Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there; they cause change. They motivate and inspire others to go in the right direction. These attributes would probably describe best a person like Venkat Ramani, Managing Director, Reuters, South East Asia who has helped Reuters carved a niche for itself in the region.  In fact, the world's largest financial news service also banks on him to head its hot Indian market.

But challenges thrown down to him from his company is nothing new for Ramani who during decade-long career has always passed the tests of expectations with flying colours. A PGDM holder from XLRI, Ramani took over as Managing Director of Reuters South Asia from April 5, 2004. Ramani joined Reuters in 1987 and worked as head of sales for India, Nepal and Bhutan. And all the way, Ramani through his hard work, marketing strategies and vision has shaped the future of Reuters, which few news agencies have been able to achieve.

The global information company, Reuters provides indispensable information tailored for professionals in the financial services, media and corporate markets and has 15,500 staff in 92 countries, including some 2,400 editorial staff in 197 bureaux serving approximately 130 countries. This makes Reuters the world's largest international multimedia news agency. In 2003, the Reuters Group had revenues of £3.2 billion. And leading such a company with such a vast resource-base has always proved to be Ramani's advantage.

From 1995, Venkat moved on to take key marketing and management positions in Reuters, working in Thailand and Indonesia. He has seven years of commercial banking experience prior to joining Reuters. In January 2002, Ramani was appointed as Managing Director, Reuters South East Asia, based in Thailand. His role was to oversee the Reuters business in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Indo-China with an annual turnover of about 37 million sterling and 100 staff. In a world where news and information forms the very foundation of growth and progress, Ramani's has made sure that his clients are empowered with the latest information. And that's probably the secret of Ramani's success.