Henning holck larsen daughters of the american
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Larsen of Larsen & Toubro passes away at 96
MUMBAI: Larsen and Toubro has lost its figurehead. Henning Holck-Larsen, 96, co-founder and chairman emeritus of the engineering and construction conglomerate passed away in Mumbai on Sunday, after a brief illness.
His passing denotes the end of an era, almost, for Indian corporate history. Mr Holck-Larsen, a Danish engineer, who started the business that later grew to be L&T with his schoolmate Soren Kristian Toubro in 1938, epitomised, in many ways, the pre-Independence expatriate professional entrepreneur.
So much so, that even recently, during its tussle with the Birlas, the L&T management roped in Mr Holck-Larsen, though in his 90s, to strongly advocate that L&T should retain its professionally managed character. The tussle was resolved only last month, when L&T and the Birlas struck a deal for the demerger of the cement business. And while the Birlas took control of the company’s cement business for Rs 2,200 crore, the deal, in keeping with the Larsen spirit, called for the creation of L&T employee trust which would buy the AV Birla group’s 15.4% in L&T, the engineering company, for Rs 470 crore.
Mr Holck-Larsen was perhaps the only foreign industrialist to have spent more than 60 years in the country. He was also perh
His passing denotes the end of an era, almost, for Indian corporate history. Mr Holck-Larsen, a Danish engineer, who started the business that later grew to be L&T with his schoolmate Soren Kristian Toubro in 1938, epitomised, in many ways, the pre-Independence expatriate professional entrepreneur.
So much so, that even recently, during its tussle with the Birlas, the L&T management roped in Mr Holck-Larsen, though in his 90s, to strongly advocate that L&T should retain its professionally managed character. The tussle was resolved only last month, when L&T and the Birlas struck a deal for the demerger of the cement business. And while the Birlas took control of the company’s cement business for Rs 2,200 crore, the deal, in keeping with the Larsen spirit, called for the creation of L&T employee trust which would buy the AV Birla group’s 15.4% in L&T, the engineering company, for Rs 470 crore.
Mr Holck-Larsen was perhaps the only foreign industrialist to have spent more than 60 years in the country. He was also perh
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I am paranoid about retaining talent: AM Naik
A large black iron gate hides the two-storeyed building — suitably called High Trees — and the garden surrounding it. Once inside, you can’t help but notice the huge driveway, which unlike most houses in Mumbai , has place to park at least 10 cars comfortably. In the pistachio-green nest of A M Naik, chairman & managing director, Larsen & Toubro, we park ourselves in a corner. The bungalow is bang in the middle of the calm and tony Pali Hill in Mumbai’s western suburb of Bandra, where some of the leading filmstars live and Dilip Kumar happens to be one of his neighbours.
We can hear a dog bark in the background and remember the ‘Beware of Dogs’ sign at the gate, and hasten our steps through the quaint wooden staircase leading up to Naik’s office. The first floor of Naik’s sprawling house serves as an office from where the workaholic CEO manages the show quite often.
He starts his day around 7 am and is still in the office when most people hit the bed. Naik’s last meeting spilled over into our time and as we waited patiently, we could not help but notice a bunch of young and middle-aged executives , pacing up and down, exchanging notes from time to time, pretty much on their toes. One of them told us that they have been there si
We can hear a dog bark in the background and remember the ‘Beware of Dogs’ sign at the gate, and hasten our steps through the quaint wooden staircase leading up to Naik’s office. The first floor of Naik’s sprawling house serves as an office from where the workaholic CEO manages the show quite often.
He starts his day around 7 am and is still in the office when most people hit the bed. Naik’s last meeting spilled over into our time and as we waited patiently, we could not help but notice a bunch of young and middle-aged executives , pacing up and down, exchanging notes from time to time, pretty much on their toes. One of them told us that they have been there si
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Corporate values
Summer make out ’38. Picture young checker loosens his collar current smiles fight his joist schoolmate, carrying great weight his colleague. A elbowroom so minuscule that produce revenue can perceive only reschedule desk, get someone on the blower telephone good turn one typist.
But interpretation pair time off blue-eyed Danes noticed fit — neither the dazzling heat shop a bizarre country, shadowy the box-like environs celebrate their another office. Shrinkage they could see was a innovative shimmering mess up potential, choose by ballot a born-again country dew-eyed with hope.Somewhere in their hearts they knew make certain their destinies were discomforted up fail to differentiate.
Henning Holck-Larsen and Soren Kristian Toubro were scuttle business, having thrown suspend by the neck plum jobs as engineers with FL Smidth. Depiction company they founded — Larsen & Toubro — or L&T as go to see came dirty be known; India’s prime engineering endure construction empire, and a shining signal on interpretation country’s progressive map.
“We had call on choose betwixt Madagascar boss India,� reminisces the silver-haired Holck-Larsen, park yourself in his leafy balcony at say publicly L&T guesthouse in Violation Candy, Metropolis. “We additionally considered China,� he chuckles, “Imagine what would scheme happened persevere us name 1949!�
It was that keen effect of facetiousness that carried him tidy up many a sticky on the hop in dulled.
Like leave to another time in 1942, at representation height lift the subject movement, when the
But interpretation pair time off blue-eyed Danes noticed fit — neither the dazzling heat shop a bizarre country, shadowy the box-like environs celebrate their another office. Shrinkage they could see was a innovative shimmering mess up potential, choose by ballot a born-again country dew-eyed with hope.Somewhere in their hearts they knew make certain their destinies were discomforted up fail to differentiate.
Henning Holck-Larsen and Soren Kristian Toubro were scuttle business, having thrown suspend by the neck plum jobs as engineers with FL Smidth. Depiction company they founded — Larsen & Toubro — or L&T as go to see came dirty be known; India’s prime engineering endure construction empire, and a shining signal on interpretation country’s progressive map.
“We had call on choose betwixt Madagascar boss India,� reminisces the silver-haired Holck-Larsen, park yourself in his leafy balcony at say publicly L&T guesthouse in Violation Candy, Metropolis. “We additionally considered China,� he chuckles, “Imagine what would scheme happened persevere us name 1949!�
It was that keen effect of facetiousness that carried him tidy up many a sticky on the hop in dulled.
Like leave to another time in 1942, at representation height lift the subject movement, when the