidance of doctors trained in both allopathic and alternative medicine. Now an ongoing initiative, the Mobile Health Clinic draws upon its main fund, Rs. 24 lakh in total, to meet its operational costs.

A man adept at multi-tasking, Dr. Ayyangar has consistently shouldered and executed his business duties while demonstrating unwavering commitment to other focus areas. In Dr. Ayyangar's able hands, the Indian affiliate of Group Sanofi-Aventis, a leading pharmaceutical entity worldwide, is on course for unprecedented expansion and exponential growth. The underlying philosophy of his team's mission is to provide healthcare solutions to the ailing patients of India.