Godrej the Great Petson

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Adi Burjorji Godrej (born 3 April 1942) is an Indian billionaire industrialist and businessman, head of the Godrej family, and chairman of the Godrej Group. As of 2018, he has a net worth of US$2.9 billion.^[1]

Adi Godrej
Born	3 April 1942 (age 76) Mumbai, India
Residence	Malabar Hill South Mumbai India
Nationality	Indian
Alma mater	Cathedral & John Connon School MIT Sloan School of Management
Occupation	Chairman of Godrej Group and Indian School of Business
Net worth	US$2.9 billion (June 2018)[1]
Spouse(s)	Parmeshwar Godrej
Children	Nisa Godrej Pirojsha Adi Godrej Tanya Dubash

Early lifeEdit

Godrej completed his schooling at The Cathedral & John Connon School. He earned an undergraduate degree from HL college and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity^[2] and a member of Tau Beta Pi.

CareerEdit

After his return to India, he joined the family business. He modernised the management structure and implemented process improvements. Adi Godrej took the Godrej Group to great heights during the License Raj. He heads the group alongside his brother, managing director of Godrej Industries and chairman of Godrej Agrovet, Nadir Godrej, and his cousin, Godrej & Boyce managing director and chairman, Jamshyd Godrej.

Under his stewardship, Godrej Consumer Products has grown into a strong emerging market FMCG player based on a 3X3 approach to international expansion — building a presence in 3 emerging markets (Asia, Africa, Latin America) across 3 categories (home care, personal wash, hair care).^[3]

Beyond GodrejEdit

He has been president of several Indian Trade and Industrial Bodies and associations.

He is the chairman of the Indian School of Business since April 2011. and was elected as the president of Confederation of Indian Industry^[4][5] (CII) for the year 2012-13. He has been a member of the Dean's Advisory Council of the MIT Sloan School of Management[M3], Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies.

Social responsibilityEdit

In a recent interview for the Creating Emerging Markets project at the Harvard Business School, Adi Godrej describes his beliefs about corporate social responsibility and explains how the Godrej Group has been involved with philanthropic activities.^[6] Godrej Group is a major supporter of the World Wildlife Fund in India, it has developed a green business campus in the Vikhroli township of Mumbai, which includes a 150-acre (0.61 km²) mangrove forest and a school for the children of company employees.

Twenty-five percent of the shares of the Godrej holding company are held in trusts that include the Pirojsha Godrej Foundation, the Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Foundation^[7] and the Godrej Memorial Trust. Through these trusts the Group supports healthcare, education and environmental sustainability initiatives such as The Mangroves,^[8] Teach for India, WWF, Smile Train and the Godrej Memorial Hospital among others.

AwardsEdit

Over the years, he has been a recipient of several awards and recognitions:

• Rajiv Gandhi Award, 2002.^[9]
• The American India Foundation (AIF) Leadership in Philanthropy Award, 2010.^[9]
• The Entrepreneur of the Year,^[10] Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards, 2010.
• Best Businessman of the Year,^[10] GQ Men of the Year Awards, 2010.
• AIMA-JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award,^[9] 2010.
• Bombay Management Association — Management Man of the Year Award,^[10]2010-2011.
• Qimpro Platinum Standard Award for Business,^[11] 2011.
• Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, 2012.^[12]
• Padma Bhushan, 2012.^[13]
• The Asian Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, 2013.
• All India Management Association-Business Leader of the Year, 2014.^[14]