Valenco case study #10 - Ashwin - P&L track or follow passion

When selling technology services, many of Ashwin’s successes were together with a senior leader who was a deal maker. Together, they pursued large and complex deals and won a few which got them significant visibility and accolades.

These deals involved management of technology at scale and operations across multiple locations. Only the best companies were invited to participate.

With each win, Ashwin added one more to his collection of branded watches.

The founder of the company would cite Ashwin and his success in group meetings. These are among Ashwin’s cherished memories.

Over time, Ashwin was promoted and rotated through sales leader roles. He cruised along delivering acceptable results.

He is now being proposed to lead a small business unit. It will carry responsibility of sales, delivery and operations. This puts him on the leadership track within the company.

Crossroads

Thinking about his career, Ashwin realizes that he thrives when there are deals to be pursued and won. Deals which are ambitious and complex. This is what he did well and stood out.

He approached his HR leader to discuss if there was a role which was more focused on deal making and acquisitions.

One option available is with the Strategy and M&A group. This team helps identify and acquire entities to help business units accelerate growth. The monies involved are large, negotiation cycles long, and always competitive. Ashwin can join as a senior member and lead the group in the future. He will have visibility to all the inorganic growth initiatives of the company and participate in them.

Ashwin is excited about the work.

There is one thing which is nagging him though. Having been a decision maker In his recent roles he is uncomfortable with the idea of being only an advisor to the business units about which companies to acquire and how to integrate them.

Plan B

The leader with whom he had worked to pursue the complex deals has moved to another company as its CEO.  It is much smaller company with ambitious growth goals. In the recent 3 years, it has leveraged mergers and acquisitions to double its organic rate of growth.

The two met at their favorite coffee shop and got talking. A role can be crafted to build and lead M&A working directly for the CEO. Since it’s a much smaller company, the M&A team will be very actively involved with the business units in the full acquisition cycle from identification through integration.

Decision time

It’s the annual awards day hosted by an industry association. Ashwin is to receive two awards for his employer, one for business performance and the other recognizing best people practices.

His new tux complements the Rolex President really well. It is the watch he had purchased when accompanying the company founder to ink the last large deal he had won.

As a senior member of your company, you are also attending the event and found yourself seated on the same table as Ashwin.

It’s a small world. Both of you were in the same hostel in college and then joined the technology services industry around the same time. Like him, you too have had a career with its share of success.

Having sold his car, Ashwin is deciding between a Lucid and a Tesla X.

In the interim, Uber and obliging friends are the mobility solution.

After the awards ceremony, you offered to drive him home. A few miles into it, he shared his dilemma.

Should he;

1.       Take on the business unit leadership role which is being offered.

2.       Join and aim to lead the M&A group with his current employer

3.       Join his past supervisor and be the go-to person for inorganic growth

What would you recommend to Ashwin?

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