I am not sure if there is any connection with these two things but I just realized some oddly interesting facts -
The largest beverage maker is run by a man of Muslim faith - Muhtar Kent with a Turkish heritage is COKE CEO while the second largest company Pepsi is run by a Hindu -Indra Nooyi who is of Indian heritage.
Both run soda companies that make products which appeal to global tastes but both companies are American.
Changes like that are happening in many big American corporations with the appointment of another Indian born chief to head the operations of Citigroup worldwide. Mastercard too happens to be run by a Sikh of Indian origin.
Then there is talk of the venerable institution called Berkshire Hathaway which might find a new leader who happens to be a Jain from India. One of his cousins it appears already runs a large German bank.
I think what this trend underlines is that hard work and a bunch of lucky accidents do pay off big regardless of religion, faith, alignments, age and gender.
Today's world is hyper connected. I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot. It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is. Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy. It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff? Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality. So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing? Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...
By a coincidence, Muhtar's name came up in a meeting with Coke's VP at IMT Ghaziabad last week, because I think he is visiting India soon. I have been off soft drinks for a while now, but I think Americans may have severe withdrawal symptoms if they do that! Just my guess.
ReplyDeleteBeing off soft drinks is not a hard choice given the availability of hard drinks that are soft on the budget stateside..I have stuck to the potent stuff with an occasional beer thrown in to mix things up
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